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.

Vicious

by V. E. Schwab

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, American Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

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Voices from Chernobyl

by Svetlana Alexievich

Publication year 1997

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Environment

Tags History: European, Journalism, Natural Disaster, Science / Nature, Agriculture, Business / Economics, Food, Education, Grief / Death, History: World, Military / War, Poverty, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Russian Literature, Biography

Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster by Svetlana Alexievich is a collection of 35 first-person oral accounts of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the former Soviet Union. Originally published in Russian in 1997, the book was translated into English by Keith Gessen in 2005; it has been translated into almost every European language. Alexievich, a Belarusian investigative journalist, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for Voices from Chernobyl in... Read Voices from Chernobyl Summary

Walden

by Henry David Thoreau

Publication year 1854

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment

Tags Transcendentalism, American Literature, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Walden opens with Thoreau’s explanation of his two-year independent living project on Walden Pond, which spanned from 1845 to 1847. He illuminates his desire to live a solitary, simple life outside of civilization. Over the course of these two years, Thoreau describes his experiences including his immersion in nature, the process of growing his own food, and the pleasure he derives from contemplating the beauty of the woods. He also reflects on the most basic elements... Read Walden Summary

Walden On Wheels

by Ken Ilgunas

Publication year 2013

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Travel Literature, Action / Adventure, Biography

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Weapons of Math Destruction

by Cathy O'Neil

Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Technology, Technology, Sociology, Politics / Government

In this nonfiction book, data scientist and mathematician Catherine O’Neil’s Weapons of Math Destruction (2016) explores how math-driven models encoded in technology shape many people’s lives and opportunities in the United States. She calls these models weapons of math destruction (WMDs) for their ability to wreak mass havoc on the poor and marginalized peoples of America. This book deals with difficult subject matter, such as socioeconomic oppression, racial discrimination, gender inequality, and discrimination against individuals... Read Weapons of Math Destruction Summary

We Are the Weather

by Jonathan Safran Foer

Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Food, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Environment

Tags Science / Nature, Climate Change, Food, Politics / Government

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West-Running Brook

by Robert Frost

Publication year 1928

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, History: U.S., American Literature, Classic Fiction

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What Happened To You?

by Bruce D. Perry, Oprah Winfrey

Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Parenting, Psychology, Health / Medicine

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What If? 2

by Randall Munroe

Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science / Nature, Humor, History: World

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What If?

by Randall Munroe

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science / Nature, Humor, Education, Education

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What Is It Like to Be a Bat?

by Thomas Nagel

Publication year 1974

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

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

Tags Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Education, Education, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

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What My Bones Know

by Stephanie Foo

Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Society: Community, Identity: Race

Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Psychology, Inspirational, Science / Nature, Psychology, Mental Illness, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Biography

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What the Dog Saw

by Malcolm Gladwell

Publication year 2009

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

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What the Eyes Don’t See

by Mona Hanna-Attisha

Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, History: World, Social Justice

What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City (2018) is pediatrician, scientist, and public health advocate Mona Hanna-Attisha’s (Dr. Mona) debut book that provides an in-depth look at the government’s poisoning of Flint residents and subsequent coverup. This story, according to Dr. Mona, is also about much deeper crises that the broader American society is currently facing: a breakdown in local democracy; misguided austerity policies; environmental injustices... Read What the Eyes Don’t See Summary

When Breath Becomes Air

by Paul Kalanithi

Publication year 2016

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography

When Breath Becomes Air is a memoir by Paul Kalanithi. It was published in 2016. Kalanithi tells the story of his battle with cancer while being a practicing neurosurgeon. The book is organized chronologically, following the trajectory of his life from childhood to death, and is laced with deep philosophical thought and literary prose. His meditations combine the expertise of a professional with the experience of a patient, resulting in a book that communicates extremely... Read When Breath Becomes Air Summary