Nature
Nature as a genre encompasses a vast array of creative works centered on the natural world.
An Inconvenient Truth
by Al Gore
An Inconvenient Truth is Al Gore’s urgent and accessible plea for environmental action, based on his award-winning documentary of the same name. Using clear language, compelling visuals, and data-driven analysis, Gore explains the science and consequences of climate change. He addresses rising temperatures, melting ice caps, extreme weather, and the human behaviors driving global warming. The book combines science with personal conviction, urging readers to take responsibility for the planet’s future. It was a landmark moment in environmental awareness, sparking global dialogue and motivating individuals, communities, and governments to reconsider their impact on Earth.
The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year
Margaret Renkl's The Comfort of Crows is a meditative exploration of the natural world observed from her backyard over the course of a year. Through weekly essays, she reflects on the changing seasons, local wildlife, and the interconnectedness of all living things. Renkl weaves personal anecdotes with observations of nature, offering insights into the beauty and solace found in everyday moments. The book serves as a gentle reminder of the healing power of nature and the importance of mindfulness.
The Sixth Extinction
In The Sixth Extinction, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Elizabeth Kolbert investigates the ongoing mass extinction event caused by human activity. Blending field reporting, scientific research, and historical context, Kolbert explores how climate change, habitat destruction, and invasive species are rapidly altering the planet’s biodiversity. She travels the globe—from rainforests to coral reefs—to document species on the brink and speak with scientists studying the crisis. The book highlights how humans have become a geological force, accelerating extinction at an unprecedented rate. Sobering yet eloquent, The Sixth Extinction is a vital call to awareness about the fragility and interdependence of life on Earth.
The Overstory
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, The Overstory is a sweeping, ambitious novel about the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world. Richard Powers weaves together the stories of nine characters whose lives are all deeply affected by trees—biologically, emotionally, or spiritually. As their narratives converge, the novel evolves into a powerful environmental fable about resistance, interdependence, and ecological awareness. Lushly written and expansive in scope, The Overstory challenges readers to reconsider humanity’s place within nature. It is a novel of ideas, rooted in science and awe, that celebrates the silent, enduring presence of the living world around us.
North Woods
by Daniel Mason
Spanning centuries, North Woods traces the lives, deaths, and legends rooted in a single New England house and its surrounding forest. From Puritan settlers and eccentric naturalists to star-crossed lovers and reclusive artists, each inhabitant leaves a mark on the land. Mason weaves history, folklore, letters, and even fungi into a vivid portrait of change and continuity. This richly imaginative novel explores humanity’s relationship with nature, time, and storytelling itself. North Woods is a haunting, lyrical mosaic that celebrates the enduring power of place and the mysterious threads connecting all lives across generations.
An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us
by Ed Yong
An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong is a captivating exploration of the myriad ways animals perceive their environments. Yong introduces readers to the concept of the Umwelt, the unique sensory world each species inhabits. Through engaging narratives, he delves into extraordinary sensory abilities: turtles navigating via Earth's magnetic fields, beetles detecting fires from miles away, and scallops possessing dozens of eyes. Yong's vivid storytelling not only illuminates these hidden realms but also underscores the impact of human-induced sensory pollution on wildlife. Celebrated for its insightful prose, the book earned the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and was named one of The New York Times' "10 Best Books of 2022" .