Book Review: The River at the Center of the World by Simon Winchester

Simon Winchester's The River at the Center of the World, recently re-released in paperback, has a premise both simple and audacious: Winchester travels the length of the Yangtze river-the third longest river in the world-from Shanghai, where it meets the sea, up to its source in Tibet. As he traces the river back to its source, he also travels backwards in time; at least, this is the conceit that Mr. Winchester uses to tie the tale together.

Read Jon Lasser's review of The River at the Center of the World by Simon Winchester.