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HIDDEN LIFE OF THE DESERT, And Our Future in the Drying Southwest
Text and photography by Thomas Wiewandt (unless otherwise credited)
Third/2022 Edition; paperback; ISBN 978-0-87842-713-0
Co-published by Wild Horizons Publishing & Mountain Press
Size: 9×8.3 inches; 120pp
162 color photographs + 7 maps & illustrations
Glossary + Annotated List of Resources for Students & Teachers
Comprehensive Index
This Third/2022 Edition of HIDDEN LIFE OF THE DESERT––appropriately subtitled And Our Future in the Drying Southwest––offers students, teachers, and parents an inspiring, clearly written introduction to the Sonoran Desert (for 6th Grade and older), richly illustrated with color photographs. Like previous editions, Part 1 of the book profiles plants and animals through five seasons of a desert year: Spring, Dry Summer, Wet Summer, Autumn, & Winter.
Part 2 ––“Facing the Future,” updated and greatly expanded––challenges readers to adopt desert thinking for desert living, in the context of explosive population growth and climate change. Consider where water in the West comes from, how we use it, and how power and water are connected. See how invasive grasses, today’s farming practices, and mining threaten arid lands. Learn about renewable energy, solar canals, “Mechanical Trees,” rainwater harvesting, and some crops of the future––desert plants that give us natural rubber, medicines, food, and biofuels.
Preview the book below:
HIDDEN LIFE OF THE DESERT has been named by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group as one of the best indie books of 2023. It’s a Double Gold Winner, having captured Gold in two of the 80 categories of the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards––Science/Nature/Environment and Children’s Picture Book (Non-Fiction, All Ages)—plus $200 in prize money. This competition is the world’s largest book awards program for independent publishers and self-published authors. Winners and finalists will be honored June 23 at a gala event at the Newberry Library in Chicago, IL, coinciding with the American Library Association Annual Conference. For updates, visit
On May 5, HIDDEN LIFE OF THE DESERT won another prestigious publishing award––a Silver Benjamin Franklin Award from the Independent Publishers Book Association, in their Teen Non-fiction (Ages 13-18) category. The IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards recognize excellence in book editorial content and design and are regarded as one of the highest national honors for independent publishers. The IBPA is the largest publishing association in the US. Books are judged by librarians, bookstore owners, reviewers, designers, publicity managers, and editors. IBPA received close to 1,800 entries in this year’s program, in 56 categories.
Independent book publishing companies are not affiliated with the major publishing conglomerates that dominate the book industry today. Indies include small presses, larger independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors. Indies face challenges that the industry giants don’t experience, and they have to work much harder to get their best books into readers’ hands. According to recent statistics collected by Zippia.com, over 4 million new books were published in 2022 alone, with 2.1 million of those being self-published.
MEDIA BUNDLE SAVINGS ♥
Hidden Life of the Desert Book
Desert Dreams DVD
($40 Value)
MEDIA BUNDLE SAVINGS ♥
Hidden Life of the Desert Book
Desert Dreams DVD
Echos from Prayer Rock CD
($55 Value)
FOUR PRODUCT BUNDLE SAVINGS ♥
Hidden Life of the Desert Book
Desert Dreams DVD
Echos from Prayer Rock CD
Desert Dreams Coloring Book
($65 Value)