Michael Pollan and Other Eco-Titans On Smarter Ways to Cook, Eat, and Clean
Three eco-titans propose smarter ways to cook, eat, and clean
Bruce Barcott
A Quick Synopsis of Jared Diamond's Newest Treatise on Humanity
What can we learn from traditional societies?
Death at Yosemite: The Story Behind Last Summer's Hantavirus Outbreak
The outbreak, which killed three, didn’t only attack the lungs of its victims. It messed with the psyche of the rest of us, too.
Gone Viral
Where will the next great pandemic come from? David Quammen's new book dives into the science of illness in search of an answer.
The Devil on Paradise Road
Last January, after shooting four men in Seattle, a former Army specialist drove to Mount Rainier National Park with an arsenal of deadly weapons and murdered a ranger. Bruce Barcott recounts one of...
Required Reading: 'The Dog Stars'
Peter Heller's terrific, apocalyptic first novel, The Dog Stars.
Burning Men
E. O. Wilson has a surprising take on how humans conquered the planet
Exploring the North Pole by Balloon
A review of Alec Wilkinson’s new book “The Ice Balloon”. S.A. Andree's attempt to reach the North Pole in a balloon during the late 19th century.
Totally Psyched for the Full-Rip Nine
The West Coast is overdue for a monster earthquake. We predict how it might shake out.
The Big-Shake, Big-Wave Theory
If a megaquake like the one that hit Japan last march were to strike the U.S., the Pacific Northwest coast would be the likeliest spot.
The Original Pole Dancer
A hundred years ago, Roald Amundsen became the first man to reach the South Pole. A new biography by cold-water swimmer Lynne Cox revisits the feat.
In the Doghouse
Alexandra Fuller's memoir recounts the trials of motherhood—and crocodiles—in Central Africa.
The Invisible Man
In 1934, drifter Everett Ruess disappeared into Utah's canyonlands. Two new books detail the ongoing search for his body. Plus, required reading for August.
Mopping Up
A year after the BP oil spill, two authors assess its impact on the Gulf; a search for the reason humans hate sharks.
Burnout
A veteran fire lookout offers a compelling treatise on the power of wilderness; plus three new works that take a glass-half-full view of the looming energy crisis.
