Science & Nature

Not many would read about the end of the world for fun during a pandemic. If you smiled at that last sentence, pick up this book. Katie Mack is funny, educated, incredibly smart—and will make you feel the same. Beyond pop-culture references and complex scientific concepts (that she makes absolutely relatable and understandable!) Mack’s passion will hook you in to the last (hilarious) footnote, leaving you excited for what is left to discover (and following @AstroKatie on Twitter) before the end. —Jocelyn 

UCSC Professor Anthony Aguirre covers cosmic questions from the nature of time to the origin of multiple universes, and shows how scientific giants from Aristotle to Heisenberg have grappled with them. “This unique and beautifully written masterpiece by a leading cosmologist transforms the deepest mysteries of our Universe into a captivating and accessible quest for personal enlightenment.” —Max Tegmark

Kelly Brenner brings to vivid life not only a series of microhistories found (sometimes literally) in her backyard, but her own naturalist’s fascination for all life great and (especially) small, from crows gathering at dusk to moon snails by the sea, from basement spiders to slime molds in the woods to flies all around. Brenner enthusiastically invites anyone whose childhood involved collecting bugs or who spend weekends at wilderness identification courses to join her mini expeditions—and forge their own.

In her new book The Bird Way, Jennifer Ackerman, author of The Genius of Birds, expands on fresh discoveries in the science of birds. Ackerman once again uses her engaging prose to shine a light on the startling ways in which birds are very much like us. Her lyrical and informative depiction of “the bird way” is the most delightful, inspiring, and exciting book I’ve read in ages.
Don’t miss our virtual event with Jennifer Ackerman on June 30th.
 

In his new, large format release, revered author and illustrator David Allen Sibley explains the mysterious behaviors of the most common backyard birds. With vivid and exacting illustrations to accompany the text, What It’s Like to Be a Bird is both an accessible entry point for young birders and rewarding to the more experienced individual. 

Lulu Miller writes of chaos, of scientist David Starr Jordan, of the elegance that can come from putting everything in order (be it emotions, milestones in life, fish in jars). She intersperses her own story and personal reflections within history and true crime events, scientific discoveries and hidden horrors. I have raved about this book at multiple coworkers and added it to my small stack of “books I have hugged upon finishing.” It is dog-eared, something I never do (which I attribute to all the chaos in said book), and a book I’ll be recommending to as many folks as possible. 

Climate change is threatening the continued existence of one of the world’s oldest living species, sharks. Largely misrepresented and misunderstood, sharks are not nearly as dangerous as commonly perceived and they play a pivotal role in our oceans’ ecosystem. There is still so much we don’t know about sharks (like their mating habits and lifespan). In an effort to advocate for the species, McKeever travels the world, talking to experts and learning what our oceans would be like without sharks in them and why that would be very dire indeed. 

When asked, my favorite genre will always be “nonfiction microhistory about weird stuff.” And when I find a book that fits into that wedge of my heart, I tell people to read it, even if it may seem a little odd at first. So please, read The Book of Eels. It’s that wonderful mix of memoir and science, nature writing and childhood experiences. There are rituals shared, passed down through generations of humans and eels, sometimes overlapping and always, it seems, tugging on opposite ends of the same line.

Who better to engagingly inform about the breadth and depth of fungus than Merlin Sheldrake, the fungal biologist. This book features charming illustrations, drawn with a mushroom-derived ink, and anecdotes whose topics range from the jungles of Panama to mycology conferences in the Pacific Northwest to the work done in psychedelic research labs. Sheldrake embraces not knowing all the answers and poses many questions about the radical possibilities of fungi as agents of change in the realms of environment, mental health, biological research, and more. 

Butterflies have entranced humans for hundreds of years. Why did this fascination begin? And what part do butterflies take in our ecosystem? Wendy Williams has carefully crafted a study about the fascinating history of humankind’s relationship with these delightful, colorful insects, as well as into butterflies’ evolution. A perfect addition to any naturalist’s collection and to that of the casual appreciaters of butterflies.