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.

Theogony

by Hesiod

Genre Poem, Fiction

Tags Mythology, Narrative Poem, Philosophy, Science & Nature, Philosophy, Classical Period, Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

The Theogony is an epic poem by the archaic Greek poet Hesiod. It is both a theogony—or account of the origins of the gods—and a cosmogony, an explanation of the origins of the universe. At just over a thousand lines in length, the Theogony is among the earliest surviving works of Greek literature, dating to the late eighth or early seventh century BCE. It is an epic poem, a genre defined by its meter (dactylic... Read Theogony Summary

The Omnivore's Dilemma

by Michael Pollan

Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Animals, Food, Environment, Plants

Tags Food, Health, Science & Nature

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan is an exploration of what people eat and why. Pollan is an immersive journalist who has studied and written on a wide range of topics including gardening, food, architecture, and psychedelics. Pollan is the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Each of Pollan’s books examines the intersection of humans and nature. Pollan’s 2001 book... Read The Omnivore's Dilemma Summary

The Orchid Thief

by Susan Orlean

Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Environment, Plants, Beauty, Community

Tags Journalism, Crime & Law, Science & Nature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Biography

The Orchid Thief is a nonfiction book by Susan Orlean, originally published in 1998. It is a narrative nonfiction account of the crimes and trial of John Laroche, accused of stealing endangered orchid species from the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve in Florida. The basic story of Laroche and his crimes originally ran as an article in The New Yorker, entitled “Orchid Fever” and published in 1995. The book expands the story and also details Orlean’s... Read The Orchid Thief Summary

The Order of Things

by Michel Foucault

Publication year 1966

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Science & Technology, Self Discovery, Language, Objects & Materials

Tags Philosophy, Science & Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, French Literature, World History, Psychology, Philosophy

... Read The Order of Things Summary

The Organ Thieves

by Chip Jones

Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Death, Social Class, Community, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags World History, US History, Science & Nature, Health, Race & Racism, Crime & Law

... Read The Organ Thieves Summary

The Overstory

by Richard Powers

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment

Tags Science & Nature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

The Overstory is a 2018 novel by Richard Powers. Weaving together numerous character narratives, it is the story of a collection of environmental activists and their struggles to make their protests heard by society. It won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.Content Warning: The source text and this guide include depictions of violence, specifically police brutality, as well as discussions of ableism and suicide.Plot SummaryThe Hoel family are descended from Norwegian immigrants who moved from... Read The Overstory Summary

The Perfect Storm

by Sebastian Junger

Publication year 1997

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags World History, Science & Nature, Travel Literature, Action & Adventure, Biography

The Perfect Storm is a 1997 nonfiction book by Sebastian Junger, who writes for numerous magazines, including Outside, American Heritage, and Men’s Journal. He has lived most of his life on the Massachusetts coast.In late September of 1991, the swordfishing boat Andrea Gail departs the town of Gloucester, Massachusetts with six men aboard, for a month-long fishing trip. In late October, as a powerful storm begins to build in the fishing waters of the North... Read The Perfect Storm Summary

The Poisoner’s Handbook

by Deborah Blum

Publication year 2010

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Crime & Law, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science & Nature, World History, Health

The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York is a 2010 non-fiction book by science writer Deborah Blum. This guide follows the first edition of the book. In The Poisoner’s Handbook, Blum explores how Charles Norris and Alexander Gettler laid the foundations for the modern field of forensic science in New York in the 1920s. Through Norris and Gettler’s stories, Blum also narrates a number of important social... Read The Poisoner’s Handbook Summary

The Power

by Naomi Alderman

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Future, Femininity

Tags Gender & Feminism, Science & Nature, Politics & Government, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy

Influenced by the dystopian futuristic vision of Margaret Atwood’s landmark 1985 feminist work The Handmaid’s Tale, Naomi Alderman’s 2016 novel The Power fuses genre elements of speculative fiction with the traditional historical novel. Part allegory, part satire, the novel depicts a near-contemporary world in which women move into positions of real power through an inexplicable genetic anomaly: they develop an extra braid of muscle along their collarbones that enables them to shoot devastating jolts of... Read The Power Summary

The Power of Habit

by Charles Duhigg

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Science & Technology, Power & Greed, Teamwork

Tags Psychology, Inspirational, Self-Improvement, Leadership, Science & Nature, Business & Economics, Sociology, Psychology

Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business investigates the science behind habit formation in the human brain. Drawing on corporate case studies and pioneering scientific experiments, Duhigg analyzes how individuals, organizations, and societies can use the knowledge of habit formation to change their behaviors. Published in 2012 by Random House, the nonfiction book has reached a broad public readership and landed on the New York Times... Read The Power of Habit Summary