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Nature and Science June 2026 |
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Palace of Deception: Museum Men and the Rise of Scientific Racism by Darrin LundeWhat it's about: Darrin Lunde uncovers the complicated legacy of three iconic figures of the American Museum: President Henry Fairfield Osborn, the preeminent explorer Roy Chapman Andrews, and Carl Akeley, the pioneering taxidermist who created so many of the museum’s most memorable exhibits.
Line from the book: "Less impressive were such oddments as a stuffed crocodile, blocks of granite, and a single vertebra from a long-dead whale. One early donation comprised 'one bat, twelve mice, a turtle, four bird eggs, and a skull of a red squirrel' from a fourteen-year-old future president of the U.S., Theodore Roosevelt." - Darrin Lunde
You may also like: "Fateful Hour" by Volker Ullrich, "Wild Thing" by Sue Prideaux, and " The Beast in the Clouds" by Nathalia Holt.
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Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Livesby Daisy FancourtContains: A groundbreaking exposé showing how the arts--alongside diet, sleep, exercise and nature--are the forgotten fifth pillar of health. From cradle to grave, engaging in the arts has remarkable effects on our health and well-being. Music supports the architectural development of children's brains.
What reviews say: "In her debut book, award-winning psychologist and epidemiologist Fancourt makes a strong case for the significance of the arts―in every aspect of well-being...An inspiring book that’s based on persuasive science." - Kirkus Reviews
Try these next: Rick Rubin's "The Creative Act," Susan Magsamen's "Your Brain on Art," and "Music and Mind" edited by by Renée Fleming.
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The Perimenopause Survival Guide: Make Sense of Your Symptoms and Build Your Personalized Treatment Plan by Heather HirschWhat it is: A clear, compassionate, and evidence-based resource from one of the most trusted voices in women’s hormonal health. Dr. Heather Hirsch draws on her years of clinical experience to help women understand what’s happening in their bodies, and how to take charge of their care.
About the author: Dr. Heather Hirsch is the founder of the Menopause Clinic at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a featured expert on Oprah Winfrey's The Life You Want series, host of the Health by Heather Hirsch podcast, and a leading expert on menopause care.
Further reading: "Menopause Bootcamp" by Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, "The New Menopause" by Mary Claire Haver, and "What Fresh Hell Is This" by Heather Corinna.
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When Worlds Quake: The Quest to Understand the Interior of Earth and Beyondby Hrvoje TkalčicWhat's inside: A riveting and often personal narrative about the cutting-edge science of global and planetary seismology, "When Worlds Quake" reveals how quakes can help scientists to understand the mysterious inner architecture and ongoing evolution of our planet, as well as worlds beyond our own.
Did you know?: An average of 20,000 earthquakes occur every year (about 50 a day) around the world, according to the National Earthquake Information Center.
Similar reads: Robin George Andrews' "Super Volcanoes," Clive Oppenheimer's "Mountains of Fire," and Kathryn Miles' "Quakeland."
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My Head for a Tree: The Extraordinary Story of the Bishnoi, Guardians of Nature by Martin GoodmanWhat it's about: A journey from temples, homes, and schoolrooms to animal sanctuaries, farms, and desert forests, revealing a thriving community of eco-warriors. Their stories inspire and challenge readers to live more kindly and defend nature with a passion. While you can only be born a Bishnoi, we can all follow their example.
Why you might like it: Perfect for nature enthusiasts, "My Head for a Tree" is a timely and remarkable book about India’s Bishnoi people, passionate defenders of nature whose ecological wisdom carries a powerful message.
For readers of: "The Rescue Effect" by Michael Mehta Webster, "Beloved Beasts" by Michelle Nijhuis, and "Rescuing the Planet" by Tony Hiss.
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The Ocean Book: The Stories, Science, and History of OceansEdited by Hugo Wilkinson and Duncan TurnerContains: Immerse yourself in this beautiful, absorbing guide to the marine world. Earth owes its identity as the blue planet to the vast oceans of water that cover almost 70 percent of its surface. Home to an abundance of marine life and vital in regulating Earth's climate, the oceans are also the scene of daring exploits of exploration, intense rivalries between trading empires, and global warfare.
Read it for: This book is created by DK Publishing, who is known for their fact-filled books. Learn everything there is to know about the largest part of our planet.
Other books in this series: "The Tree Book," "The Bird Book," and "The Food Book."
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Deep Water: The World in the Ocean by James BradleyWhat it is: In this thrilling work, acclaimed writer James Bradley plunges into the unknown to explore the deepest recesses of the natural world. Bradley takes readers from the atomic creation of the oceans, to the wonders within, such as fish migrations guided by electromagnetic sensing.
Read it becasue: "Deep Water" is a hymn to the beauty, mystery and wonder of the ocean. Weaving together science, history and personal experience, it offers vital new ways of understanding not just humanity's relationship with the planet, but our past - and perhaps most importantly, our future.
For readers of: Helen Czerski's "The Blue Machine," David Attenborough's "Ocean," and James Nestor's "Deep."
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Ocean Bestiary: Meeting Marine Life From Abalone to Orca to Zooplanktonby Richard J. KingWhat's inside: A non-fiction book that explores marine life through a collection of vignettes, blending natural history, science, and human stories from diverse cultures. Author Richard J. King has connected the natural history of ocean animals to the experiences of people out at sea and along the world’s coastlines.
Did you know?: That Korea's Jeju Island has a primarily female team of divers that hunt and collect abalones along their volcanic coast, called Haenyeo? It's a dangerous job with hundreds of these women having died over the last three centuries.
Similar reads: "Around the Ocean in 80 Fish and Other Sea Life" by Helen Scales, "The Ocean's Menagerie" by Drew Harvell, and "The Blue Wonder" by Frauke Bagusche.
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Leaving the Ocean Was a Mistake: Life Lessons From Sixty Sea Creatures by Cara GiaimoWhat it's about: A humorous and charming book that uses facts about bizarre marine animals to offer life advice for humans, covering themes like self-confidence, serenity, and boundaries.
You'll learn: About 60 different creatures from across the world's oceans, including illustrations and interesting facts.
Further reading: Helen Scales' "What the Wild Sea Can Be," David Scheel's "Many Things Under a Rock," and Juli Berwald's "Spineless."
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Every Last Fish: A Deep Dive Into Everything They Do for Us and We Do to Themby Rose GeorgeWhat it is: Ranging from Alaska to the United Kingdom to Senegal and beyond, "Every Last Fish" is an unforgettable trip through the ocean’s inhabitants and workers. With irresistible wit and an eye for the unusual, George reveals the unseen and endangered world behind what you buy at the seafood counter, while also bringing to life that dead fish on your plate.
What reviews say: "From fish and chips to slavery at sea, cod-to-human skin grafts to the deadly toll of distant-water fisheries, Rose George’s new book is a penetrating and kaleidoscopic view of the natural world’s most exploited but least understood resource." - Adam Higginbotham, author of "Challenger"
You may also like: "Sing Like Fish" by Amorina Kingdon, "Headwaters" by Dylan Tomine, and "The Extreme Life of the Sea" by Stephen and Anthony Palumbi.
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Forsyth County Public Library
660 W. Fifth St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
336-703-2665forsythlibrary.org |
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