I realize that giving five stars to a reader is sort of like saying that some band's greatest hits album is your favorite CD. That said, I think that John McPhee is one of the two best American reporters (along with Studs Terkel) and that this collection does a great job of providing an introduction to his work.

If you have never read McPhee, this is a great place to start. Just do it! What a great writer.

McPhee's best work is all his work. All is sublime. And this collection is a start. I am jealous if you have not yet read McPhee, as you now have a sublime collection to engage you through the darkest of times, and give you joy again of life.

The John McPhee Reader is a book which contains one chapter from each book McPhee published up to that point. The topics are varied, and discuss everything from a tennis match to oranges growing, in McPhee's unique and compelling writing style. My only criticism is that the chapters felt too short, but that's probably the idea of this tasting menu off McPhee's repertoire, I guess I'll have to fork out to buy the Oranges book in full.

He's such a good writer I almost find it discouraging.
Bill Bryson without LOL humor, but still humor, and
he is the standard for non-fiction prose.

Outstanding writing.  On my third copy, (keep giving them away.)

McPhee is a terrific writer. He has the ability to make the most mundane topics interesting. I wouldn’t say it’s a page turner but it is hard to put down

All of John McPhee's writing draws you into the subject matter, no matter how it might otherwise seem.  Oranges, canoes, geography, lava, lighter-than-air machines... fascinating!

This was the first of McPhee's works I read, plucked, one rainy morning, from the shelves of a friend hosting me for an extended visit. Looking at the table of contents, I thought, "Geez, there's a lot of chapters about things that don't interest me at all." But still I opened the following pages to see if I could glean a morning's pass-time while waiting for the sunshine.

And what a surprise I found! McPhee uses the English language in ways that are superbly explicatory, often lyrical, yet never obtrusive. I'd had a life-long antipathy to basketball, yet his essay on Bill Bradley's play on the court held my interest to the last work. I had never had any curiosity about oranges, but the essay on the history, botany, and marketing of the simple fruit enchanted me. My vague impression of New Jersey was dismal until I read McPhee's essay on "The Pine Barrens" which put the destination on my "Places to Go" list.

And likewise with the other ten chapters in this book. Every one of them addressed a subject from unexpected perspectives and in language that broadened my horizons at the same time it made me a fan of McPhee's prose, no matter the subject.

John McPhee is one of my all time favorite authors.  The writing and his interpretation of the natural world are outstanding and a pleasure to read.  A must for any outdoor or nature enthusiast.

John McPhee is a writer’s writer. Excellent prose. Insightful. Informative. Gripping and real. John McPhee is a master of non-fiction.

good read