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Sand Through the Hourglass: The Anza-Borrego Desert
San Diego writer Lawrence Hogue loves the desert, specifically the Anza-Borrego Desert, a place he describes as “a land of dreams and nightmares, where the waking world meets the fantastic shapes and bent forms of the imagination.” He loves it so much, in fact, he’s devoted 230 pages to the physical permutations and troubled history of the region, in All the Wild and Lonely Places: Journeys in a Desert Landscape.
In a style similar to that of naturalist and writer John McPhee, Hogue not only appreciates the landscape of the desert but the people associated with it, now and in the past. He records in detail its natural beauty, describing the plants and wildlife, the color of the sand, the feel of the air, the look of the sky. He knows the birds, the cacti, the wildflowers. And in between his awestruck descriptions of the place, he weaves Anza-Borrego’s history.
It’s a past that’s not always pretty, one that includes white settlers forcing Indians off their land, lots of violence and death, plenty of heartbreak. Hogue writes as if he knows all those who passed through our local desert—Spanish and American settlers, soldiers, miners, cowboys, canal-builders, naturalists and others.
The present may be more peaceful, but it has its own contradictions, too. Hogue’s chapter on Horse Canyon is especially insightful. It paints a very real picture of environmental management in the new millennium. The author writes about park rangers forced to use herbicides, to set traps for birds, to capture endangered wild animals such as bighorn sheep for study.
“Spraying herbicide in the wilderness; capturing, studying and even treating wild animals; reintroducing locally extinct species—these are the hallmarks and contradictions of ecological restoration,” writes Hogue. “What kind of wilderness is left when we become so deeply involved in managing it?”
Nature also plays a large role in the life of La Jolla–based writer and physician Mark Stengler, a licensed naturopathic doctor whose book (one of seven) The Natural Physician was a Canadian bestseller. Stengler is an expert in using natural medicine to treat ailments and diseases of all kinds. His latest book, Nature’s Virus Killers (M. Evans & Co., 19.95), is a guide to fortifying the body’s immune system to avoid being infected by some of the most common bugs.
Stengler gives readers a good explanation of what viruses are and how they work, then offers specific treatment plans for a variety of virus-caused health problems such as the flu, hepatitis, herpes and Epstein-Barr. He suggests that the right diet and particular combinations of herbs, vitamins and minerals can inhibit the harmful effects of chronic viruses and prevent new ones from penetrating our defenses.
Also Out from Local Authors
Sports Her Way: Motivating Girls To Start and Stay with Sports (Fireside, $12): For nearly 30 years, Susan Wilson has been coaching young girls in gymnastics. With this book, the Escondido resident now coaches the parents on the best way to get their daughters involved in sports. Sports Her Way is a handbook designed to assist parents in determining if and when their daughters are ready for sports, what sport is right and how to help them become involved and enjoy whatever sport they choose.
Everyone Wants My Job! The ABC’s of Entertainment Writing (Piccadilly Books, $15): Diana Saenger, a journalist and film critic, claims the latter title is a constant source of envy among those who ask what she does for a living.
In her first book, Everyone Wants My Job!, Alpine author Saenger tells readers how to break into the business of entertainment writing—everything from how to write a résumé to the best way to interview a celebrity.
Walking San Diego (The Mountaineers Books, $15.95): San Diegans Lonnie Burstein Hewitt and Barbara Coffin Moore have found some of the loveliest, least-known spots for a hike, walk or picnic in San Diego County. A total of 120 walks in 80 different locations are covered in this latest edition, including historical notes, comprehensive trail descriptions and an introduction to the plants, birds and animals you’ll see along the way.
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