Most people know McPhee from his writing on geology and conservationism, but they are missing out on his other work. McPhee spends time traveling in the New Jersey Pine Barrens in the 1970s and writes about this wilderness in the middle of a highly populated state. Most people associate New Jersey with the endless strip malls, suburbs and big hair. McPhee explains the history of this place, and will make you want to visit the Pine Barrens.

If you like The Pine Barrens, you might also want to take a look at Oranges, which deals growing oranges in the US. I know this sounds either too fact-filled or mundane, but McPhee is damn good at this writing.