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. Like the terrain it covers, Annals of the Former World tells 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.

Like a patchwork quilt made from family memories, Simple Annals is an American saga that spans two centuries, from Revolutionary times to the present day. In the tradition of Robert Frost and Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology, Robert Allen has documented in prose and poetry the folklore and history of his Tennessee clan. More absorbing than any dry recounting of the tragedies and triumphs of the Allen family could be, this unique album-in-words sings of war heroes, farmers, God, graveyards, and violent death; of "hoop snakes" and ghosts; hard times and occasional, fleeting moments of joy and celebration. It chronicles the American Revolution, the Civil War - Tennessee, where Allen's ancestors fought for the Union, saw some of the most savage border fighting - and Allen's own extraordinary personal leap from backwoods poverty to life as a university professor.

Old-growth forests touch the soul of many people. Some hear the echoes of Native Americans or the first settlers. Some feel the great age of the trees and revere them, while others feel they are in the presence of an overwhelmingly rare beauty. Still others understand the profound scientific value of old-growth forests as reference systems for what forests can be. Despite the remarkable emotional appeal and scientific value of old-growth forests, they are rare in Wisconsin. Only 0.3% of Wisconsin¿s old-growth forests remain, but these scattered, small parcels still retain their ability to amaze hikers with their size, beauty, and elegance. Where are they? This book directs visitors to the 50 best old-growth sites left in Wisconsin. Each site has clear directions, a listing of ownership, size, and age, and a description of its ecological features, with perhaps a story of why it was saved. A map and photo(s) illustrates each site. An additional shorter chapter includes the ¿50 Best-of-the-Rest.¿The book is for a general audience, but its wealth of rigorously-researched and profusely-illustrated data may also serve as a general reference for professional ecologists and conservationists.