This book is part memoir, part history, and unusually well written for a work of this type. Melvin, who was born in the desert region of eastern Oregon in 1941, interweaves an affectionate account of his own experiences living there with a history of the region, a history that encapsulates the wider story of the settlement of the American west. As a scientist, he has focused his career on environmental problems associated with nuclear waste disposal in arid environments and currently lives and works in Hanford, Washington. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)