by Martha Brockenbrough
A Gift of Dust is a book that I just recently read, and it struck me that I wasn't even aware of the existence of this extremely important process. The Saharan Desert dust, comprised of the fossils of ancient organisms, supplies vital nutrients to plant and animal life in the farthest reaches of the Earth. It's been found that even the Amazon Rainforest depends on the phosphorous from the dust. The dust encourages rainfall, is an ingredient in the oceans oxygen production and carbon dioxide absorption, and can even help temper the power of dangerous hurricanes. This book carries a deeper message of the balance of our global ecosystem and reminds us that we must take care of this one planet that we all inhabit together. The illustrations are beautiful, and the book is educational to both children and adults. I highly recommend reading this.