Rising from the Plains

by John McPhee Narrated by Nelson Runger

Overview

Annals of the Former World is the result of a 20-year journey. During that time, John McPhee, author of 25 books and noted writer for the New Yorker, crisscrossed the United States, roughly following the 40th parallel. The geological insights and wonderful descriptions McPhee packed into his accounts of these trips earned his remarkable book a Pulitzer Prize.

The third part, Rising from the Plains, takes McPhee to the high country of Utah along the Continental Divide. His guide is David Love, “the grand old man of Rocky Mountain geology.” Helping McPhee see the physical changes that have shaped this region over millions of years, Love also traces his own family's history in this oil-rich, windswept land.

As McPhee climbs into the granite landscape of the Rockies, Rising from the Plains creates a fascinating picture of the interdependence of geology, commerce, and culture.

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal

Although it stands well on its own, this book can be viewed as a continuation of McPhee's Basin and Range ( LJ 4/1/81) and In Suspect Terrain ( LJ 4/1/83). As in those earlier works, the central theme of this book is the geology of an area near Interstate 80, this time the Rocky Mountains and adjacent terrain in Wyoming. McPhee skillfully weaves together the personal history of Rocky Mountain geologist David Love and his family with the geological history of the region, chronicling both the story of pioneering homesteaders and that of ancient seas, volcanoes, and episodes of mountain building. He also details the search for resources and the environmental effect of their discovery, as well as the inner workings of geology. Recommended, especially for public libraries. Joseph Hannibal, Cleveland Museum of Natural History

From the Publisher

Mr. McPhee has created a style—blending detailed reporting with a novelistic sense of narrative—and a standard that have influenced a whole generation of journalists.” —Timothy Bay, The Baltimore Sun

“McPhee rides shotgun across Wyoming in a four-wheel-drive Bronco while the geologist David Love steers, lectures, and reminisces....This instructive account of the geologic West and the frontier West is a delight.” —Evan S. Connell, The New York Times Book Review

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171079833
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	03/11/2008
Series:	From Annals of the Former World , #3
Edition description:	Unabridged

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