Rating: 
Summary: A review by a 13 year old reader
Review: Wow. This book has everything needed to make a great work of nonfiction. Informative and humorous, "The Control of Nature" puts a fascinating spin on man's attempt to control his surroundings. Three essay detail the author's personal encounters with the willfull Mississippi river, an Icelandic volcano, and the fight between one of the countries major cities and the ever-looming mountains. A great read, no matter what age!
Rating:
Summary: More riveting than most best-selling thrillers
Review: Writing at the peak of his form, McPhee carries us to the front lines of the still-raging battle between man and nature. Unflinchingly honest yet unashamedly editorial, these three long stories (they're far too engrossing to be labelled mere essays) pit relentless nature against upstart mankind in a clash of wills reminiscent of Greek tragedy. What emerges are tales of determination, folly and grim triumph; a modern mythology where nature supplies the gods and man plays himself at his imperfect best. McPhee doesn't just write about science, he writes about people who apply and sometimes defy science in their struggle to control nature and protect themselves from the inevitable. Blending the best of Sunday-paper feature writing with the drama and penetrating insight of a fine novelist, his style is instantly addictive and immensely appealing. Timely in its science yet timeless in its depiction of the nature of man, "The Control of Nature" is exemplary writing and classic McPhee.
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