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Nature and Science December 2025 |
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| The Call of the Honeyguide: What Science Tells Us About How to Live Well With the Rest of Life by Rob DunnThe evolution of life is mainly a story of competition. But this has caused scientists to miss the cooperation between organisms happening everywhere in nature. These “mutualisms” (mutually beneficial relationships between species) occur between animals and plants of all types on every continent, and biologist Rob Dunn’s vivid descriptions enable the reader to envision the complex interdependencies in nature’s ecosystems in his “triumph of popular science.” |
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Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story by Jeffrey KlugerONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF FALL 2025 From the bestselling author of Apollo 13 comes the thrilling untold story of the pioneering Gemini program that was instrumental in getting Americans on the moon.Without Gemini, there would be no Apollo. Told with Jeffrey Kluger's signature cinematic storytelling and in-depth research and interviews, Gemini is an edge-of-your-seat narrative chronicling the history of the least appreciated--and most groundbreaking--space program in American history. Finally, Gemini's story will be told, and finally, we'll learn the truth of how we landed on the moon.
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Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization by Bill McKibbenFrom the acclaimed environmentalist, a call to harness the power of the sun and rewrite our scientific, economic, and political future. Our climate, and our democracy, are melting down. But Bill McKibben, one of the first to sound the alarm about the climate crisis, insists the moment is also full of possibility. Energy from the sun and wind is suddenly the cheapest power on the planet and growing faster than any energy source in history―if we can keep accelerating the pace, we have a chance.
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The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire: Why Our Species Is on the Edge of Extinction by Henry Gee In this provocative book, award-winning science writer Henry Gee offers a concise, brilliantly-told history of our species--and argues that we are on a rapid, one-way trip to extinction. The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire narrates the dramatic rise of humanity. Can we still change our course? Or is our own extinction inevitable? With assured narration, dramatic stories, and his signature sprightly humor, Henry Gee envisions new opportunities for the future of humanity--a future that will reward facing challenges with ingenuity, foresight, and cooperation.
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Grow Wild: The Whole-Child, Whole-Family, Nature-Rich Guide to Moving More by Katy BowmanOur kids are moving less than any other generation in human history; indoor time and screen time have skyrocketed. Without realizing it, we've traded convenience for the movement-rich environment that our physical, mental, and environmental health depends on. Grow Wild is necessary reading for a wide range of readers―anyone who spends time with children. Humans live in many places and there are countless movement opportunities wherever you live, you just need to know how to spot them. Children and their families can thrive by learning to move more inside, adventure more outside, and grow wild in any environment.
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Sitting with Dogs: Stories of Rescue Dogs Going from Lost to Loved by Rocky KanakaHeartwarming stories of loss, rescue, and love from social media star and dog-rescue advocate Rocky Kanaka. Sitting with Dogs is a collection of stories about nine rescue dogs that each got off to a rough start but found their way into Rocky's arms. Rocky's stories will tug at your heart, bring a smile to your face, and maybe even inspire you to give a little of your own time to a dog in need. And you don't need to be a dog expert to make a difference. With a little love and patience, you can do exactly what Rocky does--change lives.
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Forgotten Landscapes: How Native Americans Created Pre-Columbian North America and What We Can Learn from It by Stanley A. RiceIn this fascinating and overdue book, author Stanley A. Rice shows readers the Pre-Columbian landscape of America that has been largely forgotten. North America was thickly populated by indigenous people who lived in clean cities, had a thriving economy, and transformed the landscape into bountiful productivity. Forgotten Landscapes reveals the incredible extent to which Native Americans manipulated and shaped their surrounding environs through agricultural practices and urban engineering, resulting in one of the most prosperous civilizations of their time.
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The Gardens of Mien Ruys: Strong Design, Lush Planting, and the Origins of the Modernist Garden by Conny Den HollanderA celebration of 100 years of the Mien Ruys Gardens, where legendary designer Mien Ruys conducted her lifetime of experimentations and innovations that have deeply informed today's naturalistic gardening movement. Widely considered the Mother of the Modernist garden, Mien Ruys (1904-1999) is one of the most influential gardeners and landscape architects of the 20th Century.
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| If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All by Eliezer Yudkowsky & Nate SoaresAI researchers Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares sound a strident alarm over the race to design the ultimate machine intelligence. While corporations and governments everywhere push relentlessly toward the development of “artificial superintelligence” (ASI), the authors warn that current industry safeguards are insufficient to contain a program that is “optimized for efficiency and unconstrained by human ethics.” |
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Alive: Our Bodies and the Richness and Brevity of Existence by Gabriel WestonA profound and provocative journey through the human body from a surgeon and award-winning writer. Weston's evocative descriptions will change how readers see the body. Focusing on our individual organs, not just under the intense spotlight of the operating theatre, but in the central role they play in the stories of our lives, a fuller and more human picture of our bodies emerges: more fragile, frightening and miraculous than we could have imagined. Intimate, penetrating and original, Alive is about our bodies and bonds, the richness and brevity of existence, and the thread of mortality that connect us all.
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Nature and the Mind: The Science of How Nature Improves Cognitive, Physical, and Social Well-Being by Marc BermanDr. Marc Berman, the pioneering creator of the field of environmental neuroscience, has discovered the surprising connection between mind, body, and nature. He has devoted his life to studying it. Nature and the Mind is both an introduction to a revolutionary new scientific field and a helpful guide to better living. This groundbreaking guide 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.
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The body is the most complex machine in the world, and the only one for which you cannot get a replacement part from the manufacturer. In Replaceable You, Mary Roach explores the remarkable advances and difficult questions prompted by the human body’s failings. Irrepressible and accessible, Replaceable You immerses readers in the wondrous, improbable, and surreal quest to build a new you.
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Vaccines: Mythology, Ideology, and Reality by John LeakeThe word vaccine derives from the Latin word for cow. The English physician, Edward Jenner, coined it in his 1798 pamphlet An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae. The last two Latin words mean Smallpox of the Cow, or cowpox. Jenner postulated that cowpox causes mild disease in humans while protecting them from the more dangerous smallpox. His proposal for inoculation with a weak form of disease-causing matter to prevent serious illness became the central concept of infectious disease medicine and has remained so ever since. The word vaccine was subsequently applied to immunizations against all infectious diseases. Its etymology is amazingly apt, because vaccines are the ultimate sacred cow.
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Booster Shots: Measles, Memory, and Our Shared Future by Adam RatnerA pediatrician and infectious disease specialist warns of the resurgence of measles, the anti-vax movement, and how we can prepare for the next pandemic. Using a combination of patient narrative, historical analysis, and scientific research, Dr. Adam Ratner, pediatrician and infectious disease specialist, argues that the reawakening of measles and the subsequent coronavirus pandemic are bellwethers of forgotten knowledge—indicators of decaying trust in science and an underfunded public health infrastructure. With attention and care and the tools we already have, we can make the world much safer for children tomorrow than it is today.
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Age Stronger: Prevent Pain. Preserve Mobility. Age Resiliently by Matt WiestThe Aging Stronger Fix offers a realistic and sustainable 3-tier functional fitness approach that builds strength and mobility for your later years. People worldwide are living longer but they aren’t living better. Chronic illness and obesity are on the rise and basic mobility issues are the most common disability of getting older. The biggest predictor of aging well is strength and mobility.
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Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half by Kerry BurnightDr. Kerry shares her popular philosophy and tools in a comprehensive resource that moves readers from fear to peaceful confidence. [Her] insights, along with those of her inspiring 95- year-old mother Betty, are based upon a profound truth: the key to good longevity isn't the length of your life, it's the quality of your life. Books that advance lifespan and 'healthspan' don't address the whole picture. Dr. Kerry introduces readers to the ... concept of 'joyspan' based on the science of well-being, contentment, connection, meaning, growth, choice, and purpose.
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Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Lead to Long Lives by Ken SternContrary to popular belief, the secret to living longer is not just about eating well, exercising, or getting regular checkups. Instead, successful aging depends on the nature of your relationships and your social connections. If you want to live a healthy and rewarding life, you need to start with social health. Healthy to 100 offers a hopeful, attainable, research-backed model for anyone seeking a longer and healthier life.
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How to Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time by Amy LaroccaA deeply researched, lively, and personal exploration of the multibillion-dollar wellness industry -- about why women are feeling so un-well and how this trend has shaped our thinking about health and self-care. A clear-eyed and honest portrait of the weird world of wellness, How to Be Well lays bare the ways in which the simple notion of caring for oneself has become a seriously big business.
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Bodypedia: A Brief Compendium of Human Anatomical Curiosities by Adam TaorBodypedia is a lively, fact-filled romp through your body, from A to Z. Taor illuminates the ingenuity, mystery, and eccentric history of your anatomy like never before. Along the way, you will meet the geniuses, mavericks, and monsters (sometimes all the above) who got their hands bloody discovering, dissecting, and naming your parts.
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