Here are tales of fabulous advances made in anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, and linguistics, stories of the Anasazi, the "e;old ones"e; of the southwestern desert, of the great explorers, eccentrics, dreamers, scientists, cranks, and geniuses. "e;There's no end to the list, of course,"e; Connell says, "e;because gradually it descends from such legendary individuals to ourselves when, as children, obsessed by that same urge, we got permission to sleep in the backyard."e;.