So I shared brief summaries of the environmental books that I read in 2024 in my last post, but I kept thinking about some of the excellent books I read in 2023, too. Adding them all to one post seemed too clunky, so I decided to wax enthusiastic over my 2023 reads in this separate post.
Looking over my 2023 list, I was struck by how much more "natural history" I read than in 2024.
The Hidden Life of Trees: The Illustrated Edition, by Peter Wohlleben, Greystone Books Ltd./David Suzuki Institute, 2015/2016/2018.
The text in this edition is abridged from the original (and I still need to find and read the original), but the photographs are sublime. This book is an excellent and easily readable introduction to forest ecology, incorporating many of the recent breakthroughs in our knowledge. (Note: Peter Wohlleben is an author and has worked for the forestry commission in Germany for over 20 years. He now manages a forest academy and a natural woodland in Germany.)
What did I gain from reading this book? Just opening this book and looking at the gorgeous photos relaxes me. It is absolutely beautiful. More than simply being a "pretty face", though, this book was a great summary of the workings of forests.
Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit, by Lyanda Lynn Haupt, Little, Brown Spark/Hachette Book Group, 2021.
Rooted is very different from the other books that I have talked about here. It is based in science, but it is also part philosophy, part spiritual guidance, and part nature guide. Weaving in quotes from a wide variety of people like Mary Oliver, John O'Donoghue, Robert Macfarlane, Merlin Sheldrake, and Richard Louv, this book is a rich tapestry from which to draw inspiration and a deep sense of connection with the natural world.
What did I gain from reading this book? As I read this book, I felt a variety of strands from my life and my reading come together in new ways, highlighting possibilities and encouraging changes in the way I relate to the natural world. After I finish reading a book, assuming I decide to keep it, I store each one in a different area, based on how I think I'll access or use it in the future: plant or animal reference book, general ecological principles, environmental commentary, gardening, poetry, and so forth. This book is one of the few I keep at my bedside so that I can dip into it for inspiration and rejuvenation when I'm feeling my well run dry.
Garden Allies: The Insects, Birds & Other Animals That Keep Your Garden Beautiful and Thriving, by Frederique Lavoipierre, Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2021.
A chapter subheading sums up this book well: "Actors on Your Garden's Stage". While other books I read in 2023 talked about all the insects and other animals that share life in and on trees, this book does the same for our gardens. If you read this book, you'll recognize many, many more of the "little guys" you see in your garden. (Note: Frrederique Lavoipierre has a Masters Degree in Biology with an emphasis on ecological principles of sustainable landscaping; she was written and worked in this field in numerous capacities.)
What did I gain from reading this book? Garden Allies was a wonderful introduction to a wide variety of the beings that we see in our yards and gardens. It would be especially useful for someone wanting to learn more about the variety of "bugs" they encounter in their garden.
Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse, by Dave Goulson, Harper (HarperCollins), 2021.
For me, this is simply the best book on what's going on with insect declines. Not only is there good information on insects themselves, there is excellent background on pesticides and changing farming practices, how artificial fertilizers affect insects, the effects of climate change, and the surprising problem of light pollution. One of the most memorable sections of this book was Goulson's imaginative trip 50-60 years into the future, pondering what life might be like then if we didn't manage to protect insects now. The last section of this book is titled "What Can We Do?" and, in it, Goulson outlines specific tasks that we can each do to help protect insect populations. (Note: Dave Goulson is Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex in Great Britain.)
What did I gain from reading this book? Simply put, while Milman's book, The Insect Crisis, was good, this book was excellent at defining the problem of insect decline and also, critically, on giving us concrete suggestions that we each can do to avert the "insect apocalypse".
The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet, by Michael E. Mann, PublicAffairs (Hachette Book Group), 2021.
Michael Mann is a climate scientist who has, for decades, been at the forefront of trying to awaken our country to the looming reality of the climate crisis. This book is about the history of our understanding about global warming and the history of the fight against action to solve this extreme threat to our world. This is a call to action, and Mann emphasizes that it is NOT too late to act; he helps us see the way forward. He is adamant that solving the climate crisis will take more than individual action, and he points us in the direction we need to work. (Note: Michael E. Mann is a Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State.)
What did I gain from reading this book? Having read about Mann's climate work for decades, I found it fascinating to read his story of how climate policies have been submarined by the fossil fuel industry over the years. The tactics the industry has used have been impressively effective. Mann himself has been personally vilified in the industry's quest to "Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead!" We don't think of scientists as warrior heroes, but Mann has been at the forefront of this battle, fighting for the future for all of us.
The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year, by Margaret Renkl, Spiegel & Grau, New York, 2023.
Accompanied by a series of delightful artworks depicting nature, this book is a collection of thoughtful and poignant essays on the wildlife all around us in our home landscapes. Tales of ecstasy and tragedy, musings filled with love and concern, every time I think of reading this book, I reflexively smile. (Note: Margaret Renkl is the author of several books and a contributing writer for the New York Times.)
What did I gain from reading this book? This book gave me beauty and richness and a sense of camaraderie with the author.
The Hidden Company That Trees Keep: Life from Treetops to Root Tips, by James B. Nardi, Princeton University Press, 2023.
When I look at a tree, I look for the animals in and around it, too. Until I read this book, I usually saw just birds, squirrels, and maybe a few caterpillars. In this book, Nardi goes much deeper, showing the interconnected webs of hundreds of organisms that are supported by each tree and that support the tree, as well. He takes each part of the tree and describes the other organisms interacting with that part specifically: leaves, twigs & buds, the circulatory system, the trunk, the roots, the flowers & fruits. Who makes galls? How do trees respond to insect or disease attacks? What animals help the trees protect themselves? The richness and diversity Nardi describes are breathtaking. (Note: James Nardi is a research scientist in biology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.)
What did I gain from reading this book? I love taking walks around our yard and photographing every animal I can find, big or small. Many of the animals I find are small...and odd looking to my eyes. This book helped me understand the complex interactions between the animals I observe and the trees in our yard. I underlined so much as "important - I want to remember this" that there's hardly a page I haven't marked in some way!
Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunds, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, and Other Sensory Wonders of Nature, by Nancy Lawson, Princeton Architectural Press, 2023.
Evocative is the best word I can come up with to describe Nancy Lawson's latest book. In the grand scheme of things, her Maryland garden doesn't lie all that far from our southeast Virginia one, so she almost feels like a next door neighbor as she talks about the plants and animals in her yard. And the stories she tells! Flea beetles helping monarchs in their quest for protective chemicals from milkweeds. Chipmunks and mice spreading mycorrhizal fungi that connect and nurture plants. The difference between the songs of "city birds" and "country birds" in the white-throated sparrow population. The rich discoveries in this book give an increased depth to my experiences in the landscape. (Note: Nancy Lawson is an author, conservationist, and lecturer.)
What did I gain from reading this book? Nancy Lawson has the gift of loving the unloved - and helping me to love them too. I see certain plants and animals with new eyes after reading her books or listening to her lectures. In this book, she took me on a fascinating nature walk, helping me decode some of the behavior or animal traces that I see...or hear...or smell...or touch in the landscape, while helping me appreciate the complexity of plant-animal relationships even more deeply.
So many books, so little time.....
I hope you're able to find the time to pick up one or more of these books so you can enjoy them too.
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