The continuing increase in human populations throughout much of the world drives the relevance of this book. It studies deserts in a global context. How deserts form and change. But the most germane sections of the text concern how humans interact with deserts. And how the spread of deserts can pose a danger to human societies; especially those of nomads and subsistence farmers.



The book is written at a very understandable level for a wide audience. It is suitable for an undergrad or even a high school course.



The material also discusses global warming, a very topical field. The implications of this for desert albedo. Since deserts are a quarter of the planet's land area, perhaps they might mitigate global warming. An open question that deserves more research.