Annals of the Former World
Farrar Straus & Giroux · Paperback · June 15, 2000
The Pulitzer Prize-winning view of the continent, across the fortieth parallel and down through 4.6 billion years Twenty years ago, when John McPhee began his journeys back and forth across the United States, he planned to describe a cross section of North America at about the fortieth parallel and, in the process, come to an understanding not only of the science but of the style of the geologists he traveled with.
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- Who it’s for
- Geology unfolds as a journey across North America, with room to follow more than one path.
- Themes
- Geology, North American terrain, Earth's deep history
- Genres
- Geology, Natural History, Geography
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The Pulitzer Prize-winning view of the continent, across the fortieth parallel and down through 4.6 billion years Twenty years ago, when John McPhee began his journeys back and forth across the United States, he planned to describe a cross section of North America at about the fortieth parallel and, in the process, come to an understanding not only of the science but of the style of the geologists he traveled with.
Continue reading
The structure of the book never changed, but its breadth caused him to complete it in stages, under the overall title Annals of the Former World. Like the terrain it covers, Annals of the Former World tells a multilayered tale, and the reader may choose one of many paths through it. As clearly and succinctly written as it is profoundly informed, this is our finest popular survey of geology and a masterpiece of modern nonfiction. Annals of the Former World is the winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction.
Reading the Deep Time
Geology unfolds as a journey across North America, with room to follow more than one path.
Come here for
- A cross-section of the continent along the fortieth parallel
- Geology seen through both science and geologists’ style
Expect
- A multilayered account spanning 4.6 billion years
- Clear, succinct popular science with the breadth of modern nonfiction
Where it sits
| Geology | 100% |
|---|---|
| Natural History | 51% |
| Geography | 31% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Ecology
- Evolution
- Geology
- Authors
- John McPhee
- Publisher
- Farrar Straus & Giroux
- Published
- June 15, 2000
- Format
- Paperback
- Theme
- Geology · North American terrain · Earth's deep history
- Reading lane
- Ecology