This publication explores how spiritual beliefs affect both the environment and the human spirit in the vast region between California's Sierra Nevada and Utah's Wasatch Mountains. It is a reflection on the ways in which human needs and spiritual traditions can shape perceptions of the land.

The austere landscape of the Great Basin has inspired diverse responses from the people who have moved through or settled in it. In this insightful book, Richard Francaviglia examines the varying human perceptions of and relationships with the Great Basin landscape--from the region's Native American groups to contemporary tourists and politicians--to determine the spiritual issues that have shaped our connections with this place.