Four celebrated nonfiction books in a little more than a decade--The Soul of a New Machine (1981), House (1985), Among Schoolchildren (1989), and Old Friends (1993)--have propelled Tracy Kidder to rarefied heights, revealing a writer of rare intelligence and virtuosity. Not only have critics applauded each of these books, but Kidder was also awarded the Pulitzer Prize for The Soul of a New Machine and has been heralded as one of the most gifted voices of his generation. Since 1974, when "The Death of Major Great," Kidder's masterful short story about the horror of Vietnam, appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, he has often dazzled the literati, crafting exquisite narratives that ennoble and celebrate the daily activities of ordinary people and artfully weaving stories drawn from the rich milieu of common human experience.

The polished grace of Kidder's prose reminds one of Joseph Addison's prose in its unassuming elegance. Like Addison and...