Description
The austere landscape of the Great Basin has inspired diverse responses from the people who have moved through or settled in it. Author Richard V. Francaviglia is interested in the connection between environment and spirituality in the Great Basin, for here, he says, "faith and landscape conspire to resurrect old myths and create new ones."

As a geographer, Francaviglia knows that place means more than physical space. Human perceptions and interpretations are what give place its meaning. In Believing in Place, he 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. In doing so, he considers the creation and flood myths of several cultures, the impact of the Judeo-Christian tradition and individualism, Native American animism and shamanist traditions, the Mormon landscape, the spiritual dimensions of gambling, the religious foundations of Cold War ideology, stories of UFOs and alien presence, and the convergence of science and spirituality.

Francaviglia has produced a fascinating investigation of the role of human conceptions of place in that space we call the Great Basin.

Reviews
"An exceptionally illuminating travelogue, Francaviglia's many-faceted inquiry reveals the genius loci of a unique and powerful place."
—Booklist

"The Great Basin may be one of the most underappreciated U.S. regions, but Francaviglia fills in what might appear 'blank' or 'desolate' to that traveler encountering it for the first time. Believing in Place has much to offer anyone interested in the processes by which place and belief commingle so as to inspire thoughts of the divine."
—Rick Van Noy, ISLE

"In an era when spiritual concerns ranging from evangelical environmentalism to New Age revelations increasingly make their presence felt throughout society, Francaviglia's inquiry contributes to our understanding of how such concerns have shaped human perceptions and actions in the Great Basin and how they may influence other such encounters in other places. Its array of intriguing questions and answers deserves the thoughtful attention of many scholars."
—Peter J. Blodgett, H-Net Reviews