Elizabeth Kolbert

Elizabeth Kolbert is the author and first person narrator of Under a White Sky. As a journalist and reporter, Kolbert eagerly explores her subject matter in real time. Because she never claims to be a scientific expert, her writing is clear and accessible. Over the course of the text, she details a litany of different trips she takes around the country and the world. In "Down the River," Kolbert ventures around the American Midwest. While here, she studies the local rivers, lakes, and drainage basins. She meets with numerous scientists, ecologists, biologists, and engineers. She learns about the history of the region, and the ways in which past mistakes have created current environmental problems. From the Midwest, Kolbert travels down south to Louisiana. While here, she specifically studies the Plaquemines Parish.

In "Into the Wild," Kolbert's journalistic research takes her to the American West. She spends...