From Back of book:
Christy's brother had disappeared without a trace in the Sahara Desert. Now Christy was in Morocco, determined to find him. The only one who could help her was Hassan Ben Kadiri, a man born and bred in the desert, who looked more like a warrior chief than a caravan guide...

What started out as a simple journey soon turned into a tale straight out of the Arabian Nights. Stranded without food or water after a sandstorm,Christy and Hassan were faced with a long, hot trek across the burning, shifting sand dunes of the Sahara- and a passion that threatened to consume them both

Josie McCall seems like a beautiful intelligent woman, but she is not perfect. Josie has one prejudice-Middle Eastern Men. She lumps them all together as chauvinistic and believes that they treat their women as second-class citizens. Josie is highly upset that her best friend Jenny and Jenny's soon to be husband Mike would have Prince Kumar Ben Ari as their best man. Josie was sure that Jenny learned her lesson about trusting middle eastern men during her first marriage. Jenny's first husband abused her and kidnaped their son. Jenny assures Josie that Kumar is a man of honor, and he played an important role in helping her get her son back. Josie still refuses to believe that Kumar is a decent person.

Kumar does not understand Josie at all. He is highly attracted to her and he usually has women throwing themselves at him. Kumar decides to take things into his own hands and goes behind Josie's back to get the U.S. government to send Josie to Kumar's country as an International Health representative. Kumar strongly believes that he can turn Josie's attitude around about him and his country, if she would just give him a chance. Josie is ticked off that Kumar did this, but she knows that she cannot refuse. Now Josie is in Kamar's country and sparks fly both literally and figuratively.

I was not sure if I would enjoy this story, but it was really good. It kept me interested from beginning to end. I wish there was an epilogue at the end to get a glimpse of what the future would have been like for Josie and Kamar. This was my first book by this author, but it will not be my last.

The author actually served in Desert Storm and kept a journal at the time. This first-hand experience translates into a book that reminds us that--no matter what your beliefs concerning war--the brave men & women who fight deserve our respect and thanks. Buy this book!

This account of the Gulf War through the experiences of an African-Amercian map-maker is compassionate, realistic, humorous and touching. As an educator I recommend this book to all young adults, adults, parents and teachers for a view of war unlike any other - it guides the reader to think deeply about the spiritual and social implications of war and is a serious contribution to peace. Loved it!!

This is, in my opinion, the best module I have ever played. It has everything from dungeon crawls to overland treks and memorable characters. The plot is wonderfully thought out and gameplay is neither boring or inactive. If you can get your hands on it, do so it is well worth the money.

This campaign-length adventure module from TSR has been out-of-print for a long time, but if you can get your hands on a copy, do it! This is "old-school" AD&D - a long, epic adventure, with everything from trap-filled dungeons, through ancient artifacts and to scheming NPC's. My friend and I definitely remember this as one of the best adventures wev'e played, if not the best one. If you have a group that meets regularly, and are looking for a long adventure, buy it...if Amazon can find a copy for you...

Williams has put together a visceral, haunting, beautiful stream of consciousness aria here. This little tiny book has become one of my very favorite works over the past few years I have owned a copy of it. It is one of those books that tends to find itself hidden on my bookshelf, and when I rediscover it I am in for a real treat. This is the story of a woman who is so aware of her soul that it is almost ethereal. Walking the slot canyons of Utah and Arizona has always brought out powerful emotions within me, but after reading this book a few times I literally lose myself in the earth when hiking there now. Yes, this is a tale of love and love-making, but on such a spiritual level that it is easy to fall asleep and drift into a dreamy, watery place of serenity after reading it. What more can a book offer than that???? Save yourself the money usually spent on a "relaxing vacation" to a crowded get-away and set a fire in the fireplace, put on some Loreena McKennit and lose yourself in this treasure of a book. Mary Frank's sketches and watercolors set the stage and Terry Tempest Williams provides the magic carpet.

This book is short: 62 pages is an exaggeration, since many of those pages are filled with sketches and since the book itself is only about the size of a CD case. But what it lacks in length it more than makes up for in beauty. Terry Tempest Williams is an incredible, widely respected writer, and this book was released to much critical acclaim. Her book details a woman hiking in the canyons of southern Utah, and the thoughts that flash through her mind as she walks, and the freedom she feels in nature: the kinds of thoughts we all have when we go hiking, but aren't able to put down on paper as well as she.

The thoughts the author has are the reason those of us who love the outdoors love them so much. The solitary, beautiful, amazing feeling of being alone - literally or figuratively - with the earth (or God - your pick) in its magnificent splendor, and of the thrill of being alive.

Although I'm waiting try the new hikes detailed in this book (I'll wait till summer passes, thanks), I have found it to be a great read on its own merits. The physical descriptions of the areas covered are detailed and evocative without being flowery; the driving and trail directions are as exact as they can be given the remoteness of some of these areas. Mr. Zdon knows these places inside and out, and he goes well beyond the obvious choices into some wild and relatively unexplored terrain. This book introduced me to some new places I want to experience, and made me realize I don't know my "familiar" spots as well as I thought. The volume is also very handsomely illustrated and produced.

Andy Zdon has done a very thorough job researching the approaches and hiking/climbing routes in this guide book. I especially liked the fact that he warns the reader against taking passenger cars up roads which he feels require 4WD capability. The inclusion of general area maps and actual photographs make the book even more useful. Descriptions are great but someone said "a picture is worth a thousand words". Included in the descriptions are such useful topics as the anticipated round trip elevation gain and hiking distance. In some instances Andy has added his personal comments regarding safety issue or things like "don't underestimate the difficulty of this hike". The personal touch gives the guide book user more of a "hands on" feel to the overall hike. I recommend Desert Summits to all of those folks who are planning to get out and hike/climb the areas described in the book. Hey, here's another "list" to get you out of the house this winter.

This book is a basic necessity regardless of where you live. It contains practical ways of dealing with and preparing for critical situations, and makes you realize just how easy it would be to find yourself in those situations. If you are going to leave your house, have it in your car. If you are going to go to the park, have it in your lunch bag. And, for goodness sake, if you are going to venture out more than a few minutes from the general population - car, foot or bike - have it close at hand.

This is it, the original desert survival book, written by the man who did all the field research himself. Buy it, read it, and keep a copy in your car. It's full of useful information which may save your life.

There are many books that are entertaining, and some that are educational, but this book joins a very short list of those that are both. The basic story describes the ethical dilemma faced by a surgeon who is called upon to perform a life-saving operation on his childhood nemesis. Told in a vivid and gripping style, the reader is drawn into the main character's examination of conscience, triggering one's own review of past decisions and attitudes. It is a moral primer to the young who are in their formative years, and a refresher course for those further along life's journey.

The honesty of young Jake's adventures shape the morally sound man he becomes. The story is framed, as the adult Jake revisits events from his young life growing up in a small desert town in Utah. Wonderfully told and morally enriching, don't miss this opportunity to share this rewarding story with your children.

This book should convince most readers that reading the Desert Fathers (and Mothers) is enjoyable religious reading for the common spiritual seeker. The translations and the art accompanying them create a presentation that will appeal easly to those who enjoy the collections of Anthony de Mello, Idries Shah, various Jewish collections, Zen Buddhist stories ...

The tales and sayings themselves are short and evocative. For example: "Abba John the Little said: We have abandoned a light burden, namely self-criticism, and taken up a heavy burden, namely self-justification." It is accompanied by a picture in Japanese style with two women carrying loads on their head (sticks and basket) and two men with Sumo wrestler builds with large, heavy loads. The picture is as effective as the story at drawing the reader into the story.

After reading these stories, read Roberta Bondi's excellent theological introduction To Love as God Loves and the translations of additional tales by Merton, Ward and others.

Yushi Nomura has put together a collection of roughly 100 sayings from the 4th and 5th century monks that we now collectively refer to as the Desert Fathers. In addition, each saying is illustrated with Japanese style brush drawings, which gives this collection a distinctive flavor when compared to either the collections by Thomas Merton or Helen Waddell.

This is not a comprehensive collection of sayings. Rather it serves as a superb introduction to this body of Christian literature. The sayings of the Desert Fathers are characterized by their pithy and direct nature. You will not find abstract theologizing here; the desert was a place where the hard realities of living the Christian life - humility, hospitality, forgiveness, failure, mindfulness of everyday things - were confronted every day.

Originally published in 1982, this new edition from Orbis includes a wonderful epilogue based on Henri Nouwen's unpublished lecture notes for a course on "Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry" that he taught at Yale in the early 1980's. It was Nouwen's course that introduced Nomura to the literature of the desert and began the process that led to this book.

Nomura's collection was my first introduction to the Desert Fathers back around 1984. The book has long held a special place in my heart, and I am overjoyed to see it reissued.

This book provides a wealth of information about the Pleistocene history of the Great Basin. Grayson covers numerous aspects of the Great Basin's natural history including: Geology, Geomorphology, Paleoclimatology, and Paleonotology. The treatment of ancient lake basins is well worth the investment alone. With the help of Grayson you gain an understanding of why there were large lakes in the western US not too long ago and why most of them vanished. I consider the book to be well suited for scientist and non-scientist. If you live in the Great Basin or are just interested in its natural history I would highly recommmend this book.

"The Desert's Past" is a very readable book about the prehistory of the Great Basin. From the Ice Age flora and fauna to the first evidence of humans around the ancient lakes, Grayson takes the reader on a journey in a time machine. He incorporates the research of botonists, archaeologists and other scientists into an easily understood history. Although many discoveries -- especially concerning early humans -- have been made since the book was written, most of the book remains valid and is a must-read for anyone interested in the prehistory of the region. Grayson also has a chapter on the Donner Party, which gives insight into why the survivors (mostly women) made it through the tragedy. Highly recommended!

The Desert is one of the best anthologies of mediations for Lent that I have seen. The book has three explanatory chapters on desert spirituality and it's literature. The core of the book is a group of readings for each day of lent, the group rarely filling two pages.

The breadth of material selected is impressive. The fourth Wednesday of Lent, to pick any example, has writings of Charles de Foucauld, the desert father Abbot Moses, Alessandro Pronzato, and Thomas Merton. Many of the readings are merely a sentence. From the same example, one quote from Charles de Foucauld: "Love consists not in feeling that you love, but in the will to love."

The Desert This anthology infused my Lenten season with holiness and a step towards a deeper contemplation in the Mystery. Short daily readings from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day are broken down into themes of The Call to the Desert, Solitude, Testing, Self-Emptying, Encounter, Transfiguration and the Divine Mystery.

The words accompanied me as I shared the forty day journey with Christ. I found some of the readings especially helpful in preparing for reconciliation with God.

This is a book I plan to reread again next Lent. The readings have eternal significance and infinite insights.