23 Must-Read Science Books About the Environment, Chosen by Earthwatch Scientists

This is one of the 743 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

About this list

Earthwatch, 22 Books

This list features 23 must-read science books about the environment, curated by Earthwatch scientists and staff to engage readers with conservation and environmental topics. The selection criteria focused on personal recommendations from these experts, emphasizing the impact these books had on their understanding and passion for environmental science. The Earthwatch team aimed to provide insights into how these works can inspire individuals to support nature and the conservation movement, even when not participating in Earthwatch expeditions. The methodology involved asking contributing scientists and staff to share their favorite environmental science reads and the significance of these books in their professional and personal journeys.

This list was originally published in 2020 and was added to this site over 1 year ago.

View: List Grid Table
Rank Book Authors Year Country Language Actions
1891 A Sand County Almanac Aldo Leopold 1949 American English
11147 This Changes Everything Naomi Klein 2014 Canadian English
13505 How To Be A Good Creature Sy Montgomery 2018 American English
7795 The Song Of The Dodo David Quammen 1996 American English
10925 Spillover David Quammen 2012 American English
110 Walden Henry David Thoreau 1854 American English
4372 The Diversity of Life E. O. Wilson 1992 American English
1843 The Sixth Extinction Elizabeth Kolbert 2014 American English
11408 Field Notes From A Catastrophe Elizabeth Kolbert 2006 American English
11385 Half Earth E. O. Wilson 2016 American English
11596 Finding Beauty In A Broken World Terry Tempest Williams 2008 American English
9993 The End Of Nature Bill McKibben 1989 American English
9661 Tropical Nature Adrian Forsyth, Ken Miyata 1984 Unknown English
11596 Where The Wild Things Were William Stolzenburg 2008 Unknown English
13317 New York 2140 Kim Stanley Robinson 2017 American English
10945 The Two Mile Time Machine Richard Alley 2000 American English
5790 The Beak of the Finch Jonathan Weiner 1994 American English
2100 Desert Solitaire Edward Abbey 1968 American English
6206 The Monkey Wrench Gang Edward Abbey 1975 American English
11813 The Balance Of Nature John Kricher 2009 Unknown English
10617 The Abstract Wild Jack Turner 1996 Unknown English
10108 The Winds Of Change Eugene Linden 2006 Unknown English