|
|
|
|
Nature and Science April 2026 |
|
|
|
|
|
In A World Appears, Michael Pollan traces the unmapped continent that is consciousness, bringing radically different perspectives--scientific, philosophical, literary, spiritual and psychedelic--to see what each can teach us about this central fact of life. In Pollan's dazzling exploration of consciousness, he discovers a world far deeper and stranger than our everyday reality. Eye-opening and mind-expanding, A World Appears takes us into the laboratories of our own minds, ultimately showing us how we might make better use of the gift of awareness to more meaningfully connect with the world and our deepest selves.
|
|
|
|
Bonded by Evolution: The New Science of Love and Connection by Paul EastwickA groundbreaking look at the science of attachment and compatibility, challenging our most fundamental assumptions about love and attraction and revealing the real keys to lasting connection and deeper relationships. By excavating the hidden history of human mating, Eastwick paints a radical new picture of the roots of enduring chemistry. Distilling evolutionary biology, anthropology, and psychology into accessible insights, Bonded by Evolution explains why we so often choose dating strategies that make us miserable and how to use a more evolved approach.
|
|
|
|
Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America's New Age of Disaster by Jacob SoboroffThe 2025 LA fires were not an isolated tragedy, but rather they are a harbinger--the fire of the future, in the words of one senior emergency--management official. Firestorm is the story of the costliest wildfire in American history, the people it affected and the deeply personal connection to one journalist covering it. It is a love letter to Los Angeles, a yearning to understand the fires, and why America's new age of disaster we are living through portends that--without a reckoning of how Los Angeles burned--there is more yet, and worse, to come.
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
My Plastic-Free Home: Simple Steps to Live More Sustainably by Kate JonesA beautiful, inspirational guide to keeping a sustainable home. Packed with tips, fresh ideas and attainable steps for reducing plastic waste in the home, this is the perfect guide for anyone looking to live lighter on the planet while creating a nurturing, natural haven.
|
|
|
|
Hiking Zen: Train Your Mind in Nature by Phap XaDiscover the joy of mindful walking and hiking, cultivate deep connection with the world around you, and ultimately embrace the path of happiness as a way of life. A mobile monastery to stick in your pack whenever you go out on the trail, this book by veteran hikers and Buddhist monks Phap Luu and Phap Xa offers mindfulness practices to explore as you walk to generate inner and outer peace. Grounded in the rich traditions of Zen practice, this book invites you to experience the fundamental connection between humans and the natural world.
|
|
|
|
Gardening for All Seasons: Your How-To Guide to a Thriving & Blooming Garden Year-Round by John D. WagnerGardening for All Seasons is your essential guide to maintaining a colorful, thriving garden year-round. Featuring expert advice, over 165 plant profiles, 780+ photos and illustrations, and care tips for every season, this accessible book walks you through design, planting, maintenance, and natural pest control. With a seasonal blooming schedule and easy navigation, it's perfect for gardeners of all levels.
|
|
|
|
The Regenerative Gardener's Handbook: Essential Techniques for Growing a Garden That Leaves the Land Healthier Than You Found It by Briana Selstad BoschBriana Bosch of Blossom and Branch Farm teaches you how to grow flowers, herbs, and vegetables in a way that improves the soil, supports pollinators and birds, and minimizes the use of store-bought products. The key principles for regenerative gardening: recognize the garden as its own ecosystem, know your soil, minimize the purchased garden, build your soil armor, plant for biodiversity, create living soil, choose plants wisely, minimize soil disturbance, and close the garden loop.
|
|
|
|
National Geographic Ultimate Guide to the National Parks: A Complete Tour of All 63 U.S. Parks by National GeographicFull of expert advice on the best trails, scenic drives, wildlife spotting, must-do adventures, and more, this comprehensive guide is the ultimate resource for your next great escape to all 63 national parks in the U.S. Discover America’s wildly beautiful landscapes, monuments, and historic places with carefully curated expert recommendations, complemented by brand-new National Geographic photography to inspire your next adventure:
|
|
|
|
Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains by Jon KrakauerNo one writes about mountaineering and its attendant hardships and victories more brilliantly than critically acclaimed author Jon Krakauer. In this collection of his finest work from such magazines as Outside and Smithsonian, he explores the subject from the unique and memorable perspective of one who has battled peaks like K2, Denali, Everest, and, of course, the Eiger. Always with a keen eye, an open heart, and a hunger for the ultimate experience, he gives us unerring portraits of the mountaineering experience.
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
Smithsonian Handbook of Interesting Bird Nests and Eggs by Douglas G. D. RussellThis illustrated guide features detailed images of birds nests and eggs from the collection of the Natural History Museum in London. The innovation of birds is on full display in more than 100 samples collected from across the world. This book reveals how a simple bird's nest or egg can tell extraordinary stories about the birds behind them, help reconstruct a habitat’s flora and fauna, and offer potential answers to important evolutionary and ecological questions.
|
|
|
|
Black Bear: A Story of Siblinghood and Survival by Trina MoylesA dazzling memoir about one woman's coexistence with bears in the boreal forest and a singular meditation on sibling loss. Impassioned and eloquent, Black Bear is a story of grief and a vision of peaceful coexistence in a divided world. It captures the fragility of our relationships with human and nonhuman species alike, and the imperative to protect the wild--along with the people we hold closest.
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
The Brain at Rest: How the Art and Science of Doing Nothing Can Improve Your Life by Joseph Jebelli In The Brain at Rest, Dr. Joseph Jebelli shows readers the way to happier, healthier, and more balanced lives in a deeply researched and entertaining guide to combat overwork and burnout. Through a blend of science, personal stories, and practical, actionable tips, Dr. Jebelli proves that the brain's default network turns itself on when we turn off the constant need to always do and achieve.Perfect for anyone feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or hungry to achieve their goals in a healthy, sustainable way, The Brain at Rest is the definitive, science-backed guide to achieving contentment, creativity, and success by letting your brain decompress.
|
|
|
|
The Great Shadow: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy by Susan Wise Bauer The Great Shadow uses extensive historical research and first-person accounts to tell a vivid story about sickness and our responses to it, from very ancient times until the last decade. In the process of writing, historian Susan Wise Bauer reveals just how many of our current fads and causes are rooted in the moment-by-moment experience of sickness--from the search for a balanced lifestyle to plug-in air fresheners and bare hardwood floors. We can't simply shout facts at people who refuse vaccinations, believe that immigrants carry diseases, or insist that God will look out for them during a pandemic. We have to enter with imagination, historical perspective, and empathy into their world. The Great Shadow does just that with page-turning flair.
|
|
|
|
How Not to Die: Revised and Updated: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease by Michael GregerDoctors are good at treating acute illnesses, but bad at preventing chronic disease. The fifteen diseases that lead to the most deaths in America claim the lives of 1.6 million annually. This doesn't have to be the case. For the most part, these diseases and illnesses are preventable. In this revised and updated edition of the bestselling classic, Dr. Michael Greger shares scientific discoveries in nutrition and longevity.
|
|
|
|
If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All by Eliezer YudkowskyIn 2023, hundreds of AI luminaries signed an open letter warning that artificial intelligence poses a serious risk of human extinction. Since then, the AI race has only intensified. Companies and countries are rushing to build machines that will be smarter than any person. And the world is devastatingly unprepared for what would come next. For decades, two signatories of that letter--Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares--have studied how smarter-than-human intelligences will think, behave, and pursue their objectives. Their research says that sufficiently smart AIs will develop goals of their own that put them in conflict with us--and that if it comes to conflict, an artificial superintelligence would crush us. The contest wouldn't even be close. How could a machine superintelligence wipe out our entire species? Why would it want to? Would it want anything at all? ... Yudkowsky and Soares walk through the theory and the evidence, present one possible extinction scenario, and explain what it would take for humanity to survive--
|
|
|
|
AI Valley: Microsoft, Google, and the Trillion-Dollar Race to Cash in on Artificial Intelligence by Gary RivlinA journalist shadows the leading thinkers in the field of Artificial Intelligence, introducing the breakthroughs and developments that will change the way we live and work. An adventure story full of drama and unforgettable personalities, AI Valley promises to be the definitive story for anyone seeking to understand the latest phase of world-changing discoveries and the minds behind them.
|
|
|
|
|
|