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Nature and Science April 2026 |
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| 99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them by Ashely Alker, MDAs a physician specializing in emergency services, Ashely Alker knows a thing or two about the myriad ways that humans can perish. Including pithy advice about how to avoid premature death and job-related anecdotes that are unsettling, funny, and flat-out scary, Alker’s book is “enormously informative and exceedingly entertaining” (Library Journal). For another witty read about dark topics, try The Chick and the Dead: Life and Death Behind Mortuary Doors by Carla Valentine. |
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| Crayfish, Crawfish, Crawdad: The Biology and Conservation of North America's Favorite... by Zackary A. GrahamThey may be creepy and crawly, but there are plenty of reasons to be fascinated by crayfish, or crawfish, or crawdads -- take your pick. With species scattered across North America’s freshwater habitats, these clever critters are essential for ecosystem development and as vital food chain links. Biology professor Zackary A. Graham enthusiastically relates efforts to save them from endangerment caused by climate change and habitat destruction in his impassioned debut book. |
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| How Flowers Made Our World: The Story of Nature's Revolutionaries by David George HaskellFlowers 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. |
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| Time's Second Arrow: Evolution, Order, and a New Law of Nature by Robert M. Hazen and Michael L. WongIt’s easy to observe the second law of thermodynamics -- that the universe tends toward entropy and disorder as time’s arrow moves onward -- in everything from aging bodies to rusting machinery. But astrobiologists Robert M. Hazen and Michael L. Wong propose that there is another “arrow” at work right under our noses, and that the evolving complexity of species, language, networks, and biotic communities on earth-like planets suggests movement toward a new kind of order. Readers will be thrilled by this “paradigm-shifting work of scientific daring” (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| The Feather Wars and the Great Crusade to Save America's Birds by James H. McCommonsIn 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. Read alike: The Birds That Audubon Missed by Kenn Kaufman. |
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| When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America's Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda L. MontgomeryPlant biologist Beronda L. Montgomery’s richly detailed own voices book examines several varieties of common American trees and plants in a blend of memoir, Black history, and science. We learn facts both inspiring and haunting about traditional Black botanical knowledge, like that willow bark was boiled to make medicinal poultices, and that the hollow trunks of sycamores would often serve as safe shelter for people escaping enslavement. For fans of: the anthology A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars, edited by Erin Sharkey. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Centerville Library
111 W. Spring Valley Rd
Centerville, OH 45458
(937) 433-8091
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Woodbourne Library
6060 Far Hills Ave Centerville, OH 45459
(937) 435-3700
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Creativity Commons
895 Miamisburg Centerville Rd
Centerville, OH 45459
(937) 610-4425
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