El mundo inconmensurable

A third of the earth's surface is occupied by deserts, inhospitable and desolate places that have captivated humanity since the beginning of history. From the prophets of the Bible to Marco Polo, from Lawrence of Arabia to Gertrude Bell, travelers have found cursed places in these arid expanses to be avoided, or crossed as quickly as possible. But for those who have made deserts their home, the "awful emptiness" described by explorers is rich in resources and meaning. William Atkins decided to embark on a journey through eight great deserts on five continents: his journey took him from the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia to the sites where nuclear tests are carried out in Australia, from the dried up Aral Sea in Kazakhstan to the volatile dunes of the northwest from China, from the disputed borders of the Sonoran desert to the unbridled Burning Man festival at Black Rock in Nevada or the ancient monasteries of the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Atkins shines a light on the people, history, topography, and symbolism of these extraordinary (and often contentious) places in a work that, as a winner of the Stanford Dolman Writing Award, is destined to become a classic of travel writing.