Culpeper County Library271 Southgate Shopping Center, Culpeper, Virginia 22701 | 540-825-8691https://www.cclva.org |
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Nature and Science October 2026 |
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Saved by the Pack: How 50 Dogs Helped Me Find My Purpose
by Lee Asher
Meet Lee Asher, animal rights advocate and founder of The Asher House animal sanctuary, in this inspiring tale about finding his purpose through the lens of 50 amazing animal rescues. Since 2020, Lee Asher has rescued more than 1,000 dogs with The Asher House, a nonprofit animal sanctuary in Oregon. In this beautifully illustrated book, Asher shares the intimate journey that led him to rescue animals and inspire others to do good in the world, from his tumultuous childhood struggling with ADHD and bullies to a crushing corporate job that urged him to find his true purpose. Through the stories of 50 dogs (and a few cats, horses, and pigs), Asher demonstrates the power of possibility when your heart is in the right place. Refreshingly honest, this is the tale of his challenges, dedication, and sacrifice--and his hope to encourage others to bring good into the world. The stories of 50 lovable animals include fan favorites such as: Bo, the energetic chocolate Lab who reminded Asher to never give upLillie, a Saint Bernard who overcame weeks in a shelter cage to become a leader of the pack and Asher's forever heart dogMatilda, a mixed breed with cerebellar hypoplasia who inspired Asher to defy expectationsTommy, an English bulldog who has become the class clown of the packBear, a tough case who challenged Asher but reminded him to stick to the mission at handThis is a keepsake every dog lover and pet owner will want for their coffee table.
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| It Could Be Otherwise: Science in the Age of Uncertainty by Stuart FiresteinNeuroscience professor Stuart Firestein argues against those who criticize science for not providing fixed, definitive answers to big questions. On the contrary, Firestein posits that this uncertainty is science’s greatest strength. Any theory that can be formulated may one day be superseded, a fact that points to the resilience and dynamism of the scientific method, and hints at how much remains to be discovered. This book is a great choice for readers “prepared to grapple with complexity” (Library Journal). |
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| The Savage Landscape: How We Made the Wilderness by Cal FlynJournalist Cal Flyn proposes the ironic notion that the very concept of “wilderness” is manufactured by humans, since we tend to define it by the areas where people aren’t. The author travels to wild landscapes in her native Scotland, Brazil, Uganda, and Antarctica, marveling at the sights while referencing mythology, philosophy, and literature to examine the meaning that humans have invested in wild places. If you enjoy this, try Flyn’s last book, Islands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape. |
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NASA in 100 Objects: Innovation and Exploration from Rockets to Rovers
by Roger D. Launius
This space coffee table book takes a visual journey through NASA's amazing achievements, featuring 100 influential objects and 150 stunning images Experience the breadth of NASA's extraordinary history through 100 objects that represent its progress and achievements across the decades. NASA in 100 Objects begins with the agency's origin as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and moves through the space race, Apollo era, rise of Earth orbital activities, International Space Station, and present-day commercial spaceflight. Each object tells a story of human aspiration and innovation, including: Robert Goddard's 1926 Liquid Fueled Rocket, the oldest surviving liquid-propellant rocket in the worldJohn Glenn's handheld Ansco camera used to take the first human-captured, color still photographs of EarthAn A7L Apollo spacesuitSpace shuttle orbitersChandra X-ray Observatory Ingenuity Mars HelicopterThrough 200 images, former NASA historian Roger D. Launius shares influential objects both large and small, famous and lesser known. NASA in 100 Objects is the perfect STEM gift, and an accessible reference guide to the nation's amazing history of space exploration.
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| The Beasts of the East: The Fall and Rise of America's Eastern Wilderness by Andrew MooreAfter three centuries of urbanization and subdivision, many areas of the Eastern United States are finally undergoing habitat restoration, claims environmental writer Andrew Moore. His hopeful and captivating survey of wild lands east of the Mississippi features re-introduced bison, elk, and eastern red wolves. While Moore’s tone is optimistic, he cautions that while megafauna make headlines, full restoration requires efforts toward habitat integration and biodiversity. Try this next: Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think about Animals by Christopher J. Preston. |
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| I Eat the Stars: How to Live Fully and Beautifully in a Collapsing World by Sarah WilsonIn Australian journalist Sarah Wilson’s meditation on living through an era of environmental and societal collapse, the author consults with her podcast guests -- mainly scientists, philosophers, and spiritualists -- in an attempt to grasp an idea “more useful” than hope. Wilson prefers truth (grim as it seems), enlivened by interpersonal and spiritual connectedness, and a life lived with purpose and love. Readers will find her “philosophical grappling with hard questions” (Kirkus Reviews) to be a balm for fraught times. |
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| Waste Wars: The Wild Afterlife of Your Trash by Alexander ClappA journalist based in Greece travels far and wide to uncover the filthy secrets of the garbage business. Alexander Clapp’s exposé reveals the eco-conscious “recycling” programs of wealthy northern hemisphere nations to be something a bit shadier: e-waste, plastics, and other disposables are often exported to countries in the Global South, where toxic waste poisons ecosystems and local labor is exploited. |
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| Discarded: How Technofossils Will Be Our Ultimate Legacy by Sarah Gabbott & Jan ZalasiewiczPaleontologist Sarah Gabbott and geologist Jan Zalasiewicz examine the garbage conundrum from the perspective of someone in the distant future encountering all our fossilized stuff. Not just trash, but building materials, infrastructure, and electronics are explored using materials science to speculate just what future archaeologists would make of our time. It’s a sobering read, but also an “engaging thought experiment” (Library Journal). |
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| Year of No Garbage: Recycling Lies, Plastic Problems, and One Woman's Trashy Journey... by Eve O. SchaubMemoirist Eve O. Schaub (Year of No Clutter) provides a detailed account of her family’s attempt to produce nothing that will end up in a landfill for an entire year. The fact that the year coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic added complicated wrinkles, like the necessity of medical waste. Schaub’s candid and occasionally funny book offers useful tips for reducing (if not eliminating) household waste alongside thoughtful explorations of consumerism and civic responsibility. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Culpeper County Library271 Southgate Shopping Center, Culpeper, Virginia 22701 | 540-825-8691https://www.cclva.org |
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