Welcome!

Enrich Your Travels with Longitude

We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.

SIGN UP FOR

Longitude News

Get our monthly e-mail update

GET A

Catalog

BEST OF 2011

Wild Coast

John Gimlette

SEE ALL >

FOR THE HOLIDAYS

To the Arctic

Florian Schultz

SEE ALL >

OUR FAVORITES

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

SEE ALL >

GLOBES

The Pioneer

Replogle

SEE ALL >

SMITHSONIAN JOURNEYS

Palm Springs: Design for the Desert

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

  • E-MAIL
  • PRINT

Kids

Books for

Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

Item EXCAL76. Buy these 4 items as a set for $103 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

ADD SET
TO BOOKBAG

Insiders' Guide to Palm Springs

by Carolyn Patten

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 222 PAGES

A thorough and up-to-date guide to Palm Springs, with essential information on highlights and sightseeing. (CAL227, $17.95)

Palm Springs Weekend, The Architecture and Design of a Midcentury Oasis

by Alan Hess | Andrew Danish

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2001
  • HARD COVER
  • 180 PAGES

An attractive and insightful study of the architecture of Palm Springs. (CAL129, $40.00)

Palm Springs Modern, Houses in the California Desert

by Adele Cygelman | David Glomb

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1999
  • HARD COVER
  • 191 PAGES

A glamorous, coffee-table tribute to modern architectural treasures of Palm Springs. (CAL128, $50.00)

Palm Springs/Desert Springs Map

by Rand McNally Maps

  • MAP

A road map of Palm Springs and surrounding communities at a scale of 1:32,000. (CAL133, $5.99)

 
Adventuring in the California Desert

Adventuring in the California Desert


by Lynne Foster

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 496 PAGES

With terrific coverage of the nature, culture, history and hikes of Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Mojave National Preserve, Anza-Borrego and other desert destinations. (CAL73, $18.95)

Palm Springs: The Landscape, the History, the Lore


by Mary Jo Churchwell

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2001
  • HARD COVER
  • 234 PAGES

A portrait of the desert community of Palm Springs over the last 150 years. (CAL132, $25.00)

In Search of a Living Architecture


by Albert Frey

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 96 PAGES

Renowned modernist architect Albert Frey discusses his design philosophies. (GEN278, $55.00)

The Architecture of John Lautner


by Alan Hess

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

An illustrated overview of the life and work of John Lautner, apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright and leading mid-20th century architect. (GEN280, $29.95)

Natural State, A Literary Anthology of California Nature Writing


by Steven Gilbar

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

Divided by ecological region, this book is a literary tour of California's unrivaled natural diversity, featuring essays and excerpts by such great writers as Barry Lopez, Gretel Ehrlich and John McPhee. Gary Snyder provided the afterword. (CAL101, $26.95)

The Literature of California, Vol. 1

The Literature of California, Vol. 1


by Jack Hicks | Al Young | James D. Houston | Maxine Hong Kingston

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 653 PAGES

A best-of anthology of California writing, pre-1945. (CAL102, $29.95)

An Island Called California, An Ecological Introduction to Its Natural Communities

An Island Called California, An Ecological Introduction to Its Natural Communities


by Elna S. Bakker

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1984
  • PAPER
  • 484 PAGES

An introduction to the ecology and wildlife of the Golden State, this volume is filled with photographs illustrating a variety plants, animals and geological features found throughout the deserts, forests and coastline of California. (CAL11, $25.95)

Assembling California

Assembling California


by John McPhee

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

Another fine book on geology and natural history from John McPhee, this time in the company of Eldridge Moores, on travels throughout California. (USW187, $16.00)

Cadillac Desert, The American West and Its Disappearing Water

Cadillac Desert, The American West and Its Disappearing Water


by Marc Reisner

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 582 PAGES

A definitive history of water development in the American desert -- and a now-classic chronicle of wrong-headed policies and misadventures controlling the great rivers of the West. (USW246, $18.00)

Desert Solitaire

Desert Solitaire


by Edward Abbey

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 303 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

One of the great works on the value of the desert, eloquent and laugh-out-loud funny. Although Abbey writes specifically about his experiences as a ranger at Arches National Park outside Moab, Utah, his message is universal. (DES02, $7.99)

Palm Springs Oasis


by Greg Lawson

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1989
  • HARD COVER
  • 69 PAGES

A small collection of photographs. (CAL130, $19.95)

National Audubon Society Field Guide to California

National Audubon Society Field Guide to California


by Peter Alden

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 448 PAGES

A compact, easy-to-use guide to 1,000 of California's trees, wildflowers, mammals, insects, birds and other flora and fauna. (CAL07, $19.95)

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America


by Jon Dunn

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 576 PAGES

From Alaska to Baja California, Nova Scotia and Florida, this guide is the veteran's choice for birding anywhere in the United States. Tabbed for easy access, the color range maps in this sixth edition are outstanding. (FG09, $27.95)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.