Must-Read Books About the Natural World

Jasmin Graham, one of the three Black women who founded Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS), shares her experience as a marine biologist in a field dominated by white male scientists. Her affection for the topic is contagious, and she shares how her love of sharks inspired her to fight for more opportunities in marine biology for young women of color.

Amy Tan has written and illustrated this beautiful book on her relationship with one of her favorite hobbies. In 2016, Tan felt overwhelmed by the state of the world, but she found solace in nature. She began watching the birds flying in and out of her backyard. Before long, she had dozens of sketches of different kinds of birds. Tan’s new hobby gave her hope for a better world.

Christian Cooper was birdwatching in Central Park when he had a confrontation with a dog walker that went viral. I remember seeing the video and wanting to know more about his story. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one. Better Living Through Birding is part memoir, part nature writing. Cooper takes readers back into his childhood when he first fell in love with bird watching. As a self-described “Blerd” (Black nerd), Cooper meanders into thoughts about his love of comics and the importance to him of some of their queer storylines when he was a young gay man.

One of the most popular gift books of the last several years, The Serviceberry, is a must-read for every nature lover. Potawatomi author Robin Wall Kimmerer made her name with Braiding Sweetgrass, a bestselling book full of stunning nature writing that ruminates on the wisdom human beings can learn from the natural world. Now, Kimmerer is back with The Serviceberry, a book that examines what the land gives to humankind and how we should be more than willing to give back in return.