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jwsg's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of essays from one of America's most talented essayists. Giving Good Weight was a gorgeous essay on te farmers markets in NYC, the Atlantic Generating Station on the brilliant plan that never came to pass to build a floating nuclear power plant off the coast of NJ (just what that state needs), the Pinball Philosophy on the competitive world of pinball players, The Keel of Lake Dickey on the joys of canoeing and Brigade de Cuisine (the reason why I bought the book) on a talented chef who wants to remain anonymous (alas!).
greyscarf's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 instead of straight 3. Giving Good Weight is diverse enough to give you a sense of McPhee's versatility. However, I'm not sure if I enjoy his writing style. He's direct & informative but often his endings feel abrupt. The titular essay & Brigade de Cuisine feel like they could keep going for another couple of pages but our author has decided to just stop. Also, his detached style can keep someone from really getting into a piece. When he writes about food, there's a lot of dishes I've never heard of, so I struggle to sympathize with his terse reactions to what he's eating. A good introduction to his works, but not an easy one.
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