The Atlas of the World's Deserts examines the hostile and extreme environments that characterize deserts, and is divided into chapters that concentrate on specific aspects of a desert's geology, life forms, history, and future.

Introduction Atlas: World Map of Aridity Chapter 1. How Deserts Form Atlas: African Deserts Chapter 2. Sand, Rock, and Rubble Atlas: Asian Deserts Chapter 3: Plants of the Deserts Chapter 4: Creatures of the Desert Atlas: American Deserts Chapter 5: The Desert in History Chapter 6: The Modern Desert Atlas: Australia and the Poles Chapter 7: Wealth from the Desert Chapter 8: Spreading Deserts Glossary Bibliography Index Picture Credits

"An attractive, up-to-date resource... Color photos, clearly drawn maps, and sidebars enrich the text. This well-researched atlas offers more than just maps... Highly recommended." -- Pennsylvania School LibrariansAssociation Best Reference Titles 2003"An attractive book, written for the nonspecialist, that portrays nature with a wealth of simple maps, lovelyphotographs, and considerable basic introductory information... Both a browsing book and beginning reference book... Recommended for high-school, public,and undergraduate libraries." -- Booklist/RBB"A useful resource for students seeking either quick facts or thematic discussions... Liberally endowed with large,bright color photos, the topical sections begin with an analysis on how deserts form; close with an eye-opening look at why desertification has become a major environmental issue... Recommended..." -- School LibraryJournal"Provides a broad and comprehensive overview... Its layout and extensive illustrations make it especially attractiveto the generalist browser and to students... Particularly suitable for public and school libraries." -- The AridLands Newsletter"Gorgeous color photographs, detailed maps, and clear andauthoritative scientific explanations make this atlas both informative and captivating... A particular nice feature is that the geographical location and other details of each photograph are consistently provided." -- SciTech Book News