LibraryAware October 2025

Recent Releases

Submersed: Wonder, Obsession, and Murder in the World of Amateur Submarines
by Matthew Gavin Frank

Folded into author Matthew Gavin Frank’s thought-provoking survey of humankind’s urge to explore the ocean depths from deep-water submersibles lies a much darker obsession -- the “strong undercurrent of violence and misogyny” (Kirkus Reviews) running through the amateur sub community that arguably led to the 2017 murder of journalist Kim Wall. Readers who want more adventures beneath the waves can try The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean by Susan Casey.

The Trees Are Speaking: Dispatches From The Salmon Forests
by Lynda Mapes

With vibrant storytelling supported by science and traditional ecological knowledge, Lynda V. Mapes invites readers to understand the world where trees are kin, not commodities. The Trees Are Speaking is essential reading for those with a deep interest in environmental stewardship, Indigenous land rights, and the urgent challenges posed by climate change.

We Are Eating The Earth: The Race To Fix Our Food System And Save Our Climate
by Michael Grunwald

Investigates how global agriculture threatens the climate through land use and emissions, critiques misguided sustainability efforts, and highlights innovative technologies, policies and individuals working to reduce farmland's footprint and reshape food systems to meet future demands without further environmental destruction.

Nature And The Mind: The Science Of How Nature Improves Cognitive, Physical, And Social Well-Being
by Marc G. Berman

This groundbreaking guide from the creator of the field of environmental neuroscience explains why and how nature is good for our brains and bodies and gives us a window into fundamental aspects of our psychology and physiology that can be improved through interactions with nature.

Strata: Stories from Deep Time
by Laura Poppick

Geologist 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.

The Stronger Sex: What Science Tells Us About the Power of the Female Body
by Starre Vartan

Science writer Starre Vartan, like many women, grew up believing what she had always been told: that women were weaker than men. Not so, according to her book and a decade’s worth of research, which shows that women tend to outperform men in several areas, including endurance, flexibility, and longevity. The Stronger Sex is a valuable, corrective study that asks “why testosterone is considered an unfair advantage” (Publishers Weekly). For fans of: The Better Half: On the Genetic Superiority of Women by Sharon Moalem.

Urban Ecology

A Natural History of Empty Lots: Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys, and...
by Christopher Brown

Novelist 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).

Close to Home: The Wonders of Nature Just Outside Your Door
by Thor Hanson

Conservation 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.

Phytopolis: The Living City
by Stefano Mancuso; translated by Gregory Conti

Stefano 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.

Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto
by Kōhei Saitō; translated by Brian Bergstrom

University 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).

Contact your librarian for more great books!