Nature and Science
June 2025

Recent Releases
The Ocean's Menagerie: How Earth's Strangest Creatures Reshape the Rules of Life
by Drew Harvell

Marine biologist Drew Harvell amazes with a rich and descriptive catalog of ocean invertebrates, a group that outnumbers backboned species 30 to one and includes octopuses, jellies, crustaceans, and sea stars. Harvell details these creatures' superpowers, hardly an exaggeration given their potential benefits to the environment and human life. Those curious about exotic marine life should also check out The World Beneath by Richard Smith.
How can I help? : saving nature with your yard
by Douglas W. Tallamy

Interest in landscaping with native plants is at an all-time high, largely thanks to the work of Doug Tallamy. Hundreds of thousands of people have read his books and attended his nationwide lectures over the years. Yet, despite their familiarity with Tallamy's subjects, they still have excellent questions. Here, we get compelling and actionable answers from the man himself on the topics of his expertise: ecology/evolution, biodiversity, conservation, restoration, native plants, oaks, invasive species, pest control, home landscapes, and supporting wildlife at home.
The social genome : the new science of nature and nurture
by Dalton Conley

A pioneering scientist presents a mind-expanding account of the sociogenomics revolution, which promises to upend everything we know about human development.
On muscle : the stuff that moves us and why it matters
by Bonnie Tsui

The bestselling author of Why We Swim presents a mind-expanding exploration of muscle?—?from our ancient obsession with the ideal human form to the modern science of this amazing and adaptable tissue?—?that will change how you think about what moves us through the world.
Valley of Forgetting: Alzheimer's Families and the Search for a Cure
by Jennie Erin Smith

While researchers had long been aware of the alarmingly high rates of early-onset Alzheimer’s in one remote region of Colombia, the discovery that many of the patients were related sparked the search for a genetic cause. Journalist Jennie Erin Smith tells the moving story of how an inherited gene was eventually isolated, igniting hope for a cure. For other emotional narratives about genetics and disease, try My Father’s Brain by Sandeep Jauhar or A Fatal Inheritance by Lawrence Ingrassia.
Is a river alive?
by Robert Macfarlane

The best-selling author of Underland explores the concept of rivers as living entities, weaving together travel writing, natural history and reporting from Ecuador, India and Canada to illuminate the interconnectedness of humans and rivers. Illustrations.
Animal Communication
Kitty language : an illustrated guide to understanding your cat
by Lili Chin

Backed by scientific research and vetted by animal behaviorists and veterinarians, this CAT-ivating visual guide to reading and understanding feline feelings and behaviors is PURR-fect for helping readers keep their kitty safe, secure, stimulated and happy. Illustrations.
Puppy brain : how our dogs learn, think, and love
by Kerry Nichols

Explains how to raise a happy, healthy, and emotionally resilient dog and forge a fulfilling bond with them. Illustrations.
Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication
by Arik Kershenbaum

University of Cambridge zoologist Arik Kershenbaum has been in the field of animal communication for decades. His study of the speech-like sounds and songs emitted by creatures including wolves, parrots, dolphins, and chimpanzees runs afoul of the idea that humans are Earth’s sole language users, and posits that “animals have much to say to each other -- but also to us” (Kirkus Reviews).
The Voices of Nature: How and Why Animals Communicate
by Nicolas Mathevon; illustrations by Bernard Mathevon

In Nicolas Mathevon’s “exceptional” (Library Journal) debut, the biologist and neuroscientist looks at how different animal species decode the sounds made by creatures around them and respond (sometimes with sounds of their own) to aid in their survival. The result is a technical yet accessible panorama of ecological dynamics and cross-species interaction.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Benicia Public Library
150 East L Street, Benicia, California 94510
(707) 746-4343

https://benicialibrary.org/