Nature Versus Nurture

How much of our identity is shaped by our environments? How much is intrinsic to who we are and beyond the control of external forces? These are ancient questions with complex answers. In this collection we've gathered texts that explore the issue of nature versus nurture from a variety of angles.

The Blank Slate

by Steven Pinker

Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture

Tags Psychology, Technology, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science & Nature, Sociology, World History, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics & Government

In the nonfiction book The Blank Slate, Steven Pinker, a Harvard-educated experimental psychologist, draws from cutting-edge cognitive science to debunk popular ideas about the mind and human nature. Primarily, Pinker argues against the concept of the Blank Slate—that is, that the mind is a “blank slate”—showing instead that our brains come hardwired with universal attributes. He also discredits two related concepts, that of the Noble Savage (the idea that primitive humans were superior to and... Read The Blank Slate Summary

The Blind Side

by Michael Lewis

Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture

Tags Journalism, Sports, Business & Economics, Biography

The Blind Side, written by Michael Lewis, was published in 2006 by W. W. Norton & Company. The nonfiction book combines a discussion of the evolution of strategy in the National Football League (NFL) with elements of memoir through the story of Michael Oher who, after the book’s timeline, went on to have a long career as an NFL left tackle. Folded into these intersecting elements is the story of of Tom Lemming, who became... Read The Blind Side Summary

The Catcher in the Rye

by J. D. Salinger

Publication year 1951

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Nature Versus Nurture

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Coming of Age, American Literature, Depression & Suicide, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, published in 1951, is an American classic widely heralded as one of the best novels of the 20th century. This coming-of-age novel captures the alienation that teenagers experienced in the years following World War II, and its popularity as an assigned text in US schools has led to its enduring relevance in American literature (and notoriety, as it frequently faced challenges or censorship from concerned parents).Content Warning: This... Read The Catcher in the Rye Summary

The Comfort of Crows

by Margaret Renkl

Publication year 2023

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Grief, Memory, Aging, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Climate, Environment, Plants, Food, Nature Versus Nurture, Objects & Materials, Place, Family, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Globalization, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Animals, Science & Nature

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The Control of Nature

by John McPhee

Publication year 1989

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture, Environment

Tags Science & Nature, World History

The Control of Nature by John McPhee was published in 1989 and includes three essays/articles reported from different geographic locales that reflect one common theme: man attempting to control nature. McPhee got his start in journalism writing for Time magazine. He has written for The New Yorker for several decades and has published 30 books, including Annals of the Former World, for which he received the Pulitzer Prize. He has also taught writing at Princeton... Read The Control of Nature Summary

The Deepest Well

by Nadine Burke Harris

Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Social Class, Community, Mental Health, Science & Technology, Memory, The Past, Disability, Future, Perseverance, Nature Versus Nurture, Education, Childhood & Youth

Tags Trauma & Abuse, Mental Illness, Science & Nature, Health, Education, Education, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology, Self-Improvement

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The Eyes of the Dragon

by Stephen King

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Loyalty & Betrayal, Justice, Siblings, Nature Versus Nurture

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Action & Adventure

The Eyes of the Dragon was originally self-published by Stephen King in 1984 with Philtrum Press. The first edition, illustrated by Kenneth R. Linkhauser, had a limited run, and the books were mostly given as gifts by the author. Three years later, Viking published a mass-market version with new illustrations by David Palladini. The novel was a departure for King, who had earned a reputation as a master of horror novels by the 1980s. Instead... Read The Eyes of the Dragon Summary

The Female Brain

by Louann Brizendine

Publication year 2006

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Science & Technology, Femininity, Masculinity, Gender Identity, Childhood & Youth, Aging, Midlife, Marriage, Mothers, Nature Versus Nurture

Tags Psychology, Science & Nature, Health, Self-Improvement, Gender & Feminism, Relationships, Love & Sexuality

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The Fifth Child

by Doris Lessing

Publication year 1988

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Disability, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Birth, Childhood & Youth, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Family, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Social Class, Beauty

Tags Horror & Suspense, Gothic Literature, Classic Fiction

The Fifth Child is a novella by British writer Doris Lessing, recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize for Literature. First published in the UK in 1988, the work blends domestic realism and gothic horror in an unsettling portrait of Harriet and David Lovatt, a couple with old-fashioned values whose lives are upended by the birth of their fifth child, Ben. Aggressive, unusually strong, and non-communicative, Ben does not conform to the Lovatts’ expectations of a... Read The Fifth Child Summary

The Heiress

by Rachel Hawkins

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Social Class

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Gothic Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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The House in the Cerulean Sea

by T. J. Klune

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Equality, Community, Sexual Identity

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Romance, LGBTQ+

The House in the Cerulean Sea (2020) is a queer fantasy novel by TJ Klune, Lambda Award-winning author of The Extraordinaires and the Green Creek series. Klune is a queer author whose works often explore supernatural elements. Many mythological species feature in this novel, while other books focus on werewolves, ghosts, and the like. The book explores themes of Nature Versus Nurture, The Perpetuation of Prejudice, and Found Family.Klune’s work, particularly The House in the... Read The House in the Cerulean Sea Summary