The Pine Barrens

The Pine Barrens is a mostly undeveloped and heavily forested region in central New Jersey, only about an hour from both New York City and Philadelphia. In his book of the same name, John McPhee explores the geological and social history of the area, including its principal town of Chatsworth (all of 300 people). Now more than 50 years old, the book is somewhat dated — the area seems to be much smaller today following the expansion of a nearby military base — and a map would have been helpful to assist the reader. But McPhee’s profile of the region is otherwise nicely told in his usual calm and expert tone.