The Silence and The Sun is based in large part on the results of taped oral history interviews with desert ‘old timers’ who grew up in isolated communities on and near old Route 66 in the Mojave Desert of eastern California, and Joe’s own experiences exploring back roads and trails in the desert.  Most of the people who were interviewed were children when they lived in the desert but are now grandparents.  Joe was able to record their stories and gained access to their old photographs, some in family albums and others in a forgotten shoebox stored in a garage.  Joe also spent dozens of weekends and drove hundreds of miles exploring back roads and hiking to remote abandoned mines.  These interviews, the collection of photographs, and Joe’s own explorations spanning two decades resulted in writing and publishing The Silence and The Sun.  The first edition was published in 2007.  Joe continued his research, and an updated 2nd edition was published in 2012.   For several years the books were out of print, but in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the naming of Route 66, this latest edition has been published. It includes updated versions of all the material in the first two editions, and contributions from Steve Reyes, Francis Blake, and Roger Hatheway.