Science & Nature from our 2019 Summer Newsletter

Called a “daring eco-adventurer” by Margaret Atwood, biologist Mark W. Moffett draws on a range of disciplines, from sociology to anthropology, to analyze the way humans organize and look at what causes societies to rise, conquer, and ultimately fall. Comparing humans to their closest relatives in the animal kingdom such as bonobos and chimps as well as distant cousins like insects, gives The Human Swarm an intriguing take on history akin to titles like Sapiens and Guns, Germs, and Steel. - Aric

Like any scientific discipline, paleontology is continually evolving: Breakthroughs are being made and new fossils are being uncovered. Brusatte does an excellent job of packaging the latest knowledge of the field in engaging and accessible prose. Written less like a textbook and more like a narrative, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs starts at the beginning of the time of dinosaurs and works forward in chronological order, travelling the globe as it does so. From the tiniest microraptor to the mighty titanosaurs, this book offers plenty of fodder for all the dinosaur enthusiasts out there. - Jade

In Down from the Mountain, Bryce Andrews takes us on an emotional rollercoaster ride through his first-hand account of his time bear country. We learn about Millie, a grizzly mother of two who is effectively forced out of her natural habitat in the mountains by wide-scale global change caused by humans. This tragic personal account of humanity’s impact on the creatures we share a world with is a must-read for conservationists. - R.H.

Have you ever imagined what your life would be like if you could remember everything that ever happened to you? Or perhaps how it would feel to be lost all the time? Inspired by Oliver Sacks and driven by her fascination with the human brain, Thomson travels the world to meet with and intimately interview people with these and a slew of other mind-boggling conditions. Thomson takes a gentle and thoughtful approach as she explores some of the strangest minds known to science. Her insights may have you questioning your own physical reality. - Jade

This is a beautiful story of a woman trying to find her own, with powerful prose and captivating descriptions of nature. Karen Auvinen’s metaphorical writing is surprisingly accessible and paints a vivid picture of her process of self-discovery through a Thoreau-esque 4 years in the woods with just her dog. As an artist, I particularly enjoyed the collection of watercolor pieces contributed by Auvinen’s partner. - R.H.

Robert Macfarlane writes with such agility and scope that when exploring the natural world that lies beneath us, he also plumbs the depths of our cultures, mythologies, and histories—not as an exercise in what has been, but in where we are now, and what can still be done. Tracking across time and the planet, each page is a revelation, a way to think more deeply and place ourselves more fully in the world, making Underland both pleasurable reading and important work. - Melinda

I was unaware of Ellen Meloy before this posthumous collection of radio essays she wrote for her NPR station, but I wish I had her voice in my life sooner. In these perfectly bite-sized pieces, she is wide-ranging, observant, and sharply funny, whether she’s talking about the animal neighbors who share her desert Utah home or the quixotic humans who share her planet. Though written mostly in the 90s, these essays remain timely and much-appreciated today. - Melinda

Tim Dee’s insightful book on gulls tells us as much about ourselves as it does about these highly visible, underappreciated birds. While many avian species retreat from human advance, gulls come closer, thriving within our urban centers and garbage heaps, mirroring us in ways that are both discomfiting and enlightening. Landfill is a playful, wide-ranging narrative, drawing on experience, literature, history, science, and the art of gulling, becoming not only a sociological study of gulls but of the author himself and all of us. - Melinda