While many readers are familiar with John McPhee’s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_mcphee) masterful pieces on a large scale (the geological history of North America, or the nature of Alaska), McPhee is equally remarkable when he considers the seemingly inconsequential.
Oranges (1967) was conceived as a short magazine piece, but thanks to his unparalleled investigative skills, became a slim, fact-filled book. As McPhee chronicles orange farmers struggling with frost and horticulturists’ new breeds of citrus, oranges come to seem a microcosm of man’s relationship with nature. Like Flemish miniaturists who reveal the essence of humankind within the confines of a tiny frame, McPhee once again demonstrates that the smallest topic is replete with history, significance, and consequence. An excellent read.
Available in paperback at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oranges-Penguin-Modern-Classics-McPhee/dp/0141182032/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389821655&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=oranges+mcphie
160 pages in Penguin paperback
ISBN 978-0141182032
John McPhee