<DIV>Swearing and mumbling against heat and drought, I was unwittingly seduced by this wonderful land. A passionate fascination grew in my heart. Slowly, gradually, the desert won my affections.' &mdash;from the foreword by Exequiel Ezcurra<BR> This evocative and informative excursion into the Sonoran Desert along the U.S.-Mexico border brings to life the beauty of a spare and seductive terrain, telling the stories of the people, plants, and politics that layer a landscape in need of understanding and protection. The contributors, all experts in their fields, bring to their respective essays both a passion for and a wide-ranging depth of knowledge of this jewel of the Southwest. The book also continues a stunning array of both color and black and white photographs.</div><div><BR> The book is divided into six sections:<BR> I. The Place: delves into the geography and geology of the region, giving shape to its rivers and ranges.<BR> II. People of the Place: introduces those who make the desert their home, including both native peoples and visiting scientists.<BR> III. The Desert: discusses birds, bugs, and botany, all the things that live and grow in the borderlands.<br> IV. The Gulf: examines the waters and the aquatic life of the region from the Colorado River to the Sea of Cortez.<BR> V. Conservation: focuses on protecting and preserving the desert and its increasingly endangered species into the future.<br> VI. Place-names: includes a geographic dictionary.</div><div><BR> Part natural history, part call to conservation, and part love song, <I>Dry Borders </I>speaks to the parts of our souls that long to delve beneath surface appearances to find the true, beautiful heart of a place.</div>