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.

Think Like a Freak

by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

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

Think Like a Freak is a nonfiction book published in 2014 by Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, and Stephen J. Dubner, a journalist based in New York City. It is a follow-up to the authors’ successful books Freakonomics (2005) and SuperFreakonomics (2009), and ties in with their blog and podcast, which can be found at freakonomics.com. A fourth book in the series, When to Rob a Bank, was... Read Think Like a Freak Summary

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird

by Wallace Stevens

Publication year 1917

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Environment

Tags Animals, Science / Nature, Lyric Poem, American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

Wallace Stevens is the author of “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” and he first published the poem in 1917 as a part of the literary anthology Others: An Anthology of New Verse. In 1923, he included the poem in his first collection of poetry, Harmonium, which features many of Stevens’s most well-known poems—poems that continue to appear in anthologies—like “The Snow Man“ and “The Emperor of Ice-Cream.” Stevens was born in Pennsylvania and... Read Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird Summary

This Changes Everything

by Naomi Klein

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Globalization, Natural World: Environment

Tags Science / Nature, Climate Change, Business / Economics, Politics / Government

This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate is Naomi Klein's fourth book. Published in 2014, it explores the issue of climate change from an anticapitalistic political perspective and considers whether contemporary market-driven policies are adequate for responding to the global crisis. The book won the 2014 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction and was adapted into a documentary by Avi Lewis.Klein is a Canadian author, filmmaker, and activist whose work centers on anticapitalist critique... Read This Changes Everything Summary

This Dog Will Change Your Life

by Elias Weiss Friedman

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Science / Nature, Animals

... Read This Dog Will Change Your Life Summary

This Is Going to Hurt

by Adam Kay

Publication year 2017

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Health / Medicine, Humor, Science / Nature

... Read This Is Going to Hurt Summary

This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends

by Nicole Perlroth

Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Technology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Military / War

... Read This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends Summary

This Is Your Brain on Music

by Daniel J. Levitin

Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science, Psychology, Music, Science / Nature

... Read This Is Your Brain on Music Summary

This Is Your Mind on Plants

by Michael Pollan

Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Identity: Indigenous, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Agriculture, Anthropology, Business / Economics, History: European, History: U.S., Politics / Government, History: World, Journalism, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Food

... Read This Is Your Mind on Plants Summary

Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality

by Sigmund Freud

Publication year 1905

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Psychology, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy

Sigmund Freud’s Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality was first published in 1905. Freud expanded it several times in later editions, and it reached its final form in 1924. The book occupies a major place in Freud’s body of work, but it was controversial when it first appeared. Freud pointedly blurs the line between perversions and normal sexual behaviors, and he develops a radically new and surprising theory of human sexuality—in particular, of childhood... Read Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality Summary

Thunderstruck

by Erik Larson

Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Crime / Legal, History: European, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography

Erik Larson’s Thunderstruck is a 2006 work of narrative nonfiction that braids two seemingly unrelated historical events that captured public attention in the pre-World War I years. The first involves the emerging and transformative technology of wireless communication designed by Marconi, the second a gruesome murder in London perpetrated by a seemingly docile and genial doctor named Crippen. Thunderstruck follows the success of Larson’s 2003 Devil in the White City, which coupled America’s first major... Read Thunderstruck Summary

Time Capsule Found on the Dead Planet

by Margaret Atwood

Publication year 2009

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Objects, Life/Time: The Future

Tags Allegory / Fable / Parable, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Climate Change, Science / Nature, Finance / Money / Wealth

... Read Time Capsule Found on the Dead Planet Summary

Tiny Habits

by B. J. Fogg

Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Business / Economics, Health / Medicine, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Psychology

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To a Mouse

by Robert Burns

Publication year 1786

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Animals

Tags Science / Nature

... Read To a Mouse Summary

To Autumn

by John Keats

Publication year 1820

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Science / Nature, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

... Read To Autumn Summary

Today

by Billy Collins

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

... Read Today Summary