Eliot Weinberger is the poet among essayists. He continually astonishes us with his seemingly boundless knowledge. Who else would have new insights to share about Adam and Eve? In this continuation of his collection "The Essential," Weinberger writes about, among other things, extinct birds of New Zealand, journeys on the world's rivers, the mythology of ordinary stones, dreams of people named Chang, and yes, married frogs. True stories, as fabulous as they may seem. The world becomes larger when viewed through the eyes of Eliot Weinberger, and more beautiful when reading his unparalleled texts. "Probably the greatest essayist in the world. He should win the Nobel Prize." Clemens Setz.