The John McPhee Reader

This was the first of McPhee's works I read, plucked, one rainy morning, from the shelves of a friend hosting me for an extended visit. Looking at the table of contents, I thought, "Geez, there's a lot of chapters about things that don't interest me at all." But still I opened the following pages to see if I could glean a morning's pass-time while waiting for the sunshine.And what a surprise I found! McPhee uses the English language in ways that are superbly explicatory, often lyrical, yet never obtrusive. I'd had a life-long antipathy to basketball, yet his essay on Bill Bradley's play on the court held my interest to the last work. I had never had any curiosity about oranges, but the essay on the history, botany, and marketing of the simple fruit enchanted me. My vague impression of New Jersey was dismal until I read McPhee's essay on "The Pine Barrens" which put the destination on my "Places to Go" list.And likewise with the other ten chapters in this book. Every one of them addressed a subject from unexpected perspectives and in language that broadened my horizons at the same time it made me a fan of McPhee's prose, no matter the subject.

I'm a huge McPhee fanboy and while I like this collection it is comprised of excerpts. McPhee is at his best in a longer form. You can really get lost in any of his books. I suggest this as a taste of McPhee, but you really need to read the books.

McPhee is a terrific writer. He has the ability to make the most mundane topics interesting. I wouldn’t say it’s a page turner but it is hard to put down

All of John McPhee's writing draws you into the subject matter, no matter how it might otherwise seem. Oranges, canoes, geography, lava, lighter-than-air machines... fascinating!

Excellent choice of topics. McPhee is the protector of our topophilia.

Sorry I really tried but I found the material incredibly boring...

Great samples of great writing

So, what can beat McPhee for a great literary and geological ride from a Princeton English professor! Wonderful.

good read