The Desert by A. Starker Leopold is a richly illustrated natural-history book exploring the distinctive landscapes, wildlife, plants, climate, and ecological character of the North American deserts. It was originally published as part of the Life Nature Library, a series known for combining accessible scientific writing with extensive photography and illustrations. A contemporary educational bibliography describes the book as featuring excellent photographs and descriptions of the unique forms of the desert environment.

Leopold approaches the desert as a living ecological system rather than simply a barren landscape, examining how plants and animals survive under conditions of limited water, intense heat, and extreme environmental variation.