The Control of Nature (Paperback)

by John McPhee (Author)
Key Phrases: dry ravel, debris basins, pumping crews, Old River, Los Angeles, New Orleans (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
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 The Control of Nature 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.

Review
Is it chutzpah? The willing suspension of disbelief? Or sheer stupidity? One wonders - and so does McPhee (Rising from the Plains, Table of Contents, etc.) as he describes, most graphically, three cases of humanity living at the brink of natural disasters. The first long piece describes man's never-satisfied efforts to tame the Mississippi. The mental picture that develops is of a channel forced into deeper and deeper cuts and levees built ever higher as dams are raised and flood plains tamed in an effort to prevent periodic flooding and natural spills into distributaries. But now look at one "structure" (that's what the Army Corps of Engineers calls a navigation lock complex) that controls the flow where the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers come together. Its purpose: nothing less than to maintain the volume and course of the Mississippi just as it was in 1950 and thus preserve the river's connection to Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Next comes a tale of Iceland and the sheer heroism of a small band to tame molten lava by, of all things, hosing it down with water. Even their fellow townspeople laughed at such folly - until they saw that it worked. At stake was the preservation of a great natural harbor at the town of Heimaey - Iceland's richest fishing center. Incredibly, the hosing saved the harbor - but not the town, now buried deep in lava. McPhee contrasts the Nordic approach with that of Hawaiians who accept Mt. Pele's whims fatalistically, their propitiatory gestures limited to offerings of flowers and gin. The last of these cautionary tales is set in California in the canyons and surrounds of the San Gabriel Mountains. Here, the incredible views, natural beauty, and freedom from smog and city are sufficient to close many a mind to the predictable disasters that follow subtle combinations of wind, fire, and heavy rain. Neither man-made pits nor dams can then stay the muck and mud that race down the mountains to bury million-dollar homes (while their tearful owners are interviewed on TV). As always, McPhce is apt at metaphor and simile, more so here where he is less the cerebral lecturer in geology and more the reporter and eyewitness, capturing the words of people and the music of nature. First-rate. (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (September 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374522596
• ISBN-13: 978-0374522599
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,129 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WARNING: Approach with care -- you'll be hooked., August 19, 2000

By	Elsie Wilson (Aberystwyth, Cymru) - See all my reviews

A fairly detailed investigation and explanation of three locations where Man is attempting to prevent the course of Nature. The first, the attempt, so far successful, to prevent the Mississippi from changing its exit to the Gulf (it wants to go through the Atchafalaya River, substantially shorter and more attractive to the water), which change would utterly negate the entire economic geography of lower Louisiana. The second, the use of seawater pumped by the hundreds of thousands of gallons onto fresh, hot lava, to prevent said lava from overrunning and destroying the harbour and town of Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland. The third, the ongoing attempt to preserve Los Angeles from the self-destruction of the San Gabriel Mountains. All three goals are fully understandable in economic terms; what is not so clear, at least with the first and third, is how long the effort can be kept up. McPhee makes a good case that in human times, not geologic, Nature will win in both cases. One leaves the book with a feeling of excitement and pleasure in the Icelandic battle, a wonder at the power of the Mississippi and the stubbornness of the Army Corps of Engineers, and a sense of amazement at the futility and blindness of people who continue to live under the San Gabriels and hold the City liable for their foolish choices.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My first John McPhee...and definitely won't be the last, January 9, 2000

By	Jvstin "Paul Weimer" (Circle Pines, MN United States) - See all my reviews

When I learned that John McPhee won a Pulitzer Prize for ANNALS OF THE FORMER WORLD, I blanched a bit at buying and reading that weighty tome. I wasn't sure about tackling it, no matter how highly recommended. Thus, I looked for a smaller volume of his to "test the waters" since I have never read anything written by him before.

I chose, almost at random, this volume, and fell in love with the man's work. McPhee definitely has a talent for writing, both in describing the often unusual people he meets in the three locales depicted, and his intelligent and witty turns of phrase.

This definitely won't be my last John McPhee book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unexpected learning experience, November 18, 1998

By A Customer

Having completed my Master's thesis on a 300 year flood, I picked up this book to read about Old River and the Corps' struggle to hold its position. However, I found myself even more fascinated with the struggle of the Icelandic people against essentially the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (good luck) and the head-in-the-sand mentality of Southern Californians when it comes to mudslides. McPhee is as artful in explaining geology as geology is complex. When I read his descriptions of complex geological situations put into simple terms, I smile, chuckle, shake my head, and read the line over and over. I just can't believe such complex concepts can be explained so simply using the same language I use everyday.

The man is good.