Nature Books Ranked From Bitter To Sweet
8 Environmental Book Recommendations For Any Mood
I love reading nature books but often, I find they do little more than add to unproductive climate anxiety. With this in mind, I’ve compiled a list of great environmental books ranked from bitter to sweet.
1 The Uninhabitable Earth | David Wallace-Wells
This book needs to taken very slowly. I struggled through each chapter — not because it’s not well-written (it’s actually kind of poetic) — but because it was extremely stress-inducing.
The message of this story: the state of the environment is much worse than we realise, and we can’t shut our eyes from it.
2 Hot Money | Naomi Klein
A very short book about the impact of modern capitalism on nature. The whole set of ‘Green Ideas’ Penguin books are worth a read, but this was a standout, and carries many ideas that Naomi Klein is famous for.
The message of this story: for the survival of our species, everything needs to change.
3 The Sixth Extinction | Elizabeth Kolbert
A fascinating exploration of amazing species and their evolutionary adaptations and a warning about our fate in the face of man-made extinctions.
The message of this story: the sixth mass extinction is upon us, and we are the cause.
4 How To Talk About Climate Change In A Way That Makes A Difference | Rebecca Huntley
Why are we so divided when it comes to climate change? Huntley explores this question with science and compassion. A bit depressing, but with a very uplifting message at the end.
The message of this story: we need to exercise compassion to land on the same page when it comes to climate change. It’s a long process, but the only way to ensure effective climate action.
5 Sweet in Tooth and Claw | Kristin Ohlsen
A book about complex natural processes and the beauty of cooperation in nature. Much of human engineering is a weak imitation of natural processes — nature is better at fertilising crops than we are, better at building dams than we are, better at healing than we are. Recognising that we are a part of nature is the only way to begin living sustainably.
The message of this story: we can work with nature, not against it, by recognising we are one element in an intricate web of connections.
6 Wilding | Isabella Tree
This book takes you through the rapid and transformative changes that can happen when we let nature take the reins. Agricultural degradation and the loss of productivity can quickly be turned around by bringing more nature onto farms and gardens (including the weeds and the ‘unproductive’ species).
The message of this story: let nature do its thing.
7 The Hidden Life of Trees | Peter Wohlleben
Wohlleben’s love and appreciation of nature exudes off the pages of this book. The book takes you through the amazing societies of trees and the benefits we can absorb by simply sitting in nature.
The message of this story: trees are amazing.
8 Adventures of a Young Naturalist | David Attenborough
As nostalgic and enlightening as the documentaries, these are the journal articles of Attenborough’s very first adventures into nature. The perfect book when you just want to awe over nature — there is no reference to environmental degradation, except in the recently written introduction.
