Nature and Science April 2025 Recent Releases When the Earth Was Green: Plants, Animals, and Evolution's Greatest Romance by Riley Black Science writer Riley Black stuns with a panoramic natural history that acquaints readers with the interactive nature of life among Earth’s plants, animals, and habitats through the eons. Black’s accessible writing “illuminat[es] natural history into sparkling descriptions of what the Earth was like millions of years ago” (Publishers Weekly). Read-alike: A Brief History of Earth by Andrew H. Knoll. Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart by Nicholas Carr Journalist Nicholas Carr argues convincingly that social media has taken over our society and brains so rapidly that we haven’t been able to formulate a response, much less calculate the damage it’s wreaking. Carr points to research citing epidemic levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among users, especially teenagers. Other revealing reads on this topic include Alone Together by Sherry Turkle and The End of Absence by Michael Harris. Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe by Carl Zimmer Science writer Carl Zimmer puts airborne pathogens under the microscope, taking readers on a tour spanning from the 14th century to COVID-19 that exposes how much we have yet to learn about communicable diseases in the Earth’s atmosphere. Other accessible reads about microbes and disease include The Secret Body by Daniel M. Davis and Immune by Catherine Carver. Martha Stewart's gardening handbook : the essential guide to designing, planting, and growing by Martha Stewart "The first fully comprehensive gardening guide from the legendary Martha Stewart in more than 30 years, with everything you need to know to curate a beautiful, thriving garden" The book of Flaco : the world's most famous bird by David Gessner Chronicles the escape and year-long journey of Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl in New York City, whose survival and eventual death spotlighted debates over urban wildlife ethics, freedom and the environmental dangers posed by rodenticides in urban ecosystems. The grieving body : how the stress of loss can be an opportunity for healing by Mary-Frances O'Connor Discusses how grief and other major stressors impact physical health, combining scientific research and personal stories to reveal the effects on the cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune systems, while addressing common questions about grief's cognitive impact and its relationship to overall well-being. Contact your librarian for more great books!