The Encyclopedia of Trouble and Spaciousness - Hardcover

"What to call a journalist who writes about place while avoiding the subjects of luxury hotels, remote restaurants and urbane oddities? Not a travel writer, surely. And not an adventurer. One could do worse than answer with 'Rebecca Solnit'."--New York Times Book Review "Insights that are acute and meaningful... [It] leads to a different, more layered understanding of the world around us."--Utne Reader "Thoughtful, eloquent and often inspiring essays."--Kirkus Reviews "The 29 essays that make up Encyclopedia of Trouble and Spaciousness are global in their reach, combining meditations on history, politics, science, art, literature, climate change and natural disasters, and take us from the snowy tundra of the Arctic to the carnival-filled streets of New Orleans."--The Daily Beast "One mesmerizing volume...these lyrical essays stress the importance of collective action and community."--Publishers Weekly "Refreshingly coherent, profoundly smart."--BBC News "Globally wide-ranging and topically urgent ... will surely solidify her reputation as one of our most independent and necessary freelance intellectuals."--Los Angeles Review of Books "An amazing potpourri...she brings a clarity to the messiness of ideas."--Minnesota Public Radio "One of our most provocative, thoughtful essayists."--Austin American-Statesman "A sublime collection of essays... a remarkable read."--Brain Pickings "Beautifully written and fiercely argued...showcases the work of an impressive intellect and a brilliant writer."--Shelf Awareness "Whatever the subject, let's just get out of the way and let the gifted woman write."--Foreword Reviews "One of the most magnificent writers of our time."--The Guardian "Solnit's essays showcase the range and power not only of nonfiction, but of words themselves."--The Rumpus "Interesting, insightful and always surprising."--Houston Chronicle "Lives up to the promise of its ambitious title."--KQED, San Francisco "Solnit's finely wrought essays probe lofty issues in ways that make them feel intensely personal."--Oprah Magazine "Luminous and precise, Solnit persuades, educates, and inspires." --Boston Globe "It's sort of an encyclopedia and sort of isn't. It's really an anthology disguised as an encyclopedia. But no matter what label you attach to it, the important thing to remember about this book is that it was written by Rebecca Solnit, one of the best nonfiction writers working today." --Chicago Tribune

The incomparable Rebecca Solnit, author of more than a dozen acclaimed books of nonfiction, brings the same dazzling writing to the twenty-nine essays in The Encyclopedia of Trouble and Spaciousness. As the title suggests, the territory of Solnit's concerns is vast, and in her signature alchemical style she combines commentary on history, justice, war and peace, and explorations of place, art, and community, all while writing with the lyricism of a poet to achieve incandescence and wisdom. Gathered here are celebrated iconic essays along with little-known pieces that create a powerful survey of the world we live in. In its encyclopedic reach and its generous compassion, Solnit's collection charts a way through the thickets of our complex social and political worlds. Like the women who've pioneered before her--Sontag, Didion, and Dillard--her essays are a beacon.