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Nature and Science October 2019
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| Strange Harvests: The Hidden Histories of Seven Natural Objects by Edward PosnettWhat it's about: seven rare and expensive natural products that represent the "commodification of the natural world."
Namely: eiderdown, vicuña wool, sea silk, tagua nuts ("vegetable ivory"), civet coffee, bird guano, and edible birds' nests.
Why you might like it: Inspired by the curiosity cabinets of natural philosophers, author Edward Posnett entertainingly delves into the history and folklore surrounding the items he discusses. |
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| Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You... by Tatiana SchlossbergEveryone pollutes: From food waste to fast fashion, we're all guilty of destroying the Earth. Our video streaming habits alone pump 50.3 million tons (45.6 billion kg) of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually.
Includes: eye-opening assessments of the (steep) environmental costs of our technology, food production, fashion, and fuel, presented in conversational style.
For fans of: Rose George's Ninety Percent of Everything, another examination of the unseen environmental impacts of human activities. |
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The Nature of Life and Death : Every Body Leaves a Trace
by Patricia E. J Wiltshire
A leading forensic ecologist blends science writing with true-crime narrative in a tour of the lesser-known interface between crime and nature, drawing on her decades as a college professor and expert consultant for the UK police.
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| Horizon by Barry LopezWhat it is: a lyrical, elegaic autobiographical account of travels on six continents by the National Book Award-winning author of Arctic Dreams.
Reviewers say: "a contemporary epic, at once pained and urgent, personal and oracular" (The Guardian).
Want a taste? "To go in search of what once was is to postpone the difficulty of living with what is." |
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Resurrection of the Wild : Meditations on Ohio's Natural Landscape
by Deborah Fleming
Yosemite National Park, Louisiana’s bayou, the rocky coasts of New England, the desert Southwest―America’s more dramatic locations are frequently celebrated for their natural beauty, but far less has been written about Ohio’s unique and beautiful environment.
Author Deborah Fleming, who has lived in rural Ohio and cared for its land for decades, shares fourteen interrelated essays, blending her own experiences with both scientific and literary research.
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| The Sun is a Compass: A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds by Caroline Van HemertWhat it's about: wildlife biologist Caroline Van Hemert's six-month, 4,000-mile trek across the Alaskan wilderness with her husband, a journey undertaken without motorized transport.
Why you might like it: Van Hemert interweaves vivid descriptions of the natural world with her memories of growing up in Alaska, her anxieties about her career, and her reflections on life and love.
Word of the day: Zugunruhe, a German word referring to the migratory restlessness of birds. |
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| The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America's National Parks by Terry Tempest WilliamsContains: 12 moving and deeply introspective essays on U.S. national parks by writer and environmental activist Terry Tempest Williams.
Why you might like it: the author combines lyrical descriptions of landscapes with insightful observations on the environmental and political issues that impact America's public lands.
Did you know? "In Big Bend National Park, the Rio Grande is so low because of drought, locals are calling it the Rio Sand." |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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