by John McPhee
First published 1996
This anthology draws from eleven books McPhee published after 1975, showcasing his distinctive approach to natural history and environmental writing. McPhee takes readers from the Alaskan wilderness in Coming into the Country to the decks of merchant vessels in Looking for a Ship. He examines humanity's struggle against natural forces in The Control of Nature, documenting floods, volcanic eruptions, and debris flows. The collection heavily features his geological investigations from the four-volume Annals of the Former World, where McPhee travels across America with geologists, learning to read the stories written in rock formations and landscapes. His method combines rigorous reporting with literary craftsmanship, transforming complex scientific concepts into accessible narratives. The book offers readers a master class in observational writing and scientific storytelling.
Genres: nature, adventure, environment, biography-memoir, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: observational-writing, scientific-storytelling
Setting: Alaska, America
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
393 pages · ebook · Farrar, Straus and Giroux