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 2024
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags History: World, Science / Nature, Philosophy
Publication year 2017
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Tags History: U.S., Health / Medicine, Poverty, Science / Nature, Biography
No Apparent Distress: A Doctor’s Coming of Age on the Front Lines of American Medicine is author Rachel Pearson’s 2017 account of her intensive medical education and the initial years of her career as a physician. She focuses on stories that illustrate her themes of medical ethics, regret, depression, bias against the poor, and racism. Rather than bogging the reader down in medical jargon, Pearson uses anecdotes to convey her experiences to a layman audience.Pearson... Read No Apparent Distress Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Economics
Tags Psychology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Magical Realism
Publication year 1860
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community, Society: Education
Tags Health / Medicine, Psychology, Relationships, Science / Nature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Florence Nightingale was an English nurse commonly known as the founder of modern nursing practices. Born in Italy, she became an experienced nurse and formed many of her opinions while serving in the Crimean War, enrolling in nursing school at age 24 in Germany. She penned Notes on Nursing: What It Is, and What it Is Not in 1859, just a few years after serving in the war, and the work was first published in... Read Notes on Nursing Summary
Publication year 1785
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism
Tags Education, Education, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, American Revolution, Classic Fiction, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Philosophy, Race / Racism
Publication year 1923
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Modernism, American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1620
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Philosophy, Science / Nature
Novum Organum is an epistemological tract written by Francis Bacon, an early modern statesman and polymath. It was published in 1620 and written in Latin. Its full title is Novum Organum, sive Indicia Vera de Interpretatione Naturae, meaning “New Organon, or true suggestions for the interpretation of nature.” Novum Organum was intended to be the second part of a larger work—the Instauratio Magna, or “Great Instauration,” Bacon’s proposal for an overhaul and new birth of... Read Novum Organum Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Politics / Government, Military / War
Publication year 2008
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Politics / Government
In 2021 the behavioral economists Richard H. Thaler and the legal scholar Cass R. Sunstein released an updated, “final” version of their 2008 book Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Drawing on research from psychology, economics, sociology, and elsewhere, Thaler and Sunstein make the case for the importance of “nudges.” Nudges, according to these authors, are “aspects of choice architecture” that predictably alter behavior without forbidding or commanding anything (8). Choice architecture refers... Read Nudge Summary
Publication year 1913
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Grief / Death, American Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Animals, Science / Nature, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature
Publication year 1957
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Lyric Poem, Animals, Science / Nature, Grief / Death, Latin American Literature, Food
Publication year 1973
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine
Publication year 2024
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Biography, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, History: World, Health / Medicine
Publication year 1928
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Place
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Science / Nature
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Animals, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1969
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Grief / Death, Health / Medicine
On Death and Dying is a 1969 psychological study by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. It is best known in popular culture for introducing the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Kübler-Ross’s work with terminally ill patients inspired the model. She wrote the study as a response to the lack of instruction in medical schools about how to handle the topic of death. It was the very first book written by Kübler-Ross in her... Read On Death and Dying Summary
Publication year 1901
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Education, Education, Science / Nature, French Literature, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Environment
Tags Food, Agriculture, Social Justice, Science / Nature, Arts / Culture
One Size Fits None: A Farm Girl’s Search for the Promise of Regenerative Agriculture is a 2019 book on how the American food production system must move beyond conventional and sustainable farming to embrace regenerative farming strategies tailored to individual environments. Anderson, who grew up on a conventional ranch outside of Bison, South Dakota, has firsthand knowledge of US conventional farming strategies. As a young journalist for the Tri-State Neighbor newspaper, she started off wanting... Read One Size Fits None Summary