Myself, along with millions of young adults world-wide, read “The Fault In Our Stars” by John Green, “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer and, of course thanks to the Centennial Celebration, “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak. We’ve read and heard about plenty of love tales, heartbreaks, fantasies and realities, but who’s really read a book specifically all about oranges?

John McPhee is an author, widely considered one of the pioneers of creative non-fiction. Born and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, McPhee’s writing career began with “Time” magazine and soon led off to his collaboration with “The New Yorker,” where he remains working with to this day. McPhee published his first book in 1965 and ever since then, he wrote nearly 30 books. Perhaps why McPhee published “Oranges” in 2011.

“Oranges” is a 149 page book compacted with juicy information, stories and facts about oranges and orange juice. It tells a story based off personal experience from orange enthusiasts, growers, botanists, packers, pickers, concentration makers, barons and even early settlers. McPhee made several encounters with the subject and found it to be so interesting and irresistible, he insisted on writing about it.

You take a simple orange and understand the concept of peeling the skin off and eating the fruit. The idea of this straightforward citrus is, in fact and by far, one of the most complex and detailed matters I ever had the privilege of researching, in my generation. Understanding the realistic concept of an orange made me realize how effortless peace-wise functions or vertices of a hyperbola are.

Although, while it seems like so much to take in, comprehending, learning and reading about citrus is actually wildly intriguing. And to your surprise, you will find yourself curled up in a blanket at one in the morning, on a Saturday, caught up in the collective, attention grabbing book, that you omit reality for a few hours, and dedicate that time to becoming an orange expert. 

McPhee’s book has a mere-like narrative progression. Like Flemish craftsmen who expand the spirit of humankind within the restrictions of a tiny frame, McPhee exemplified that the smallest subject is filled with significance and rich history.