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 2004

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Sociology, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Arts / Culture

Daniel H. Pink’s A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, released in 2005, considers and challenges society’s history of valuing left-brained attributes over creative and empathic right-brained thinkers. Pink, an author of several books on business and human behavior, argues that the age of left-brain supremacy is over, making way for whole-minded thinkers who will define and thrive within the coming Conceptual Age. Pink offers six essential whole-minded aptitudes that are key... Read A Whole New Mind Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Teams, Society: Education, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Regret

Tags Realistic Fiction, Science / Nature, Education, Children's Literature, Bullying, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals

Tags Children's Literature, Science / Nature, Animals, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Crime / Legal, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science / Nature, Journalism, Business / Economics, History: World, Biography

One of the great corporate frauds of the 21st century, the Theranos blood-test scam, is brought to light in the award-winning bestseller Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, published in 2018 and updated in 2020. Author John Carreyrou, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and bureau chief at The Wall Street Journal, brings his years of experience to the case against tech startup Theranos and its spellbinding CEO, Elizabeth Holmes. The Vintage Books... Read Bad Blood Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Sports, Travel Literature, Action / Adventure, Bullying, Arts / Culture, Class, Race / Racism, Relationships, Poverty, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Social Justice, History: World, Biography

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life is a 2015 memoir by William Finnegan, a writer for The New Yorker and the author of several social journalism books such as A Complicated War: The Harrowing of Mozambique and Dateline Soweto: Travels with Black South African Reporters. In Barbarian Days, Finnegan reflects on his upbringing in California and Hawaii, as well as his coming of age in the late 1960s. He relays his experience of the surfing counterculture... Read Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Community

Tags Sociology, Science / Nature, Technology, Technology, History: World


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Anthropology, Anthropology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Health / Medicine


Publication year 1927

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Existentialism, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Being and Time (Sein und Zeit) is a philosophical text written by 20th-century German philosopher Martin Heidegger. In it, Heidegger attempts to address the fundamental question of the meaning of being. He does so through a systematic exploration of human existence and its structures. First published in 1927, Being and Time had a major impact on subsequent philosophy. A canonical text of both existentialism and phenomenology (although Heidegger would deny the association with the former)... Read Being And Time Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Health / Medicine, Grief / Death, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Being Mortal, Atul Gawande's New York Times best seller, was published in 2014. Gawande, an American surgeon and public health researcher, has written a series of articles, essays, and books that probe the US health care industry. His first book, Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science, was a finalist for the National Book Award, and he followed it in 2007 with Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance. Throughout his work, Gawande offers his... Read Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and what Matters in the End Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Relationships, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help

Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error (2010) is a nonfiction book written by Kathryn Schulz, a journalist who has written for publications such as the New York Times Magazine, the Nation, and the Boston Globe. The book explores the nature of error from a psychological, philosophical, and personal point of view, drawing from philosophical thought, psychology studies, and personal anecdotes. Some themes of the book include the fallibility of the human mind, the... Read Being Wrong Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Business / Economics

Harvard-educated Dr. Atul Gawande is a staff writer for The New Yorker, a surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and founder of two nonprofits aimed at innovating surgical practices around the world. He wrote Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance to explore the attributes that make a good doctor. Published in 2007 as a follow-up to his 2002 National Book Award Finalist Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science, Better explores “how situations of... Read Better Summary


Publication year 2004

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Inspirational, Action / Adventure, Travel Literature, Animals, Arts / Culture, Philosophy, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, Music, Sports, Biography

Between a Rock and a Hard Place is a 2004 adventure and survival memoir by American mountain climber Aron Ralston. The narrative focuses on Ralston’s near-death experience when his arm became stuck under a boulder in a canyon in Utah, where he remained trapped for five days until he amputated his arm. Dealing with profound existential themes, the book garnered critical acclaim and became a New York Times bestseller. A 2010 film adaptation titled 127... Read Between a Rock and a Hard Place Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Climate Change, Grief / Death, Mental Illness, Science / Nature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1976

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Globalization, Society: Community

Tags Anthropology, Arts / Culture, Sociology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy


Publication year 1971

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Education, Education, Social Science, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971) is a scientific philosophical text written by B. F. Skinner. Skinner (1904-1990) was a psychologist from the United States who is widely recognized for his contributions to behaviorism, the psychological theory that human behavior is determined or based on antecedent and external circumstances. Beyond Freedom and Dignity has been highly criticized for its repudiation of free will and its underlying Victorian ideals; however, this heavy criticism resulted in the popularization... Read Beyond Freedom and Dignity Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Community

Tags Psychology, Race / Racism, Sociology, Social Justice, Science / Nature, Psychology, Politics / Government


Publication year 1915

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, American Literature, Modernism


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Gender

Tags Psychology, Race / Racism, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Sociology, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Psychology, Self Help