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Books about Environmentalism
Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail
by Ben Montgomery
The true story of Emma Gatewood's record-breaking hike of the entire Appalachian Trail.
2014 National Outdoor Book Award Winner in History / Biography Emma Gatewood told her family she was going on a walk and left her small Ohio hometown with a change of clothes and less than two ... (Barnes & Noble)
Red Mars
by Kim Stanley Robinson
Colonists brave the harsh landscapes of Mars, striving to make the planet their new home.
Red Mars starts in 2026 with the first colonial voyage to Mars aboard the Ares , the largest interplanetary spacecraft ever built and home to a crew who are to be the first hundred Martian colonists. ... (Wikipedia)
Spin
by Robert Charles Wilson
A mysterious force disrupts the Earth, transforming the planet and its inhabitants in unexpected ways.
The story opens when Tyler Dupree is twelve years old. Tyler and his mother live in a guest house on the property of aerospace millionaire E.D. Lawton and his alcoholic wife, Carol. Tyler is friends ... (Wikipedia)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1
by Hayao Miyazaki
A young princess embarks on a quest for peace, unifying the humans and the giant insects of the Valley of the Wind.
In a long-ago war, humankind set off a devastating ecological disaster. Thriving industrial societies disappeared. The earth is slowly submerging beneath the expanding Sea of Corruption, an enormous ... (Goodreads)
A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There
by Aldo Leopold
A reflection on nature, paying homage to the beauty of the Wisconsin countryside.
First published in 1949, A Sand County Almanac combines some of the finest nature writing since Thoreau with an outspoken and highly ethical regard for America's relationship to the land. Written ... (Goodreads)
The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
by Steven Johnson
The discovery of the source of a cholera outbreak in London and its implications for modern science and urban living.
From Steven Johnson, the dynamic thinker routinely compared to James Gleick, Dava Sobel, and Malcolm Gladwell, The Ghost Map is a riveting page-turner about a real-life historical hero, Dr. John ... (Goodreads)
Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish
by John Hargrove
A former SeaWorld trainer exposes the truth about the treatment of killer whales in captivity and the dangers of keeping them in theme parks.
*Now a, New York Times, Best Seller* Over the course of two decades, John Hargrove worked with 20 different whales on two continents and at two of SeaWorld's U.S. facilities. For Hargrove, becoming ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World
by Andrea Wulf
Biography of the German scientist who changed our understanding of the natural world.
The acclaimed author of Founding Gardeners reveals the forgotten life of Alexander von Humboldt, the visionary German naturalist whose ideas changed the way we see the natural world—and in the ... (Goodreads)
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
by Elizabeth Kolbert
Examination of the current extinction of species caused by human activity and the potential global implications.
Over the last half-billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring ... (Goodreads)
State of Fear
by Michael Crichton
A thrilling tale of a scientific conspiracy and environmental terrorism.
Peter Evans is a lawyer for a millionaire philanthropist, George Morton. Evans' main duties are managing the legal affairs surrounding Morton's contributions to an environmentalist organization, the ... (Wikipedia)
The Snow Leopard
by Peter Matthiessen
A spiritual journey to the Himalayas, seeking to observe a rare snow leopard.
When Matthiessen went to Nepal to study the Himalayan blue sheep and, possibly, to glimpse the rare and beautiful snow leopard, he undertook his five-week trek as winter snows were sweeping into the ... (Goodreads)
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
by Barbara Kingsolver
A family's journey to eat locally grown, sustainable food.
Author Barbara Kingsolver and her family abandoned the industrial-food pipeline to live a rural life—vowing that, for one year, they'd only buy food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it ... (Goodreads)
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
by Michael Pollan
Argument for a return to traditional diets and away from processed, industrialized food.
Michael Pollan's last book, The Omnivore's Dilemma , launched a national conversation about the American way of eating; now In Defense of Food shows us how to change it, one meal at a time. Pollan ... (Goodreads)
Silent Spring
by Rachel Carson
Expose of the environmental damage caused by the widespread use of chemical pesticides.
Silent Spring is an environmental science book. The book documents the adverse environmental effects caused by the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading ... (Goodreads)
Lab Girl
by Hope Jahren
A memoir about a young woman's journey to discover her scientific calling and resilience.
Acclaimed scientist Hope Jahren has built three laboratories in which she’s studied trees, flowers, seeds, and soil. Her first book is a revelatory treatise on plant life—but it is also so much ... (Goodreads)
The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet
by Alicia Silverstone
A guide to a plant-based diet that promotes health, weight loss, and environmental sustainability.
Whether you want to lose weight, get healthy, or help save the world, transitioning to a vegan diet is easy with advice, tips, and recipes from actress Alicia Silverstone. In The Kind Diet , actress, ... (Goodreads)
Native Tongue
by Carl Hiaasen
A family of environmental activists take on a powerful corporation intent on destroying the Everglades.
When the precious blue-tongued mango voles at the Amazing Kingdom of Thrills on North Key Largo are stolen by heartless, ruthless thugs, Joe Winder wants to uncover why, and find the voles. Joe is ... (Goodreads)
Green Grass, Running Water
by Thomas King
A humorous and satirical novel that explores the complexities of Native American identity and history through interconnected narratives.
Green Grass, Running Water opens with an unknown narrator explaining "the beginning", in which the trickster -god Coyote is present as well as the unknown narrator. Coyote has a dream which takes ... (Wikipedia)
The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed
by John Vaillant
The story of a unique golden spruce tree in Canada and the man who destroyed it, exploring the clash between nature and human greed.
When a shattered kayak and camping gear are found on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Northwest, they reignite a mystery surrounding a shocking act of protest. Five months earlier, ... (Goodreads)
Lilith's Brood
by Octavia E. Butler
Humanity's struggle for survival in a post-apocalyptic world, amongst a new species of aliens.
Lilith Iyapo is in the Andes, mourning the death of her family, when war destroys Earth. Centuries later, she is resurrected – by miraculously powerful unearthly beings, the Oankali. Driven by an ... (Goodreads)
Animal Dreams
by Barbara Kingsolver
A woman's journey of self-discovery, grappling with family ties and environmental issues.
Animal Dreams opens with a chapter narrated in the third person from the point of view of Doc Homer. This establishes a double narrative voice, which switches between dreams and memories of the past ... (Wikipedia)
Hoot
by Carl Hiaasen
A boy's mission to save burrowing owls, uncovering a dark plot along the way.
The main character Roy Eberhardt moves from Montana to Florida and into the fictional town of Coconut Cove, where a 7th grader, Dana Matherson, starts to bully him. On the bus to school, Roy sees a ... (Wikipedia)
The Day of the Triffids
by John Wyndham
A post-apocalyptic world overrun by carnivorous plants, exploring themes of survival and morality.
In 1951 John Wyndham published his novel The Day of the Triffids to moderate acclaim. Fifty-two years later, this horrifying story is a science fiction classic, touted by The Times (London) as having ... (Goodreads)
The Monkey Wrench Gang
by Edward Abbey
A comedic adventure of environmental activism, fighting against corporate pollution.
The book's four main characters are ecologically minded misfits—"Seldom Seen" Smith, a Jack Mormon river guide; Doc Sarvis, an odd but wealthy and wise surgeon; Bonnie Abbzug, his young Jewish ... (Wikipedia)
Authority
by Jeff VanderMeer
A biologist explores an eerie, surreal wilderness in search of the truth behind a mysterious government project.
John "Control" Rodriguez takes over as the new director of the Southern Reach, a government agency formed to manage a coastal region named Area X. The public is led to believe that the region ... (Wikipedia)
City
by Clifford D. Simak
An exploration of the future where technology, nature and the human species must co-exist.
As the tales unfold, they recount a world where humans, having developed superior transportation, have abandoned the cities and moved into the countryside. Hydroponic farming and decentralized power ... (Wikipedia)
This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate
by Naomi Klein
Examination of global capitalism's role in exacerbating climate change and potential solutions.
Forget everything you think you know about global warming. It's not about carbon—it's about capitalism. The good news is that we can seize this crisis to transform our failed economic system and ... (Goodreads)
Chomp
by Carl Hiaasen
A family's adventure in the Florida Everglades, uncovering corruption and saving a species.
Wahoo Cray and his father, Mickey Cray, a professional animal wrangler , are hired to help with the latest episode of a reality series titled Expedition Survival! As Mickey was injured shortly before ... (Wikipedia)
Diary of a Worm
by Doreen Cronin
A humorous look at life as a worm, with adventures and lessons to be learned.
#1 New York Times Bestseller! This hilarious picture book from the bestselling, acclaimed author-illustrator team of Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss tells the adventures of a worm through his daily ... (Barnes & Noble)
Skinny Dip
by Carl Hiaasen
A woman’s revenge plot against her husband for attempting to murder her.
Charles Regis "Chaz" Perrone, PhD, is a young marine biologist who has devoted his life solely to the lazy pursuit of a hedonistic existence. His insatiable greed drives him to collude with Samuel ... (Wikipedia)
Basket Case
by Carl Hiaasen
A crime-solving journalist sets out to uncover a sinister conspiracy, saving an innocent victim in the process.
Jack Tagger Jr., an obituary writer for the South Florida Union-Register , becomes intrigued upon seeing a death notice for James Bradley Stomarti, also known as Jimmy Stoma. Jimmy was the lead man ... (Wikipedia)
The One-Straw Revolution
by Masanobu Fukuoka
A revolutionary approach to farming that emphasizes natural processes and minimal intervention.
Fukuoka demonstrates how the way we look at farming influences the way we look at health, the school, nature, nutrition, spiritual health and life itself. He joins the healing of the land to the ... (Goodreads)
Fuzzy Nation
by John Scalzi
A lawyer finds himself embroiled in a legal battle over the rights of a newly discovered intelligent species.
On the human colony planet Zara XXIII, pain-in-the-ass contract surveyor Jack Holloway is fired for letting his dog set off explosives (again) just before the explosives uncover a massive trove of ... (Wikipedia)
Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman
by Yvon Chouinard
Reflections on the journey of an environmentally conscious businessman, and the lessons learned along the way.
In his long-awaited memoir, Yvon Chouinard-legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc.-shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of ... (Goodreads)
In Patagonia
by Bruce Chatwin
A journey through the far reaches of Patagonia, exploring its culture and history.
An exhilarating look at a place that still retains the exotic mystery of a far-off, unseen land, Bruce Chatwin’s exquisite account of his journey through Patagonia teems with evocative descriptions, ... (Goodreads)
Grass
by Sheri S. Tepper
A dystopian fable of a future world, where the grass is literally alive and conscious.
Generations ago, humans fled to the cosmic anomaly known as Grass. But before humanity arrived, another species had already claimed Grass for its own. It too had developed a culture. Now, a deadly ... (Wikipedia)
Flight Behavior
by Barbara Kingsolver
A woman's struggle to reconcile her faith and environmentalism as she faces a mysterious ecological disaster.
Dellarobia Turnbow is a 28-year-old discontented housewife living with her poor family on a farm in Appalachia . On a hike to begin an affair with a telephone repairman, Turnbow finds millions of ... (Wikipedia)
Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space
by Carl Sagan
Reflection on humanity's place in the universe, and its responsibility to protect life on Earth.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carl Sagan traces our exploration of space and suggests that our very survival may depend on the wise use of other worlds. This stirring book reveals how scientific ... (Goodreads)
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
by Richard Louv
Examining the consequences of disconnecting children from nature, and the need for reconnection.
"I like to play indoors better 'cause that's where all the electrical outlets are," reports a fourth-grader. Never before in history have children been so plugged in—and so out of touch with the ... (Goodreads)
Sick Puppy
by Carl Hiaasen
A wild and chaotic adventure involving a hapless protagonist and a crooked politician.
Robert Clapley, a former drug smuggler -turned-real estate developer, plans to build high-rise condominiums and golf courses on Toad Island, the home to a large population of oak toads . The project ... (Wikipedia)
The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions
by David Quammen
A journey through the science of island biogeography and the impact of human activity on the extinction of species.
David Quammen's book, The Song of the Dodo , is a brilliant, stirring work, breathtaking in its scope, far-reaching in its message — a crucial book in precarious times, which radically alters the way ... (Barnes & Noble)
Surprise Island
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Two orphaned siblings explore the wonders of the natural world on a remote island.
The Aldens spend the summer on Grandfather's island! Joe, the island's friendly handyman, helps them with anything they need, but as the children continue to explore their summer home, they realize ... (Barnes & Noble)
A Civil Action
by Jonathan Harr
A legal drama about a court case of corporate negligence, and the resulting tragedy.
After finding that her child is diagnosed with leukemia , Anne Anderson notices a high prevalence of leukemia, a relatively rare disease, in her city . Eventually she gathers other families and seeks ... (Wikipedia)
Hope in the Dark
by Rebecca Solnit
A collection of essays on the power of hope and activism in times of darkness and uncertainty.
With Hope in the Dark , Rebecca Solnit makes a radical case for hope as a commitment to act in a world whose future remains uncertain and unknowable. Drawing on her decades of activism and a wide ... (Goodreads)
The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival
by John Vaillant
A thrilling tale of a Siberian tiger's fight for survival amidst conflict between man and nature.
It’s December 1997, and a man-eating tiger is on the prowl outside a remote village in Russia’s Far East. The tiger isn’t just killing people, it’s annihilating them, and a team of men and their dogs ... (Goodreads)
The Elephant Whisperer
by Lawrence Anthony
A story of the unlikely bond between a conservationist and a herd of wild elephants.
When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in South Africa, his commonsense told him to refuse. But he was the ... (Goodreads)
All Over Creation
by Ruth Ozeki
A family's struggle to save their farm and the world from genetically modified crops. A story of love, loss, and the power of activism.
A warm and witty saga about agribusiness, environmental activism, and community—from the celebrated author of My Year of Meats and A Tale for the Time Being . Yumi Fuller hasn’t set foot in her ... (Goodreads)
Flush
by Carl Hiaasen
A humorous tale of a dog named Flush, who helps his owner, a girl named Noah, seek revenge on a polluting casino boat owner.
The narrator of the story is a teenage boy named Noah Underwood. Noah's father, Paine, a passionate environmentalist, has been arrested for sinking the Coral Queen , a casino boat operated by "Dusty" ... (Wikipedia)
The Final Warning
by James Patterson
A group of kids investigate a mysterious environmental disaster, uncovering a darker secret.
In this breathtaking new story from the astonishing imagination of James Patterson, a girl has to save herself from an army assembled just to capture her – and maybe save the planet while she's at ... (Goodreads)
Acorna's Quest
by Anne McCaffrey
Acorna searches for her own kind, encountering new friends and foes along the way.
This follow-up to Anne McCaffrey's bestselling Acorna trails the unicorn girl across the galaxy as she searches for her mysterious home and lost people. ... (Goodreads)
Being a Green Mother
by Piers Anthony
A young woman must embrace her destiny as the Green Mother, a powerful force for nature, to save the world from destruction.
It is discovered that young Orb , the Aunt of Luna, has the gift of conjuring natural music that emanates from things in nature. She sets off on a quest for a magical song known as the Llano, a song ... (Wikipedia)
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