Human Nature by Kate Marvel

Does it seem lately that you are hearing frequently about extra high temperatures, heavy deluges, or strong storms?  How does that make you feel? In a new book called HUMAN NATURE author Kate Marvel devotes a chapter to each of nine emotions to explore both science and stories behind climate change. Marvel, a climate scientist and quoted in The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg, says that she wrote this book for three reasons: (1) to share some of the science behind climate change; (2) to explain how, with things changing so rapidly, it feels to do this science; and (3) to share the range of emotions she felt. Shifting between Greek myths and theoretical physics, Marvel looks at Wonder; Anger; Guilt; Fear; Grief; Surprise; Pride; Hope; and Love in a relatively accessible manner. She obviously cares. Her chapter on Hope acknowledges that we need to stop emitting the greenhouse gases that cause climate change by taking steps to “build renewable energy sources, transmission lines to carry that energy where needed, and batteries to store that energy, which would push aside fossil fuels. Stop heating and cooking with dirty fuels. Learn how to make cement and plastics and steel without spewing carbon dioxide. Replace gasoline cars with electric vehicles, public transportation, and walkable cities. Steward our land more wisely and eat fewer cows.” She admits that this will be difficult, but not impossible and that “renewables are already being deployed at rates forecasters never imagined.” The stories (e.g., transition from whale blubber to kerosene) are fascinating, emotion evoking, and clearly relevant today. Subtitled “Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet,” HUMAN NATURE was described in a Kirkus review as “A highly readable argument for tackling climate change that reckons with both cold hard facts and the human heart.” At least twenty-five percent of the book is devoted to Notes and an Index. 

Sleep Drink Breathe by Michael Breus

SLEEP DRINK BREATHE by Michael Breus is subtitled “Simple Daily Habits for Profound Long-Term Health” and focuses on the basics. Breus is a double-boarded clinical psychologist and clinical sleep specialist who stresses that “doing something adequately, or at the bare minimum, is not the same as doing it well and getting more out of your effort.” He begins with a discussion of what he calls the first domino and his primary area of expertise, sleep. In that and subsequent sections he provides simple facts, offers assessment tools (e.g., sleep diary), reviews troubleshooting options (e.g., maintain a consistent sleep schedule), and provides scientifically based best practices. Breus frequently summarizes helpful Takeaways and then outlines a three-week Sleep-Drink-Breathe Plan. That plan involves five “check-ins” with accompanying activities throughout the day and commitment might be higher if readers encourage a friend to join them.  Although some chapters of SLEEP DRINK BREATHE are stronger than others, the tone throughout is conversational and generally uplifting. As readers review this text, they may also be interested in a recent New York Times article (quoting Breus and other experts) about relatively easy health tips.

The Nature of Our Cities by Nadina Galle

THE NATURE OF OUR CITIES by Nadina Galle is a book which educates by highlighting some very scary situations. For example, she notes that “in 2018, the European Union recorded 104,000 heat related deaths among older people, over one-third of the global total.” In fact, she encourages her son “not to think about this day as the hottest it's been in the last 100 years but as one of the cooler July days that he and his children would experience in the next 100 years.” Galle, a Dutch-Canadian ecological engineer, travels the world and describes actions being taken to help monitor water needs of trees in Groene Loper park in Maastricht, Netherlands, or measuring heat across neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon, plus many more locales and activities. Her emphasis, as the subtitle suggests, is on “Harnessing the Power of the Natural World to Survive a Changing Planet” as it faces threats from urban growth and climate change. She writes eloquently about current research and innovations, concluding that “tomorrow cities must rely on emerging technologies - and repurposed older ones - to build durable ecosystems,” but lacks the ability to synthesize and point to specific action steps for her readers. Notes make up a little over fifteen percent of this text, but unfortunately, a list of resources and relevant organizations (like MIT’s Senseable City Lab where she had a fellowship) or perhaps even commercial suppliers or government entities is missing. 

On the Move by Abrahm Lustgarten

ON THE MOVE by Abrahm Lustgarten is subtitled “The Overheating Earth and the Uprooting of America.” Lustgarten, an investigative journalist for ProPublica, points to several main factors that have already begun to impact movement in the USA: wildfires; flooding (especially in coastal regions); extreme heat or humidity; and droughts. He vividly cites research such as: “Scientists estimate that as many as one in three people on the planet will find the places they live unmanageably hot or dry by 2070.” In the USA alone, he notes that five million climate migrants “could translate to a shift of fifty million additional people by the end of the century.” His perspective – that our lack of preparation for climate change will intensify differences between rich and poor – is supported by his extensive and disturbing research. For example, he notes that “a study published in 2021 in the journal Cities examining the resilience policies of the 101 largest U.S. cities found that 31 of them had no policies whatsoever, and that only 33 had conducted any sort of evaluation of their climate vulnerability.” Lustgarten argues that even when change is attempted (as described in Atlanta or New Orleans), it often results in waves of gentrification, further separating communities. He goes so far as to say that “Climate change, however, is about to make the differences between winners and losers so extreme that they will threaten the underpinnings of the American economy and security.” Is it any wonder that we see declines in the happiness scale, especially for younger Americans? Lustgarten attempts to balance this by including a more uplifting section involving a discussion with an urban planner in Detroit who “recognizes that people are often prejudiced against refugees…. [and asks] what's a narrative that might galvanize people to see opportunity in welcoming outsiders?” Much to consider and to investigate further; ON THE MOVE contains multiple pages of notes and bibliographic references, plus an index. Other recent texts on this high interest topic of climate migration include Jack Bittle’s The Great Displacement and Nomad Century by Gaia Vince.

Young Readers: The Sixth Extinction and The Uninhabitable Earth

THE SIXTH EXTINCTION (young readers adaptation) by Elizabeth Kolbert is scheduled to be available on February 6, 2024. No one would deny that this is an important topic of grave concern to young people and I am grateful for having seen a preview. I wish, however, that greater effort had been made to provide a version of this award-winning text that more clearly outlined key issues. Kolbert shares many relevant stories (e.g., the rhino ultrasound), but important messages may be lost in the still rather dense text.  In addition to line art images (no graphs or diagrams that I saw), there is a three page glossary and index, but, sadly, sources and further reading are not included. Booklist recommended THE SIXTH EXTINCTION for grades 5 thru 8 (seems young, given the language level) and gave it a starred review.

THE UNINHABITABLE EARTH by David Wallace-Wells is now available in an adaptation for Young Adults. It tells the story of “Life After Warming” and shares dire predictions regarding a range of topics including dying oceans, greenhouse gas, extreme weather events, and results like hunger and migration. However, the language is quite stilted (e.g., “like our sea-level myopia, it threatens to occlude our picture of what global warming means for us”) and there is even an entire section improbably named The Anthropic Principle (how many high school students can readily explain that idea?). Plus, graphics or images are totally missing. And, despite an array of statistics included in the text, there are no sources listed and no bibliography for further reading. Those additions and a much more conversational tone would have made this text more appealing and more inspirational for its intended young adult audience. Kirkus sums it up well: “Heavy going, both in content and prose style, but filled with critical content.” 

Fortunately, there are a variety of accessible texts on climate change and the environment geared to high school students.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon

I found it hard to believe that MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT by Nina Simon is a debut novel. Simon started writing it when her own Mom was diagnosed with cancer and one of the characters in this mystery battles cancer, too. She needs a diversion and an unsolved murder is the perfect distraction. Simon introduces readers to a very likeable and somewhat quirky trio: a hard as nails real estate dealmaker and grandmother (Lana); her hard-working daughter (Beth) who is a nurse and single Mom; plus, teenage granddaughter (Jack for Jacqueline) who loves outdoor activities like paddleboarding and kayaking. They have their differences, but truly love and respect each other so when it appears that Jack is a prime suspect in a recent murder, all three eventually get involved in the investigating. Yes, there are some poor decisions, but plenty of surprises for the characters along with both suspenseful and amusing vignettes for readers. MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT received a starred review from Library Journal (“dazzling debut delivers everything a mystery fan could crave”) and has been chosen as a Reese Book Club pick. You are sure to enjoy this light, cozy and very entertaining mystery! 

Drowning by T. J. Newman

DROWNING by T. J. Newman (Falling) is an absolutely fantastic adventure that readers will not want to put down. All about the rescue of flight 1421, this is so realistic in part because Newman is a former flight attendant, but also because she has done significant research as described in the author’s note. With multiple passengers and crew involved in an airline disaster, readers have an opportunity to learn about the lives of twelve individuals, making DROWNING a bit reminiscent of much earlier “disaster” books from Arthur Hailey. It is a diverse group: engineer Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon, newlyweds and an older couple with decades of married life, a nurse, a bartender who cannot swim. The emergencies they face allow for reflection on life and its meaning: “That was all life was. Shifting the balance, every day, to make room for joy and grace in whatever circumstances you've got before your time runs out.” DROWNING received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Library Journal; plus, it was an Amazon Best Book of June 2023. I would highly recommend for those looking for a suspenseful, quick, but surprisingly educational, and exciting read.

The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor

THE LAST LIFEBOAT by Hazel Gaynor is an enthralling and poignant work of historical fiction based on true events. Most people know that during WWII English children were evacuated to the countryside for greater safety, but not so many know about the 1000’s of sea-evacuees who were transported to places like Canada and Australia. In this story, a widowed mother, Lily Nicholls, makes the difficult choice to send her young daughter (Georgie) and son (Arthur) through a program run by Children's Overseas Reception Board (CORB). They travel with roughly ninety other children and several chaperones – in the story, Alice King has decided to take a risk and offered her services.  

I read the entire novel in less than 24 hours and am still curious to learn more about the actual tragedy that occurred when (like the fictional SS Carlisle in the story) a passenger ship (SS City of Benares) was torpedoed in the Atlantic and a stray lifeboat drifted for several days with dimming hopes of rescue. The Merseyside Maritime Museum and the Imperial War Museum have made some relevant photos and documents available online. Gaynor weaves much of this into her writing and does an excellent job of conveying the time at sea. In addition, she probes the feelings of mothers who stayed behind and the “different experience for men responding to the call to do their bit.” A historical note with more details, suggested discussion questions, and Gaynor’s book suggestions accompany this fascinating text. THE LAST LIFEBOAT is highly recommended, especially for readers who have enjoyed other WWII survival adventures like Ruth Sepetys’ Salt to the Sea or works by Elizabeth Wein (Code Name Verity; Rose Under Fire).

The Great Displacement by Jack Bittle

THE GREAT DISPLACEMENT by Jake Bittle joins a relatively small number of texts about climate migration, but journalist Bittle focuses on Climate Change and the Next American Migration, likely making his text more relatable for our national audience. That should be particularly true since he argues that “by the middle of the century, housing displacement will be the most visible and ubiquitous consequence of climate change” and estimates “in the United States alone, at least twenty million people may move as a result of climate change.” His examples are covered in separate chapters which deal, for example, with flooding in Houston, wildfires near Santa Rosa, drought in Arizona or rising seas near Norfolk. He discusses the role of government and business (e.g., insurance and agriculture) as well as offering individual relocation stories. The facts are well-documented with notes (followed by a helpful index) comprising roughly twenty-five percent of the text. THE GREAT DISPLACEMENT received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly. It would be interesting to compare some of his observations with data used in The New York Times interactive pieces on “The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood, Mapped” or “Every Place Has Its Own Climate Risk. What Is It Where You Live?”

The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg

THE CLIMATE BOOK by Greta Thunberg is sure to draw attention just as its young compiler often does. Subtitled “The Facts and the Solutions,” Thunberg has gathered essays from an remarkable array of experts including Elizabeth Kolbert (The Sixth Extinction), Naomi Oreskes (The Big Myth), Bill McKibben (Falter), and a range of international climate scientists, activists, and professors. The topics covered are varied, too, with chapters on How Climate Works, How Our Planet is Changing, and How it Affects Us. Some of the questions which are addressed include: What happens at 1.5, 2 and 4 degrees C of warming? Or Is the Future Electric? There are also sections on Wildfires, Dangerous Weather, The Amazon, Antibiotic Resistance, and The Challenge of Transport, to name just a very few. Chapter 4 includes over two dozen selections which highlight What We’ve Done About It while Chapter 5 details roughly twenty ideas on What We Must Do Now (like Changing Our Diets, Rewilding, and Decarbonization). Thunberg writes (and is quoted in a review from NPR): "No entity other than the media has the opportunity to create the necessary transformation of our global society." She is an effective, relatable spokesperson, especially when combining her voice with a 100 others in THE CLIMATE BOOK. The endnotes were so extensive that they are available online and the text is filled with graphs and diagrams. THE CLIMATE BOOK received starred reviews from Booklist (“a definitive book on climate change now”) and Kirkus (“Vital reading”).

Published by Columbia Global Reports, MISEDUCATION by Katie Worth is subtitled: How Climate Change Is Taught in America. Worth is an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning investigative journalist and while her work is sometimes rather academic in tone, she includes numerous engaging anecdotes and raises key questions about curriculum and textbook selection. Highly relevant in this time of increasing debate over instructional content and bans on books in school libraries, Worth includes chapters on topics like Science and Doubt, the Teachers, the Standards, and Selling Kids on Fossil Fuel. MISEDUCATION is extremely well-researched and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly (“Policymakers and educators alike will find much to consider.”). Villanova University included Worth in their year long program on climate change; this video shares some statistics and charts from her work.