Our recent book As the deadline approached for publication our first book, EBMUD’s Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates, I found myself without an introductory chapter, nothing to set the tone or communicate to readers our intentions for the book. Consumed with a growing sense of panic, I headed off for the southern California desert, where I tend to go when I need to rest and recharge. Staying with a friend in Twentynine Palms, I spent mornings hiking in Joshua Tree National Monument and afternoons on the guest house deck staring at my