Annals of the Former World
Annals of the Former World series
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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. 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.
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Like the terrain it covers, Annals of the Former Worldtells 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.
Liked Annals of the Former World? Here’s where I’d start.
These suit anyone who liked Annals of the Former World. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.
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The Planet in a Pebble: A Journey Into Earth's Deep History Shares science, geology, nonfiction -
Earth: An Intimate History Shares science, geology, nonfiction -
Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the Earth Shares geology, science, nonfiction -
Sand: The Never-Ending Story Shares science, geology, nonfiction
“People who read Annals of the Former World tend to reach for these next.”
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When Life Nearly Died: The Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time
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Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth
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Wandering Through Winter: A Naturalist's Record of a 20,000-Mile Journey Through the North American Winter
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Microcosmos: Four Billion Years of Microbial Evolution
