Winfield Public Library: Nature and Science: April 2026

Recent Releases

How Flowers Made Our World: The Story of Nature's Revolutionaries
by David George Haskell

Flowers are so much more than aesthetically pleasing, asserts biologist David George Haskell: they are nature’s true survivors. In addition to providing food and shelter for insects and birds, they adapt incredibly quickly to environmental changes, foster biodiversity, act as catalysts between different species, and are even capable of things like self-reproduction and “chromosome doubling” when the chips are down. For fans of: The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger.

True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color--From Azure to Zinc Pink
by Kory Stamper

What could "bluer than fiesta" possibly mean? While editing dictionaries for Merriam-Webster, Kory Stamper found herself drawn again and again to the whimsical color definitions--especially when compared to the dry and impersonal entries that filled the rest of the volume. Stamper couldn't help but wonder: Who was the voice behind these peculiar definitions?Meet I. H. Godlove, an erratic but brilliant up-and-coming scientist who was one of the experts Merriam-Webster hired in 1930 to help revise the dictionary to reflect a rapidly modernizing world.

The Feather Wars and the Great Crusade to Save America's Birds
by James H. McCommons

In the late 19th century, America’s bird populations were under serious threat, with many species hunted to near extinction for sport, biological research, and (wait for it...) the ladies’ hat industry. Luckily for the birds, a concerted conservation effort took hold, led by an unlikely alliance between academics, wardens, hunters, docents, artists, and politicians. James H. McCommons’ book serves as a happy example of what is achievable when concerned parties come together.

A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness
by Michael Pollan

When it comes to the phenomenon that is consciousness, there is one point scientists, philosophers, and researchers can all agree on with a level of certainty: that it feels like something to be ourselves. And yet, the fact that each and every one of us has a subjective experience of the world continues to be one of the greatest mysteries in nature. Pollan traces the unmapped continent that is consciousness via several radically different perspectives--scientific, philosophical, spiritual, historical, and psychedelic--to see what each has to teach us about this central kernel of our lives.

Winter: The Story of a Season
by Val McDermid

As we brace for another “hottest ever” summer, readers wistful for winter coziness will want to immerse themselves in Scottish crime novelist Val McDermid’s ode to the season of cold, rest, and reflection. McDermid’s beloved Edinburgh comes to life with her vivid childhood recollections of busy street scenes, sprinkled with Scottish holiday traditions and a few soup recipes. Booklist says, "McDermid's writing is lyrical, often profound, and thoroughly enjoyable."

When the Forest Breathes: Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World
by Suzanne Simard

Raised in a family of loggers committed to sensible forest stewardship, trailblazing ecologist Suzanne Simard has watched as timber companies leave forests at higher risk for wildfires, water crises, and plant and animal extinction. But her research has the potential to chart a new course. Working closely with local Indigenous communities, Simard examines how human interventions endanger new growth and longevity. If we can honor the tools that trees have honed for sharing intergenerational wisdom, she argues, we can protect these sacred places for many years to come.

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