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Nature and Science October 2025 |
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| Intraterrestrials: Discovering the Strangest Life on Earth by Karen G. LloydMicrobial biogeochemist Karen G. Lloyd introduces us to a mind-bending branch of science in her debut. It turns out that most life on Earth is composed of microbes living beneath the Earth’s crust or the ocean floors, derives energy from chemicals rather than light, and might have the ability to survive for eons. Science readers will be enthralled by these ideas that “defy assumptions about the laws of nature” (Publishers Weekly). |
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| How To Save the Amazon: A Journalist's Fatal Quest for Answers by Dom Phillips with contributorsIn 2022, before finishing this book, British journalist Dom Phillips was murdered in Brazil’s Javari Valley by people acting on behalf of the illegal fishing industry. His work movingly brings to light the difficulty of reconciling concerns of ecology, economics, social class, and environmental justice. More stories about the dangerous cost of environmental protection can be found in Masters of the Lost Land by Heriberto Araujo and Tree Thieves by Lyndsie Bourgon. |
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| Strata: Stories from Deep Time by Laura PoppickGeologist Laura Poppick debuts with a detailed yet energetic trip down the geologic timeline, offering an intriguing window onto her work and showing readers just how much information about Earth’s natural history and ecosystems has been revealed through examining its sedimentary layers. For further sweeping geological insights, try: A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters by Andrew H. Knoll. |
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| A Natural History of Empty Lots: Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys, and... by Christopher BrownNovelist Christopher Brown, after purchasing an urban land parcel in hopes of building a house, took notice of the abundance of foxes, snakes, owls, herons, and other forms of wildlife that were encroaching into his Austin, Texas neighborhood. His observations are a hopeful reminder of nature’s resilience in the face of human development in this “appealing mix of nature writing, memoir, and self-reflection” (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Close to Home: The Wonders of Nature Just Outside Your Door by Thor HansonConservation biologist Thor Hanson empowers readers to observe their environment with new eyes, showing us that poking around literally just outside one’s door (city or country, no matter) reveals a surprising diversity of wildlife waiting to be discovered. Hanson gives clues as to where to look while pushing the idea of “citizen science.” If you like this, try Never Home Alone by Rob Dunn. |
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| Phytopolis: The Living City by Stefano Mancuso; translated by Gregory ContiStefano Mancuso, a neurobiologist specializing in plants, presents an original perspective on civilization, observing that humans have evolved from a generalist species (thriving in any environment) to a specialist one (only able to thrive in urban settings). Mancuso ideally imagines cities evolving along with their denizens to be more plant-based and sustainable in this thought-provoking translation. Try this next: Ashley Dawson’s Extreme Cities: The Peril and Promise of Urban Life in the Age of Climate Change. |
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| Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto by Kōhei Saitō; translated by Brian BergstromUniversity of Tokyo philosopher Kōhei Saitō tackles climate change from both scientific and political angles. According to Saitō, any capitalistic model for combatting climate change is inherently flawed, and he calls instead for a halt to urban development, scaling back industrial manufacturing to focus on quality rather than quantity, and an emphasis on local economies to curb greenhouse emissions and allow nature to heal itself. It’s an unusual yet persuasive idea that Saitō supports with a “conversational, gentle, yet urgent tone” (Kirkus Reviews). |
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