The Bossy Bookworm
Nov 24, 20236 min
I spend most of my reading time on fiction titles, but my favorite book titles to give as gifts are those about science and nature.
Books about the natural world or how things work seem to best lend themselves to being read at one's leisure, promise to teach something in an engaging way, and are a gift many of my recipients don't buy for themselves.
Here are the new science and nature books--published at the end of last year or during this calendar year--that I'm most excited to give as gifts this holiday season.
I'll be sharing my annual Bossy book gift ideas on Fridays leading up to the holidays, and I hope you'll find a book or two in these lists to delight someone you love--or to gift to yourself!
And don't forget to check my past Bossy idea lists for quirky books, perennial classics, modern favorites, nonfiction must-haves, or other new-to-you titles that might be perfect for the people on your holiday gift list!
A Bossy book-buying note: If you're buying books this holiday season, please support your local independent bookstore. They need and appreciate our business! (The book covers on this site link you to Bookshop, a site that supports the beloved indies that keep us swimming in thoughtful book recommendations and excellent customer service all year round.)
My favorite bookstore is my local independent bookstore here in Charlotte, Park Road Books. They have a fantastic selection of titles, offer spot-on recommendations, and can order almost anything they don't have in stock.
In To Infinity and Beyond, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, host of the podcast StarTalk Radio and National Geographic Channel shows StarTalk and Cosmos, offers an illustrated narrative guide to the cosmos.
As always, Tyson breaks down the mysteries of the universe into understandable pieces, using humor and his immense bank of knowledge.
To Infinity and Beyond is published by National Geographic.
In 2019, fifty-seven scientists and crew members set out for Thwaites Glacier, never before visited by humans and believed to be in danger of permanent deterioration--which would result in a destructive rising of the global sea level.
Elizabeth Rush relates the details of the journey, from spying her first glacier to the long, monotonous hours spent in a lab.
She explores our collective responsibility to each other and to our earth while highlighting the pivotal contributions to science by woman and persons of color that have been possible in the recent past.
Rush is also the author of Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore
In Beautiful Experiments, Philip Ball ventures to answer questions such as How does the world work? What makes things happen? What is the world made from? What is light? What is life? And How do organisms behave?
Ball celebrates scientific developments and the evolution of the equipment required to make earth-shaking discoveries while reflecting on how we came to understand the way in which the world functions.
This is an admittedly dense text, but the photographs and illustrations are fascinating. For a committed science lover, this title could very well do the trick.
Botanists Elzada "Dode" Clover and Lois Jotter didn't fit this description. Strong-willed, educated, independent, with wild streaks, the women set out to run the rough, boulder-strewn Colorado River, recognized as the most dangerous river in the world.
With an eclectic accompanying group--a zoologist, two amateur boatmen, and an expedition leader--the women spent 43 days making their way down he river and cataloging the plants along their route.
I love a story about strong women in the past braving the wild. I can't wait to read this one.
In How Far the Light Reaches, writer and science journalist Sabrina Imbler considers ten striking creatures from the ocean and their unique habits and characteristics, including the mother octopus, who goes without food while keeping her eggs safe; the strange, vicious Bobbitt worm (named after Lorena); and the Chinese sturgeon, whose migration has been harmed by pollution and human interference.
Bring on the bird books! This is the first of two bird books on this gift list, and if you've checked out my Bossy Book Gift Lists in the past, you know that bird books (including others by this author) are a favorite theme--and a big hit for my bird lovers.
Ackerman, author of The Bird Way and The Genius of Birds, here tackles biology and natural history of the elusive owl, exploring fascinating facts as well as considering why humans are so intrigued by the owl.
In The Blue Machine, physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski explores the "ocean engine," the concept that all of the earth's oceans, from the poles to the equator and across the globe, operate as one system, "powered by sunlight, driving huge flows of energy, water, life, and raw materials."
Another ocean-focused book that looks captivating is The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean by Susan Casey.
We brought our first puppy into the family this year (Leo!), but I'm a longtime cat lover (OGs Emmett, Tigger, and Baby).
In The Cat's Meow, Evolutionary biologist Jonathan B. Losos has taught a Harvard course about the evolution of cats. He explains that cat-loving scientists are envious of how dogs have become the "darlings" of the scientific research community, but that cats may be at the center of cutting-edge research.
More more more bird books for my bird people, please! I always seem to have a handful of bird-focused science books on my gift list, and so far they've all been hits with my loved ones who love their feathered friends.
In Flight Paths, Heisman traces the remarkable cooperation across many branches of science that led scientists to "solve the great mystery of bird migration." With vivid details that bring to life the odd history (counting silhouettes of birds as they passed in front of the moon was one way bird migration was once measured) and the fascinating evolution of the science.