Science & Nature

Texts in this collection explore topics like climate change, energy, and humanity's place in the environment through a variety of genres, whether the science fiction of Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake or the scientific journalism of Dan Egan's The Death and Life of the Great Lakes.

Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Business / Economics, Psychology, Self Help, Science / Nature, Education, Sports, Music, Arts / Culture, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Education, Identity: Language

Tags Psychology, Technology, Relationships, Parenting, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Self Help, Arts / Culture

Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age (2015) is a non-fiction work by Sherry Turkle. A clinical psychologist and professor of Social Studies of Science and Technology at MIT, Turkle specializes in human-technology interaction and has decades of experience writing on technology’s problematic effects on human connection. In Reclaiming Conversation, the book’s premise is in the title: Turkle believes that technology has detrimentally taken over human conversation and that we ought to... Read Reclaiming Conversation Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Science / Nature

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (Harper Teen, 2015) is the first book in the Red Queen series, which follows one girl’s battle to bring equality to her people in a dystopian fantasy world where the power hungry Silvers oppress the lower Red class. The book won the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Debut Goodreads Author and was nominated for the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction. New York Times bestselling... Read Red Queen Summary


Publication year 1982

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Science / Nature


Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Natural World: Environment

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Disability, Science / Nature, Technology, American Literature

Riddley Walker (1980) is a dystopian science fiction novel by Russell Hoban. The novel is famous for its use of a phonetic, idiosyncratic version of English, spoken by the characters who live in a post-apocalyptic society. Riddley Walker won numerous awards, including the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1981.Plot SummaryA young boy named Riddley Walker lives in Inland, the name given to the south of England 2,000 years after a nuclear war sent human... Read Riddley Walker Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Climate, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Environment

Tags Science / Nature, Climate Change, Journalism, History: World, Politics / Government


Publication year 2022

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags History: African , Action / Adventure, Travel Literature, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Military / War, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Science / Nature, Romance, Religion / Spirituality

Ruin and Rising is the third and final book in Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone trilogy of young adult fantasy adventure/romance novels. Ruin and Rising was originally published in 2014. Bardugo has written 12 novels as of 2021, many of which are set in the “GrishaVerse” world first portrayed in the novel Shadow and Bone. The Shadow and Bone trilogy, combined with Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology, has been adapted as a television miniseries. Before... Read Ruin and Rising Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Action / Adventure, Animals, Sports, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Science / Nature, Biography


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Health / Medicine, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, History: World, Self Help, Food, Politics / Government

Salt Sugar Fat is a 2013 nonfiction book by Michael Moss. It describes the modern American food industry. The author visits the corporate headquarters, scientific research facilities, and marketing departments of major food manufacturers. He also talks with consumer advocates and other involved parties to understand the ongoing obesity epidemic.Through industrial processes, food companies remove nutritious components and substitute cheaper, harmful ingredients. The key ingredients in most processed foods are salt, sugar, and fat. Manufacturers... Read Salt Sugar Fat Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Science / Nature, Anthropology, Anthropology, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

First published in Hebrew in 2011, with the English translation following in 2014, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind examining the shaping of human history. Israeli author Yuval Noah Harari shines a light, sometimes harshly, on how humans have exploited the ideas of capitalism, religion, and politics to control the globe and put the species Homo sapiens on the threshold of banishing natural selection. Sapiens landed on the New York Times best-seller list and won... Read Sapiens Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Self Discovery, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Self Help, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Psychology, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Sociology, Self Help, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Psychology, Philosophy


Publication year 1999

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family

Tags Psychology, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Parenting, Disability, Psychology, Mental Illness, Self Help


Publication year 1300

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Objects

Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Middle Eastern Literature


Publication year 2004

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags History: World, WWII / World War II, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Military / War, Science / Nature, Biography

Shadow Divers: The True Story of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II (2004) by Robert Kurson is a celebrated nonfiction adventure book. Kurson, an adventure journalist whose stories have been featured in Rolling Stone, Esquire, and The New York Times Magazine, is known for his immersive and entertaining style. His first book-length work, Shadow Divers was a New York Times Best Seller and won the... Read Shadow Divers Summary


Publication year 1962

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment

Tags Science / Nature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is widely regarded as a foundational text of the 20th century environmental movement. Originally published as a series in The New Yorker, Carson’s essays carefully articulate the impacts of widespread chemical use for insect and plant control. Throughout the text, Carson emphasizes the ways that humans disregard the interrelation of species on earth, and argues that as a result, humans are at a pivotal moment. If methods of insect control are... Read Silent Spring Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Politics / Government, Climate Change, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy


Publication year 2013

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Science / Nature, Humor, Grief / Death, Biography


Publication year 1999

Genre Poem, Fiction

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships, Grief / Death, Science / Nature