Examines the icon of the desert Southwest-the chile pepper, focusing on its culinary, medicinal, and scientific uses. A visit to a pepper grower explores what makes chile peppers hot and how the heat can be controlled. Other topics include the use of chile peppers in pest management and as an ingredient in analgesic rubs, a light-hearted look at the cultural trappings of this spicy plant, and an explanation of the difference between a bowl of chili and a chile that can bowl you over.