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Immensely satisfying...

Customer Rating:

One has chance encounters when hiking the back trails, and often a useful nugget of useful knowledge is obtained. But it is extremely unlikely that one would meet someone of Craig Childs' erudition and obsessions. Fortunately, one does not have to rely on those meetings of chance; this book obviates the need, and one can walk with the author on the many trails he has taken in the past. His "area of operation" is primarily the deserts of Arizona and the immediate surroundings. I was immediately drawn in by his first chapter, "Maps of Water Holes," in which he relates his crossing of the Cabeza Prieta in southern Arizona. He is following El Camino del Diablo (the Road of the Devil) no doubt so named because of the number of travelers who did not complete the journey. His "companion" is a map made in the late 1600's, by a Spanish missionary, Father Eusebio Kino. Craig is amazed at its accuracy. One of the many things that I learned is that water will be stored naturally, not where you would expect it - in the lowest points of elevation, but up high, trapped in "tinajas," rock basins. How to find these tinajas without a map - Craig finds it useful to "follow the bees." There are major chapters on the various forms that water assumes in the desert, from the still water (the water that waits), to the water that moves, seeps, forms streams and the cataclysm of "fierce water." In the still water exists the oldest living animal on the plant, a crustacean called a "Triops." When the water disappears, these, as well as other animals and plants assume dormant states, awaiting the next appearance of the source of life. Craig is clearly a "hands-on" researcher, and obviously loves his work, which has given him an opportunity to follow his obsession. And "pushing" his hikes to see what is around that next bend almost cost him his life, to an abundance of the book's subject - in a flash flood in a canyon. He wears his erudition lightly; his inquisitiveness is not compartmentalized. His principal focus is the ecology of the desert, its flora and fauna, with Latin names frequently affixed. But he has a solid background also in geology and the human history. His prose style is crisp, and he'll surprise you with reference to the 13th Century Persian poet, Rumi, the Kama Sutra, and a search for a water hole deep in the Gobi desert. In other chapters he relates the horrifying tale of the sacrifice of children of the Tohono O'odham tribe to stop the flow of too much water, and visits the memorial to them. He also goes to the Muleshoe Ranch, where the manager, Bob Rogers, has done much to restore the naturally ecology of the desert, for the most fundamental of reasons: his livelihood depends on it. To exist in the desert environment, one must be in harmony with it. An obvious principle which is all too often forgotten in human efforts to "conquer it." In another chapter he discusses "Chubascos", the storms of the desert, and how they differ from the monsoons of southeast Asia, and how the later term was applied to the summer rains by returning veterans. In yet another, he witnesses a flood at Kanab, the wall of mud that followed a channel that had been dry for 8 months, ending by pointing out that at Fredonia, only seven miles away, it never even become cloudy. Such is the nature of the Chubascos. The only point in the entire book I would question is his assertion that all the water on earth is derived from collisions with comets. Overall though, Craig's book is an enthralling read, and a testament to an individual who has clearly taken the trail less traveled.

Remarkable journey with water	Customer Rating:
As a desert person I reveled in this book about finding water in the desert, but it is more than that. It is about how water affects all of us and why we need to take care of that precious resource. I have purchased additional copies from time to time to pass on to others. His spititual approach to water and to life is what really moved me the most. Don't miss this journey.

poorly written, at least at the beginning

Customer Rating:

I perhaps shouldn't be writing a review for a book of which I read only 15 pages, but I don't think the sample of reviews should be skewed toward people who could stomach more of the writing than I could, either. The book put me in mind of George Orwell's essay "Politics and the English Language", which isn't exactly on point, but is fundamentally about writers whose writing gets in the way of communication and even thought. There seem to be some interesting stories in this book hidden behind what veers from prose to the edge of bad poetry; it didn't seem to me to be worth it. Your mileage may vary; if it's convenient to look at a sample of the writing, perhaps you will like the style better than I did. I would warn you about thinking you're buying something readable, though, just because the topic interests you.

Water Pockets

Customer Rating:

This is a great book for those that love the desert. The descriptive narrative is beautiful. The abundance of the waters in stark rock desert is amazing. Ancient trails to water, pockets in the sandstone, Native American religeons tied to the seeming magic appearance of waters coming from the earth. All tied together with descriptive prose that lets you feel the cool water after scorched days of walking. There is just enough scientific fact blended in that you will find yourself learning a little something as well. I also recommend the authors book "The Animal Dialogues".

Interesting book	Customer Rating:
This was a very interesting book about water in the desert. We read it for book club and it made for a very interesting discussion.