A review by arielamandah
Desert Notebooks: A Road Map for the End of Time by Ben Ehrenreich

5.0

4.5 stars. I really loved this book. I'm debating dipping back in and reading it again, just to make sure that I absorb the whole thing. It's a very hard book to describe. What is it about? I'm not sure exactly. Lots of things. Everything. If you need or are expecting a strong narrative arc, or a singular premise/thesis, this book may not be for you. The title felt accurate: notebooks, or journals, centered around the main topic of the author's personal experience living in desert locations. There were themes that wove through the various portions of the books - threads that connected topics that otherwise didn't seem related. Owls, time, Lillith, "the Rhino" (Trump), the news cycle... people, places.... it felt true to how we notice the world around us - things jump into our awareness and then we keep noticing them as they show up, again and again. Some parts of the book felt really academic, and I will admit to not being at my closest attention during a few of those parts, but overall, I found a lot to love here. It made me want to pick up my pen again and start writing my own notebooks and reflections on the world.