Few and Far Between: Moments in the North American Desert - Hardcover

Few and Far Between combines stunning and austere photographs of the North American desert with observations of anthropology and natural history. Each image is paired with descriptive narrative text that follows Campbell's wanderings and reveals the wonder and phenomena of this vast desert system. The North American Desert-the Sonoran, Mojave, Chihuahuan, and Great Basin-covers an area from east-central Washington to the Mexican state of Zacatecas and from the Big Bend of the Rio Grande to the Pacific beaches of Baja California. It is as huge as it is diverse, and it is unlike any place on earth. Campbell's pairings bring forth both what is hidden and what is revealed in the desert-the passing of time and timelessness, the flora that manages to survive despite the meager resources, and the ancients for whom the desert has measured life. His years of training in anthropology and the natural sciences have given Campbell the rare ability to remain objective. Yet, he sees with all the fullness of experience the ways that nature and time have transformed these places, and he knows that this alone can speak wonders. Thus, to travel with Campbell is to experience the unfolding of the desert's deeply held secrets. Few and Far Between captures the essence of what makes the desert a place of awakening for many. It is a book that will be treasured by those who know the desert, who have been romanced by its beauty and seduced by its stillness. RMBPA, Runner-up, Design Competition Jacket/Cover Design, 1997

Few and Far Between is a book of words and photographs devoted to the North American Desert . . . John Martin Campbell's text and photographs show us how alive and beautiful it is, and how fortunate we are to live in or near its sometimes stark, sometimes lush, but always dramatic beauty. Campbell is a professional anthropologist, an amateur biological and earth scientist, and a former professor at the University of New Mexico. So the reader is in capable hands when Campbell writes . . . Campbell also gives strong written images of Native American knowledge and resourcefulness, as in his descriptive use of the California Fan Palm: its "palm fronds were made into sandals, burden baskets, hats, and roofing, and other parts of the tree were fashioned into house posts, beams, and cooking ware.". . . Campbell also is a master photographer, and though the text is both entertaining and informative, the black and white photographs are worthy of an Edward Weston or Ansel Adams. Using large-format cameras, Campbell has provided images so exquisitely composed and printed that the viewer can almost walk into the flat, rock-solid playa floors and moonlit yucca stands, or touch the strangely iridescent leaves of a desert holly. This is a must book for desert lovers and those who value fine nature photography. -- Dennis Dutton, The New Mexican, October 12, 1997