Oasis of Stone: Visions of Baja California Sur

This is one of those reviews where I have to defer to the (in this instance) other four reviewers, for the simple reason that they've done a remarkable job of highlighting the wonders of this book! They also deserve 5 stars, and so my rating is for BOTH the author and the reviewers, as of late July of 2011...

Beautiful pictures; nice coffee table book.

Beautifly published coffee table book. Bruce Berger writes well although this book's best aspect are the gorgeous photographs. If you love Baja this is a book for you.

Not About the Sea but the land mass. Lovely if you like deserts

This oversized table top book is simply amazing. The photographs are otherworldly yet these are the visions of Baja Califonia where desert stone meets the sand and shore. Photographer Miguel Angel de La Cueva presents pictures of Baja California that are mind blowing land and sea visons that look unreal. The photogrpahs reveal glimpses of habitats and micro-habitats that look as though they are from some alien planet. The views from above ,revealing the terrain as it meets the sea looks like molecular observations, it is as though you were looking at blood running through veins in a body;in many ways it is one and the same. The photographs of the various cacti are magnificent, the sun illuminating the spines, making the cacti look like angels with halos or at times their thorny presentation looking like a medussa of devil horns highlighted by the sun. The shots taken at night are superb revealing the austerity and serenity of the desert. The colorful flowering plants of the desert are a sight to behold whether you are a Baja traveler or an arm chair adventurer. The Sierra de La Laguna exhibits some of the most colorful depictions of the desert that defy our sterotypical thoughts regading what a desert looks like. Nature is presented in all it's beauty. Seeing a tree growing like the wild fig, on the side of a cliff, with it's roots extending the length of city blocks is a sight that goes against our normal perceptions of tree growth; the natural beauty of the landscape is impressive. The section on the creatures of the desert is interesting but the photographs of the land and sea far exceeeds those about the animals that hunt and survive. The text is lyrical and expressive of the beauty of the desert that is Baja California. This book is recommended for all Baja enthusiasts, community libraries or high schools. Unfortunately there were only 5,000 copies printed in the first printing so get yours now while you still can.

This is a beautiful book. If you love Baja California Sur, this book will be delightful to you. In addition to the amazing photography, the narrative includes a lot of good facts and information. I'm very pleased with this purchase.

Give this book to a Baja lover and you'll have made a friend for life! Anyone who loves nature will enjoy it too, as the photography is spectacular! The wonderfully-written text covers everything from the earth beneath you to the birds flying around, and the cave paintings. I felt like I learned a lot, but it was so easy to read, that I recommend it to anyone.

For those who doubt it--check out "Oasis of Stone"...Every glossy page fairly bursts with color and the photos have that amazing depth that only very talented photographers can capture; where it looks as if you could step right inside and walk across a sun-washed valley or into the warm turquoise waters of the Sea. The text as well is both beautiful and deep--one of my favorite non-fiction writers, Bruce Berger, who dazzled all Baja book lovers with "Almost An Island" does it again, taking us deeper into the natural world of this unique peninsula and its inhabitants.

book is in great condition. The pictures are awesome.