This poetic account is a veriting manifesto against the plundering of natural landscapes committed by man. Edward Abbey worked as a ranger in arches National Park, southern Utah, where, in intimate contact with his distinctive mineral world, he lived an almost mystical experience. His praise of the splendor of the desert, of the rocks of pink and red stoneware sculpted by erosion, of the juniper bushes, is accompanied by an unremarkable denunciation of the consumer society. A precursor to the radicalism of American counterculture, Abbey is placed in the tradition of Henry David Thoreau and his work is one of the most remarkable in contemporary writing on nature.

The solitary desert is a work that reflects a deep love for nature and a bitter abhorrence of all that entails desecrating it. It details unique adventures and addresses the conflict over how to deal with the damage caused by development or over-tourism. But it is not a mere collection of stories, but a book of philosophical memories, full of reflections: the desert as a paradox, beautiful and liberating, and at the same time isolated and cruel. In short, a powerful discussion of the mysteries of life with an background of social upheaval, written from the heart of the American desert.