false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1156876224m/77.jpg 77 6 Master how-it-works writer John McPhee has instructed his readers in the arcana of how oranges are commercially graded, how mountains form, how canoes are built and oceans crossed. In <i>The Control of Nature</i> he turns his attention once more to geology and the human struggle against nature. In one sketch, he explores the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' unrealized plan to divert the flow of the Mississippi River into a tributary, the Atchafalaya, for flood control; in another, he looks at the ingenious ways in which an Icelandic engineer saved a southern harbor on that island from being destroyed by a lava flow; in a third, he examines a complex scheme to protect Los Angeles from boulders ejected from mountains by compression and tectonic movement. As always, McPhee combines a deep knowledge of his subject with a narrative approach that is wholly accessible; you may not have thought you were interested in earthquakes and flood control, but he gently leads you to take a passionate concern in such matters. 1391038 1989 The Control of Nature total:578|5:237|4:247|3:78|2:13|1:3| 578 2436 774 77 4 1 false false Mon Sep 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Sep 18 07:59:01 -0700 2008 Thu Sep 18 08:21:04 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 23 12:31:43 -0800 2009 Mon Mar 09 13:14:32 -0700 2009
"Atchafalaya" deals with ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Feb 24 06:08:02 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 24 06:33:08 -0800 2009
This is an extract from the jacket. "The Control of Nature is John McPhee's bestselling account of places in the world where people have been engaged in all-out battles with n...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat May 16 12:18:16 -0700 2009 Fri Apr 10 23:30:10 -0700 2009 Sat May 16 12:18:16 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Tue Nov 27 06:58:45 -0800 2007 Tue Nov 27 06:59:57 -0800 2007 5 0 false false Tue Jan 15 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Jan 01 16:27:12 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 01 16:28:33 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jan 27 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 27 17:37:18 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 27 17:49:51 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Sep 03 04:34:02 -0700 2008 Wed Sep 03 04:50:00 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1993 Sat Aug 16 09:21:25 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 16 09:38:20 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Sep 25 04:10:57 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 25 04:15:49 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 04 05:45:33 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 04 05:48:37 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2001 Fri Feb 27 21:23:25 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 27 21:26:54 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Jul 15 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 31 14:52:29 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 31 14:58:30 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1990 Wed Oct 31 18:49:45 -0700 2007 Wed Oct 31 18:56:40 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Mar 16 13:23:22 -0700 2008 Sun Mar 16 13:34:10 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Jun 14 11:01:27 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 14 11:03:41 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Sep 17 14:28:26 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 17 14:30:08 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 17 11:34:07 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 17 11:34:07 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 31 15:16:02 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 31 15:18:29 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 09 09:18:45 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 09 09:34:50 -0800 2008 1 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=77