A review by holly_keimig
Basin and Range by John McPhee

3.0

"Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment or a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrane. In the rock itself are the essential clues to the scenes in which the rock began to form...Unfortunately, highway departments tend to obscure such scenes. They scatter seed wherever they think it will grow. They "hair everything over"--as geologists around the country will typically complain." (p. 23--Annals of the Former World)

It was amazing to drive through the Basin and Range province while I was reading this. As always, McPhee gives great insights into the geology and his book reads like a friend talking about their travels. :) I recommend!