Depending on whom you ask, John McPhee is either the founder of narrative journalism or the savior of it; few, if anyone, would have any qualms with his writing or research.  His subjects range wildly, from oranges to Bill Bradley to farmers' markets to the Mississippi River.  Throughout

Rebecca Solnit is one of the most capaciously curious and insightful living writers, having explored subjects across a tremendous variety of fields.  What is perhaps most refreshing about her approach to her material is precisely the fearlessness with which she circumvents traditional methods