ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book begins with a review of the native plants utilized by ancient peoples of the Southwestern Unitied States, While most of the species described have only limited promise as modern crops, others seem to hold great potential and are the focus of intensive development efforts. Among the world's most problematical regions from an agricultural standpoint are the arid and semiarid zones. While these areas usually offer relatively fertile and moderate textured soils, their universal dearth of water renders them unfit for cultivation of most conventional crops. Jojoba beans contain high concentrations of a liquid wax which has properties very similar to those of sperm whale oil. In fact, jojoba oil can be substituted for sperm whale oil in practically every one of its many uses.
