The Awakening Desert : The Autobiography of an Israeli Scientist

Michael Evenari's biography unfolds his exciting, manifold life: his love for botany, the confrontation with political events as a youngster and his thrilling experience of helping in the development of Israel. Evenari takes us on his exciting expeditions in the company of his beloved wife. He tells us of his meetings with many personalities and about his farm in the Negev. The discovery of long forgotten floodwater irrigated farm systems from the times of King Salomon and their reconstruction became a successful experiment which lead him to teach this approach of runoff agriculture in many parts of the world, initializing progress in the development of various arid areas. As a tribute to his successful scientific life, Evenari was awarded the Balzan Prize in 1988. In April 1989, Michael Evenari died at the age of 84. Front Matter....Pages I-XIV Youth....Pages 1-16 Student Years: The Young Botanist....Pages 17-45 Palestine....Pages 46-56 Life in Palestine and Military Service during the Second World War....Pages 57-68 With the Jewish Brigade in Italy....Pages 69-79 From Palestine to Israel....Pages 80-93 South America....Pages 94-105 California and Return to Israel....Pages 106-116 In Europe and North America on Behalf of the University....Pages 117-125 Vice-President of the Hebrew University....Pages 126-136 The Negev....Pages 137-147 An Orchard Grows from Ancient Seeds....Pages 148-160 The Six-Day War and its Aftermath....Pages 161-174 A Visit to Russia, and the Institute for Desert Research....Pages 175-186 Science, the Human Condition, and the Future of Mankind: A Biologist’s View....Pages 187-200 Back Matter....Pages 201-204