Tabula Rasa
Book description
A literary legend's engaging review of his career, stressing the work he never completed, and why.
Over seven decades, John McPhee has set a standard for literary nonfiction. Assaying mountain ranges, bark canoes, experimental aircraft, the Swiss Army, geophysical hot spots, ocean shipping, shad fishing, dissident art in the Soviet…
Why read it?
1 author picked Tabula Rasa as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
John McPhee is probably my favorite contemporary author. By my count, he has written thirty-three books, but this may be his last. At the age of 92 he calls this latest book a “reminiscent montage.”
A long-time writer for the New Yorker, he has produced countless fine articles, many of which formed the basis for one or another of his books. He has written about the geology of the American West, the way in which Native Americans constructed birch-bark canoes, and the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.
His topics are fascinating. His empathetic ability to question interesting people and…
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