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Nature and Science April 2026 |
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| 99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them by Ashely Alker, MDAs a physician specializing in emergency services, Ashely Alker knows a thing or two about the myriad ways that humans can perish. Including pithy advice about how to avoid premature death and job-related anecdotes that are unsettling, funny, and flat-out scary, Alker’s book is “enormously informative and exceedingly entertaining” (Library Journal). For another witty read about dark topics, try The Chick and the Dead: Life and Death Behind Mortuary Doors by Carla Valentine. |
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| The Company of Owls by Polly AtkinThe Company of Owls is a book about birdwatching, and yet author and poet Polly Atkin is no bird expert. Rather, she has written a thoughtful, lyrical memoir about observing the different species of owls around her home in England’s Lake District. Her interactions with these beings stir ruminations about chronic illness, solitude, and how intimacy with nature can enhance our understanding of ourselves. Try this next: The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl. |
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| Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives by Daisy FancourtPsychologist and epidemiologist Daisy Fancourt’s debut touts the importance of the arts and creativity in a healthy lifestyle, even for the non-artistic. Fancourt’s inspiring book provides statistics and examples showing that an hour of art-related activity per week can improve mental health, memory, movement, and longevity, and can alleviate the symptoms of numerous ailments. For fans of: The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature by Sue Stuart-Smith. |
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| Crayfish, Crawfish, Crawdad: The Biology and Conservation of North America's Favorite... by Zackary A. GrahamThey may be creepy and crawly, but there are plenty of reasons to be fascinated by crayfish, or crawfish, or crawdads -- take your pick. With species scattered across North America’s freshwater habitats, these clever critters are essential for ecosystem development and as vital food chain links. Biology professor Zackary A. Graham enthusiastically relates efforts to save them from endangerment caused by climate change and habitat destruction in his impassioned debut book. |
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| How Flowers Made Our World: The Story of Nature's Revolutionaries by David George HaskellFlowers are so much more than aesthetically pleasing, asserts biologist David George Haskell: they are nature’s true survivors. In addition to providing food and shelter for insects and birds, they adapt incredibly quickly to environmental changes, foster biodiversity, act as catalysts between different species, and are even capable of things like self-reproduction and “chromosome doubling” when the chips are down. For fans of: The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger. |
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| Time's Second Arrow: Evolution, Order, and a New Law of Nature by Robert M. Hazen and Michael L. WongIt’s easy to observe the second law of thermodynamics -- that the universe tends toward entropy and disorder as time’s arrow moves onward -- in everything from aging bodies to rusting machinery. But astrobiologists Robert M. Hazen and Michael L. Wong propose that there is another “arrow” at work right under our noses, and that the evolving complexity of species, language, networks, and biotic communities on earth-like planets suggests movement toward a new kind of order. Readers will be thrilled by this “paradigm-shifting work of scientific daring” (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Why We Drink Too Much: The Impact of Alcohol on Our Bodies and Culture by Dr. Charles KnowlesIn his accessible debut, British medical professor Charles Knowles breaks down the science behind humans’ enduring fascination with drinking alcohol and explains why the urge to over-consume is all too common. Far from a sobriety diatribe, Knowles instead presents a straightforward summary of alcohol’s effects alongside the chilling story of how it nearly destroyed his own life, urging drinkers to retain perspective on their habit. Try this next: Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction by Judith Grisel. |
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| The Feather Wars and the Great Crusade to Save America's Birds by James H. McCommonsIn the late 19th century, America’s bird populations were under serious threat, with many species hunted to near extinction for sport, biological research, and (wait for it...) the ladies’ hat industry. Luckily for the birds, a concerted conservation effort took hold, led by an unlikely alliance between academics, wardens, hunters, docents, artists, and politicians. James H. McCommons’ book serves as a happy example of what is achievable when concerned parties come together. Read alike: The Birds That Audubon Missed by Kenn Kaufman. |
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| Winter: The Story of a Season by Val McDermidAs we brace for another “hottest ever” summer, readers wistful for winter coziness will want to immerse themselves in Scottish crime novelist Val McDermid’s ode to the season of cold, rest, and reflection. McDermid’s beloved Edinburgh comes to life with her vivid childhood recollections of busy street scenes, sprinkled with Scottish holiday traditions and a few soup recipes. For fans of: The Light in the Dark: A Winter Journal by Horatio Clare. |
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| When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America's Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda L. MontgomeryPlant biologist Beronda L. Montgomery’s richly detailed own voices book examines several varieties of common American trees and plants in a blend of memoir, Black history, and science. We learn facts both inspiring and haunting about traditional Black botanical knowledge, like that willow bark was boiled to make medicinal poultices, and that the hollow trunks of sycamores would often serve as safe shelter for people escaping enslavement. For fans of: the anthology A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars, edited by Erin Sharkey. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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McFarland E.D. Locke Public Library
5920 Milwaukee St., McFarland, Wisconsin 53558
(608) 838-9030mcfarlandlibrary.org/ |
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