Summer reading list 2022

It’s that time of the year when we’re putting together our summer reading list.
We hope that our selection of books can bring you a little hope and help you relax and connect with nature.

The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall
“Jane focuses on her “Four Reasons for Hope”: The Amazing Human Intellect, The Resilience of Nature, The Power of Young People, and The Indomitable Human Spirit.”

Wilding by Isabella Tree
“It shows how rewilding works across Europe; that it has multiple benefits for the land; that it can generate economic activity and employment; how it can benefit both nature and us – and that all of this can happen astonishingly quickly.”

Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer
“Kimmerer clearly and artfully explains the biology of mosses, while at the same time reflecting on what these fascinating organisms have to teach us.”

Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future by Elizabeth Kolbert
“In Under a White Sky, Elizabeth Kolbert takes a hard look at the new world we are creating. Along the way, she meets biologists who are trying to preserve the world’s rarest fish, which lives in a single tiny pool in the middle of the Mojave; engineers who are turning carbon emissions to stone in Iceland; Australian researchers who are trying to develop a super coral that can survive on a hotter globe; and physicists who are contemplating shooting tiny diamonds into the stratosphere to cool the earth.”

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
“The book appeared in September 1962 and the outcry that followed its publication forced the banning of DDT and spurred revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. Carson’s book was instrumental in launching the environmental movement.”

The Eight Master Lessons of Nature: What Nature Teaches Us about Living Well in the World by Gary Ferguson
“Through cutting-edge data and research, drawing on science, psychology, history, and philosophy, The Eight Master Lessons of Nature will leave readers with a feeling of hope, excitement, and joy. It is a dazzling statement about the powers of physical, mental, and spiritual wellness that come from reclaiming our relationship with Mother Nature.”

The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth by Ben Rawlence
“Blending reportage with the latest science, The Treeline is a story of what might soon be the last forest left and what that means for the future of all life on earth.”

The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Stephen Brusatte
“Stephen Brusatte masterfully tells the complete, surprising, and new history of the dinosaurs, drawing on cutting-edge science to dramatically bring to life their lost world and illuminate their enigmatic origins, spectacular flourishing, astonishing diversity, cataclysmic extinction, and startling living legacy. ”

Books for kids

The Pebble Spotter’s Guide by Clive J. Mitchell
“A beautiful little guide to one of life’s simple pleasures – pebble spotting. Where science meets mindfulness. Learn to appreciate their beauty, discover the amazing journey that brought them to you, search for the rare ones.”

Everything Under the Sun: a curious question for every day of the year by Molly Oldfield
“A collection of 366 curious questions asked by children from around the world, based on the award-winning podcast by original QI Elf, Molly Oldfield. ”