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 2011

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Disability, Animals, Inspirational, Agriculture, Children's Literature, Science / Nature, Biography

Author and naturalist Sy Montgomery’s Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World (2012) is a biography of the animal behaviorist, animal rights advocate, and autism activism Temple Grandin. The biography is intended for young adult readers and discusses Grandin’s life from early childhood to the present day. It explores the challenges she faced with autism, the development of her creativity and her passion for animals, and the persistence... Read Temple Grandin Summary


Publication year 1817

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment

Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Grief / Death, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1947

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Economics

Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction, Finance / Money / Wealth, History: World, Natural Disaster, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Technology, Post-War Era, Children's Literature, Education, Education


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government

Tags History: World, Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Science / Nature, Urban Development, Sociology


Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Philosophy, Ancient Greece, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Philosophy, History: World, Classical Period, Classic Fiction

Theaetetus is a philosophical work written by Ancient Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 BCEE). Written in 369 BCEE, it is an account of a dialogue between the Greek philosopher Socrates (470-399 BCEE) and a young geometry student, Theaetetus, about the nature of knowledge. Socrates asks Theaetetus questions that lead them to discuss, and assess, several theories and definitions of knowledge. These are, first, that knowledge is perception, that knowledge is true judgment, and that knowledge is... Read Theaetetus Summary


Publication year 1794

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Philosophy, Age of Enlightenment, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Thomas Paine’s The Age of Reason is both a defense of Deism and a rejection of the world’s major monotheistic religions. Published in three parts (1794, 1795, 1807), Age of Reason reflects Paine’s belief that a significant religious upheaval would follow in the wake of the American and French Revolutions. In France, privileged orders such as monarchy and aristocracy had been toppled, and the established Catholic Church had not survived the onslaught. Paine feared that... Read The Age Of Reason Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Technology, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Class, War On Terrorism / Iraq War, Information Age, Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science / Nature, Technology, Arts / Culture, Diversity, Anthropology, Anthropology, History: World


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science / Nature, Technology, Philosophy, Psychology, Futurism, Technology, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy


Publication year 1985

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism

Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Science / Nature


Publication year 1969

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science / Nature, Technology, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

The Andromeda Strain is a 1969 science fiction novel by Michael Crichton. The book tells the story of the Wildfire Project, an initiative to investigate a mysterious alien organism discovered in Arizona. The Andromeda Strain has been adapted for film and television. It was highly praised by critics on release and credited with creating the techno-thriller genre.Plot SummaryA military team is dispatched to recover a satellite that unexpectedly crashed to Earth near Piedmont, Arizona. Everyone... Read The Andromeda Strain Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Biography, Inspirational, Science / Nature, History: World, Health / Medicine, Climate Change, Relationships, Sociology


Publication year 1895

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, Class, WWI / World War I


Publication year 2024

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Place, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

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


Publication year 1648

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Restoration


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Relationships, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Education, Philosophy


Publication year 2024

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Creative Nonfiction, Science / Nature, Animals


Publication year 1994

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Science / Nature, History: World, Animals

The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time is a Pulitzer Prize-winning non-fiction book written in 1994 by Jonathan Weiner, a journalist and popular science author. This substantially unchanged edition was published in 2014 with a new preface.Weiner’s narrative relays the theory and history of evolutionary science through a case study of finch species in the Galápagos Islands. It follows evolutionists Peter and Rosemary Grant as they build substantially on the... Read The Beak of the Finch Summary


Publication year 1988

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Flora/plants, Society: Community, Self Discovery

Tags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Animals, Depression / Suicide, Diversity, Immigration / Refugee, Parenting, Poverty, Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Bean Trees (first published in 1988) is the first novel by Barbara Kingsolver. Kingsolver is an American novelist, essayist, and poet who holds degrees in ecology and evolutionary biology, and her work often addresses biodiversity, social justice, communities, and people’s interactions with their environment. The Bean Trees is a work of realistic adult fiction that follows Taylor Greer as she leaves her rural upbringing in Kentucky, drives across the country to Tucson, Arizona, and... Read The Bean Trees Summary


Publication year 1942

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, Science / Nature, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Southern Gothic, Reconstruction Era, History: U.S., Southern Literature, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

“The Bear” is a work of short fiction by William Faulkner, first published in The Saturday Evening Post in May 1942. Faulkner subsequently expanded the story and included it in Go Down, Moses, a collection of related short stories sometimes considered a novel, published later that year. An abbreviated version also appears in his 1955 anthology, Big Woods. As historical fiction set in an imagined Mississippi county, “The Bear” traces a young man’s development in... Read The Bear Summary