Abbey has often been called sexist, racist, and some other not so nice names, many of them justifiable at least in part. It is quite true that very little of Abbey's work would fit into the description of politically correct. This book is no exception. And like most of his other books, if you are willing to overlook those foibles, and let the author's voice speak for itself, look past those things that irritate or annoy you, there will be plenty of gold to make the book worth reading. Abbey writes about the American west, but not the old west of cowboys and Indians. This is the new west, the brutalized west, the west that has been altered, in some cases irrevocably, by humans. In this book, he also includes descriptions of Australia, and, as is often the case, Mexico. Abbey, as usual, demonstrates for us an odd mix of elitist anti-elitism, intellectual anti-intellectualism, and libertarian socialism. Just when you think you've got a handle on him, he surprises you by turning the next corner a different direction. This book, although not his finest work, is definitely worth a look. ( )