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 2000
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Family, Society: Community
Tags Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Relationships, Sociology, Science / Nature, Psychology, Mental Illness
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags History: World, Science / Nature
Publication year 1922
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Science / Nature
Publication year 1974
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Science / Nature
Publication year 1825
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Place
Tags Lyric Poem, Animals, Science / Nature
Publication year 1988
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Action / Adventure, Travel Literature, Sports, Science / Nature, Biography
Touching the Void is a 1988 memoir by British author Joe Simpson. The book recounts the disastrous, near-fatal attempt of Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, to ascend the West Face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. The book details Simpson’s harrowing ordeal, in which he broke his leg and fell into a crevasse, and how he survived against seemingly insurmountable odds.Simpson’s narrative highlights the resilience of the human spirit and explores the... Read Touching the Void Summary
Publication year 1978
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals
Tags Action / Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Animals, Science / Nature
Publication year 1997
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science / Nature, Animals, History: World
Publication year 1870
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, French Literature, Animals, Technology, Science / Nature, Fantasy
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a science fiction adventure novel by French author Jules Verne. It was originally published in serialized form in 1869 under the title Vingt mille lieues sous les mers, and later as a book in 1870. In 1873, the first English-language translation was released. The book was highly acclaimed at the time of its publication and was one of several successful novels by Verne. Others include Journey to the... Read Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Food
Tags Food, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Self Help
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science / Nature, Gender / Feminism, Business / Economics, Biography
The book’s first part, “Incentives,” introduces the key conflict: Wiener, a 25-year-old Brooklyn native, desires “momentum” and fulfilment in her professional life but has tired of her job as an underpaid assistant at a Manhattan literary agency. After a brief stint at a New York e-book startup, she secures a customer support position at a mobile analytics company in San Francisco. She optimistically immerses herself in the workplace culture, shrugging off incidents of sexism, the... Read Uncanny Valley Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Climate Change, Science / Nature, Technology, History: World, Politics / Government
Publication year 2015
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Community
Tags Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Arts / Culture
Unflattening began as the first comic-form dissertation at Columbia University, where Nick Sousanis completed a doctorate in education in 2014. It was published by Harvard University Press in 2015 and functions as an argument for visual thinking in teaching and learning. In 2016 the book received the further accolade of the American Publishers Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence.In a Paris Review interview with Timothy Hodler, Sousanis cited Scott McCloud’s 1993 Understanding Comics as a... Read Unflattening Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health
Tags Disability, Self Help, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Diversity, Science / Nature, Psychology, LGBTQ, Mental Illness
Publication year 2022
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags History: World, Children's Literature, Science / Nature
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Self Help, Health / Medicine
Publication year 2005
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community
Tags Science / Nature, Anthropology, Anthropology, Social Science, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government
Us and Them: Understanding Your Tribal Mind is a 2005 nonfiction book by David Berreby about how humans divide and categorize themselves. The psychological text explains human nature and the neuroscience of human groupings like races, ethnicities, classes, and nationalities. Berreby also discusses the positive and negative effects of human-kind groupings and offers advice on how to better act on human-kind beliefs.Plot SummaryBerreby begins by explaining the concept of human kinds—a number of people that... Read Us and Them Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Immigration, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Science / Nature, Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: World, Social Justice, Education, Technology, Military / War
Publication year 2000
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Japanese Literature, Psychology, Science / Nature, Natural Disaster