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.The Control of Nature

by: John McPhee

September 01, 1990
McPhee's book may not be new, but his point - that trying to control nature leads to unintended consequences - is a important today as it was when it was published. The section on the Mississippi is especially poignant, considering the damage that the delta has experienced. Peg
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.Coming into the Country

by: John McPhee

April 01, 1991
This book was difficult for me to rate, since it is really a compilation of three separate books into one volume. The first two books I would give 3/5 stars, while the third book (the one actually entitled "Coming Into the Country") is superb and deserves 5 stars. Thus, my averaged 4-star rating.

I found the first two books very interesting and readable, but they tended to delve off into a more philosophical orientation describing the history of Alaska, which I deemed long-winded at times. The third book, however, kept my attention perked and was just what I was hoping for when I purchased this book -- a look into the life of an Alaskan bushman -- since it was told through stories of people the author meets along the way during his ... Read More:
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.Annals of the Former World

by: John McPhee

June 15, 2000
I am still reading this book, but I love it so far. I bought it as a text book for geology class at my university and it's such a great book--definitely my favorite textbook ever. It's witty, exciting, poetically written, and makes you keep turning the pages.
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.Encounters with the Archdruid

by: John McPhee

October 01, 1977
I have an environmental background but never bought into the religion. I am not a fan of Brower but I wanted to learn more about him. I gained far more from this book than I had bargained for: McPhee is an amazing journalist, Brower is an interesting guy, and Brower's opponents were just as convicted to their causes.

This is my first McPhee book. In the first few pages, I watched him reveal one of the characters as if he knew him intimately, or designed him in eloquent detail for a novel. It seemed like McPhee really knew these people, and had the ability to let the reader really know these people as well.

The main theme of this book is the difference between conservation and preservation. Do you leave the wilderness alone or do you mine ... Read More:
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.Uncommon Carriers

by: John McPhee

April 03, 2007
I was a little reluctant at first to start this book, thinking to myself "how interesting can a book about train engineers, truck drives, and barge pilots be?" But that is precisely McPhee's talent--being able to write interesting, insightful stories about ordinary things we see, and virtually ignore, every day.

The book is a compilation of essays McPhee wrote about his experience riding in an eighteen wheeler, a train, a river barge, and his own canoe (and his experience at the UPS sorting facility). In each essay, McPhee shares very interesting insights from those who perform the jobs that our economy so heavily depends upon. He does an excellent job of sharing the knowledge he learned from each experience while intertwining interesting stories ... Read More:
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.Assembling California

by: John McPhee

February 01, 1994
What McPhee teaches us is that most of California, like most Californians, originally came from somewhere else. And he explains, clearly, beautifully and accurately, the complex geological history and consequences of those events.

Yes, this is my favorite in the geology series. Partly it's because I originally come from California, and know some of the areas he writes about. Partly it's because each of the geology books is a snapshot of of the plate tectonics revolution, and this book, the fourth, presents the latest and most developed snapshot. But mostly it is my admiration for McPhee's willingness to take on one of the most complex topics in geology, the ophiolite sequence and its implications, and the sheer elegance of his explanations. If this isn't a ... Read More:
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.Oranges

by: John McPhee

January 01, 1975
Wonderful book like all of Mc Phee's work. However, disappointing in that he did not cover the California orange industry to the same extent he gave Fla. Perhaps another book one day. JMK
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.The Pine Barrens

by: John McPhee

May 01, 1978
This time John McPhee turns his hand to one of those
anomalous natural treasures that has survived in
spite of intense urbanization. The Pine Barrens are
two-thirds of a million acres-an area the size of
Yosemite that sit beside a major artery of the most
developed region in the country. With the New Jersey
Turnpike to the west and bustling, chintzy Atlantic
City to the East, it's hard to imagine that this great,
weird wilderness could be so little known.

McPhee is the perfect guide to the Pines. He is as
sensitive to the natural history as he is to the
culture. He has a sympathetic ear for both the natives
and the outsiders who wander in from time to time. He's
a writer who can focus on a detail-a threatened ... Read More:
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.Basin and Range

by: John McPhee

April 01, 1982
The idea of examining American geology a slice at a time by following I-80 from east to west was brilliant.

In this particular volume, McPhee deals with the Great Basin portion of that travelogue geology. There's a lot more than meets the eye -- especially the untrained eye not native to the Great Basin -- in the mountains and valleys of the Silver State, McFhee shows.
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.Rising From The Plains

by: John McPhee

November 01, 1987
This is the third in the series of books on Western geology, following 'Basin and Range' and 'In Suspect Terrain'. John McPhee has the ability to write very readable and knowledgable essays about almost any subject that he chooses to examine, and these three books are very much a case in point.

Whether you are seriously or just mildly interested in geology, this book is entertaining and infromative. There is enough family history (of his geologist companion), geological history etc. to keep you fascinated and to make for a good reading experience.
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