Author Description

The Atlas of Wild Places offers the ecologically-minded world traveler a chance to discover the miraculous diversity of nature's untouched realms from the comfort of home. Traverse the globe through seven chapters that capture the shifting moods and mysterious characters of more than 40 wilderness zones in evocative photographs and descriptive essays. Experience habitats as forbidding as the Tibesti Mountains marooned in Africa's Sahara Desert or the unknown peaks and plateaus of Tadzhikistan's Pamirs, home to the snow leopard and ibex. Marvel at places as rarefied and surprising as the rainforest at the tip of Australia's Cape York or Georgia's primeval Okefenokee Swamp. Locator maps direct the reader to the heart of each area, and specially devised "eco-diagrams" reveal the interlocking factors that shape the terrain and climate of a particular region. Masterful photography and explanatory side boxes identify the hardy animals and exquisite plants that have adapted to the wilderness. Illustrated features consider the human dimension and the remarkable interaction between indigenous peoples and nature. A gazetteer provides insights into more than 80 other wild places, including officially recognized World Heritage Sites and Wilderness Areas.