“Despite popular perception the Sahara is not simply a vast wasteland of shifting sand but a wide range of ecological zones encompassing thousands of miles. William Leangewiesche hikes his way across the length of the desert with a colorful array of characters and encounters not just the usual corrupt border guards but foreign traders, insular tourists and hundreds of others who cling to life along the edges of Sahara. His commentary is insightful and even-handed and helps paint a picture of the political, social and cultural lines that often bleed together in the desert.”