"Tripling as a geology primer, an autobiography, and a panorama of the nation, bejeweled with splendid vignettes and set-pieces, "Annals of the Former World" offers a view of America like no other. . . . Yield to its geopoetry and have your eyes opened to a barely known aspect of the continent."--Roy Porter, "Los Angeles Times Book Review." A Pulitzer Prize-winning book. 25 maps.
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"Tripling as a geology primer, an autobiography, and a panorama of the nation, bejeweled with splendid vignettes and set-pieces, "Annals of the Former World" offers a view of America like no other. . . . Yield to its geopoetry and have your eyes opened to a barely known aspect of the continent."--Roy Porter, "Los Angeles Times Book Review." A Pulitzer Prize-winning book. 25 maps.
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Add this copy of Annals of the Former World to cart. $4.04, good condition, Sold by Project HOME rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Philadelphia, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Add this copy of Annals of the Former World to cart. $4.29, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Add this copy of Annals of the Former World to cart. $4.29, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Add this copy of Annals of the Former World to cart. $4.39, good condition, Sold by Seattle Goodwill rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Seattle, WA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
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Seller's Description:
May have some shelf-wear due to normal use. Your purchase funds free job training and education in the greater Seattle area. Thank you for supporting Goodwill's nonprofit mission!
Add this copy of Annals of the Former World to cart. $4.49, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill of Colorado rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
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Fair. This item is in overall acceptable condition. Covers and dust jackets are intact but may have heavy wear including creases, bends, edge wear, curled corners or minor tears as well as stickers or sticker-residue. Pages are intact but may have minor curls, bends or moderate to considerable highlighting/ writing. Binding is intact; however, spine may have heavy wear. Digital codes may not be included and have not been tested to be redeemable and/or active. A well-read copy overall. Please note that all items are donated goods and are in used condition. Orders shipped Monday through Friday! Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Orders shipped Monday through Friday. Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Thank you!
Add this copy of Annals of the Former World to cart. $4.81, good condition, Sold by Goodwill of Colorado rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
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Seller's Description:
This item is in overall good condition. Covers and dust jackets are intact but may have minor wear including slight curls or bends to corners as well as cosmetic blemishes including stickers. Pages are intact but may have minor highlighting/ writing. Binding is intact; however, spine may have slight wear overall. Digital codes may not be included and have not been tested to be redeemable and/or active. Minor shelf wear overall. Please note that all items are donated goods and are in used condition. Orders shipped Monday through Friday! Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Orders shipped Monday through Friday. Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Thank you!
Add this copy of Annals of the Former World to cart. $4.87, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brooklyn Park, MN, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Add this copy of Annals of the Former World to cart. $5.49, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Add this copy of Annals of the Former World to cart. $5.99, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Add this copy of Annals of the Former World to cart. $6.00, very good condition, Sold by Burke's Book Store rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
This elegant, accessible, infinitely readable book takes us across the United States and into the states of mind of the earth as it creates and recreates itself for four and a half billion years. My first copy disintegrated from hard usage, I bought a new copy, and one to give to a friend, who then bought a copy for a friend. McPhee is the consummate stylist, and this is his greatest book. A book to read and read again.
mollybp
May 30, 2009
Amazing.
Sometimes I read the Pulitzer-prize winning books and I just don't get it--I don't know why the judges would choose that book over any other decent book of a particular year--but this book is an exception. It's a masterpiece.
This book is incredibly long and examines a pretty intimidating subject--the geography of America--but McPhee has illuminated the subject in such a way that compliments the multi-dimensional history of a land and its people. At times he "zooms out" to give the reader a mind-boggling view of geological epochs, and at other times, he'll give us close, intimate portraits of people who have studied this land and how they view it. He drops in complex geological terminology with lovely descriptions of landscapes and somehow it all makes sense.
It's taken me a year or so to finally finish this monumental book, partly because it's so long, and partly because I'd stop and re-read portions, or mark pages, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to any serious reader. And honestly, I can't overstate this: this book has changed the way I see this land, and this earth, and has made me proud to be a part of it's complicated history.
