Rising from the Plains

John McPhee joins geologist David Love for a tour of the Wyoming countryside. Well at least, McPhee uses their drive along Interstate 80 as a jumping off point to spin a tale or two. Painting on a broad canvas, he pieces together a detailed picture of Wyoming from its rich geological history, to the hearty characters that settled there. And the focal point for all this is David Love. And why not? Love's history with the area is indeed the stuff that can fill a book.The descriptions of Love's parents (especially his dad) and how they cut their teeth in the ranching business on the unforgiving landscape proved the most entertaining for me. The time spent looking for lost sheep, and moving herds put David Love on a path to his ultimate passion.... The geology of Wyoming. For Love, the Wyoming landscape appeared more interesting and mysterious than anything else. To his credit, Love is the only person to build a complete geological survey of an entire state. Not to mention probably one of the most complex. McPhee wraps up the book by looking at the challenges that face a place rich in resources such as coal, shale, and uranium. As a geologist, Love reflects on the interesting role his life work plays in this regard. For me, the story reveals two competing forces. One being how a land like Wyoming can influence and shape a man's entire life, and conversely how that same man's life work can change our view and understanding of a complex landscape such as Wyoming.

Well this is another of McPhee's books on geology and as usual it is very well done. But don't let that fool you, even though this book is written about high-country geology it is not too heavily laden with technical jargon nor is it a tedious read. With sly humor and and a witty style the author brings a down to earth (forgive the pun) approach and brings to life the richness of human history and geology in the old west till the present day.If you are a student of geology then this is a must read along with McPhee's other books on geology...Basin and Range and In Suspect Terrain...but even if you are not interested in the geological processes of the west the book still brings to life the people and country of Wyoming and the old west. Overall this is a great book and while some people may find it tedious if you have a love for the outdoors and the frontiers then this book will definately impart some knowledge unto you and is worth reading.

In stirring prose McPhee turns the imperceptible pace of geological change exposed in High Plains road cuts into sublime and awesome cataclysms. He incorporates the struggle to survive and prosper of a pioneering ranch family, from whom came an outstanding geologist, John Love. He deciphers the complex story lying behind modern Wyoming, including the soaring Teton Range, evocative Wind River, and Yellowstone. Far more than a guide (with it's helpful time charts and map), McPhee's sensitive writing makes you feel the prodigious forces of the landscape lurking underfoot--almost as unsettling as experiencing an earthquake yourself. A fun complement to this book is the Wyoming oil geologist mystery Tensleep by Sarah Andrews, or Margaret Coel's Arapaho mystery series.

John McPhee is my favorite writer, and this is his greatest work. It is really helpful to have read the first two books in the series, but not absolutely essential. We all have met interesting people, but it's extremely unlikely you've met anybody as interesting as David Love, the geologist at the center of this work, or his parents, John Love and Ethel Waxham. His parents mastered the literal frontier, and David went on to master the scientific puzzle known as Jackson Hole, in Grand Teton National Park. This is the most geologically complex spot in North America, and over a period of 50 years, Love put it all together. You will not find a more fascinating, humane and stirring account of the sciences than this book.