The Night Country is a collection of essays by Loren Eiseley, a man who came from a very fine town indeed and went on to become an archaeologist, natural historian, and writer.

It’s difficult to describe or come up with comparisons to his writing style. He writes essays based on what might seem rather dull, scientific, and factual subjects such as geologic formations and the habits of birds and insects. He brings to these subjects personal experience from his childhood, as a field geologist/paleontologist/archaeologist, and with other people. And he applies all of these to thoughts about such Ultimate Subjects as the nature of time, of human beings, and of nature itself.

That’s what the essays are about, as far as subjects go, but what they are really about is the way they make one think differently and feel different–about everything one encounters in the natural world, about other people, and about oneself. It’s not really possible to describe that experience, so I can only recommend you try reading his work for yourself.