Basin and Range (Annals of the Former World, 1)

For all you lovers of geology- a classic !

The start of a four part discussion of the earth, how the science of geology began and how it evolved. I love his writing - its long runs of multisyllabic words, many I need to look up, and his familiarity with the science and the scientists. First published in 1981, it is fresh and gnarly. The series is 600+ pages. I’m 76. Hope I make it to the end.

The book was a good read and a little jumpy around the place, not upsetting too me that much, and took a while to get used to it. Even so, it was interesting to me as a geologist and and as an Ozzie with the help of good ol' Google Earth, I could do a virtual geological road trip through the West to the places mentioned [pity the Street Views could not show road cuts up closer for boundaries!].this Book was recommended in a Earth Science blog through facebook, believe it or not [https://www.pinterest.com/earthstory/].Some criticisms, I liked the style, even if it took a while. I cannot get around the editing about HORST blocks written as HORSE blocks at some stage, it threw me off at first, pardon the pun. Also I think some geological theories on plate tectonics and continental drift were not explained well or maybe even wrongly to a small extant, or maybe just too over simplified. It does cover a wide area...In any case, at the moment I am reading the next book in the series and enjoying it as much as the Basin and Range. The reviews/descriptions of the first two books in the series have not grabbed my attention as yet.I hope John McPhee could do a few on Australia if he has Time...

I read John McPhee's book Basin and Range with great interest. In a sense, the book travels across the United States from New York to California, including the basins and ranges in between. More specifically, it gives a geological history of the trip across the United States from New York to San Francisco, mostly on Route 80, going through all the different land formations.The book also travels through geologic history from the present back to the Triassic and Permian periods, covering the various geological epochs. Finally, it travels up and down mountains through elevation changes between basins and ranges.The book provided a great introduction to geology. I was particularly interested in how it explained how gold and silver deposits arise from these minerals being dissolved and then precipitating out of solution and what it was like during the Nevada Silver Rush in the 19th century.Overall, Basin and Range is a great read that I would highly recommend.

McPhee is a terrific author. He tells a story without adding his opinion or view. Always makes his books interesting and thought provoking

This is a classic explanation of the gross geology of the western US. I was expecting a little more technical rigor but got a kind of folksy description of the area. If your not very technically or academically familiar with the concepts this is a good place to start. If you've already done some reading regarding this subject I think you'll find it a bit remedial.

The book was in very good condition and arrived quickly.

John McPhee is a master of descriptive writing. Basin and Range takes you back millions of years into the past and lets you watch the formation of the Rocky Mountains on the American continent. This book is a must read for any educated person. Will let you understand the land you live in and appreciate the forces that created it.