Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Wind, Sand and Stars *** 1/2

You can tell from the title that Wind, Sand and Stars is going to take a lyrical approach to its subject matter. Although the cover proclaims it as "a National Geographic Top Ten Adventure Book of All Time," Wind, Sand and Stars uses its author's adventures as a mere launching pad for musings on the nature of man, his place in the universe, and the meaning of life. In other words, don't read this book for its exciting aviation adventures, but for its beautiful imagery and engaging philosophy. It has the latter in abundance, although Saint-Exupery's prose is undeniably overblown at times.