Sustainable Bookshelf 2018
In what is becoming a beloved annual tradition, we turned to our friends at Longfellow Books in Portland and Royal River Bookstore in Yarmouth for their top picks on recently published books about living with compassion for the planet. And they delivered! With something for all ages and interests, here is a list of recommendations to help you think differently, eat locally, look closely and laugh loudly.
LB: recommended by Longfellow Books | RRB: recommended by Royal River Books
Books for adults
Tides: the Science and Spirit of the Ocean
By Jonathan White
Writer, sailor, and surfer Jonathan White takes readers across the globe to discover the science and spirit of ocean tides. A compelling combination of lyrical prose, colorful adventure travel, and provocative scientific inquiry into the elemental, mysterious paradox that keeps our planet’s waters in constant motion. -RR
The Ground Beneath Us: From the Oldest Cities to the Last Wilderness, What Dirt Tells Us about Who We Are
By Paul Bogard
An examination and celebration of the power of dirt, while also highlighting the pitfalls of over-development. Bogard spotlights the ground beneath New York City, London and Mexico City, and the vast farmland that drains soil of its nutrients and biological components—all in a world that justifies a quarter ton of pavement laid per year for every living being on Earth. Bogard argues that continuing to cover the soil is harmful not only to biodiversity but also history, in this book that will do for dirt what Salt did for salt. -LB
The Genius of Birds
By Jennifer Ackerman
According to revolutionary new research, some birds rival primates and even humans in their remarkable forms of intelligence. In The Genius of Birds, acclaimed author Jennifer Ackerman explores their newly discovered brilliance and how it came about. As she travels around the world to the most cutting-edge frontiers of research, Ackerman not only tells the story of the recently uncovered genius of birds but also delves deeply into the latest findings about the bird brain itself that are shifting our view of what it means to be intelligent. -RR
How to Read Nature: Awaken Your Senses to the Outdoors You’ve Never Noticed
By Tristan Gooley
How to Read Nature is the latest from the author of last year’s How to Read Water. Through his writing and teaching, Tristan Gooley has brought natural navigation to the average dedicated outdoorsman. His most recent work is an aid to help galvanize all our senses when we’re outside, bringing the natural world to life in a way most of us have never experienced. If nothing else, How to Read Nature will make you realize just how much you’ve been missing. -LB
Homo Deus
By Yuval Noah Harari
Harari explains in his trademark thorough yet riveting style that famine, plague and war have been transformed from incomprehensible and uncontrollable forces of nature into manageable challenges. What, then, will replace these age-old threats at the top of the human agenda? As the self-made gods of planet earth, what destinies will we set ourselves, and which quests will we undertake? Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century—from overcoming death to creating artificial life. -RR
Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming
By Paul Hawken
Entrepreneur and environmentalist Paul Hawken delivers a book focused on possible scenarios that could reverse global warming – some already in practice, some even possibly dangerous in their own right. An interesting juxtaposition, as most takes on the subject focus on the irrevocable effects of climate change. Featuring contributions by Michael Pollan, Andrea Wulf, Peter Wohlleben and more, Hawken’s wide-ranging survey is full of essential background information, as well as descriptions of the many tools, techniques, and technologies available to counteract our changing climate. -LB
The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins
By Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing
In this surprising and delightfully lyrical ethnography, Tsing engages with subjects as diverse as forestry, DNA research, and freedom, all through a comprehensive study of the matsutake mushroom, a spicy delicacy that can command astronomical prices in Japan and elsewhere. According to some, the matsutake was the first thing to grow in Hiroshima after the bombings and as such is an apt metaphor for the current trend of capitalism and climate change. Tsing explores each facet of the matsutake industry, from Oregon’s Cascade Mountains to the Tokyo auction markets, and conducts interviews along the way with the foragers, scientists, and entrepreneurs whose work centers on the mushroom. This focused but far reaching work is a telling and useful portrait of modern capitalism and globalization. -LB
The Lost Kitchen: Recipes And A Good Life Found In Freedom, Maine
By Erin French
Erin French, a self-taught cook from a young age, continued her passion for cooking by creating home-cooked “secret suppers” for friends and strangers. These suppers ultimately led to the creation of her renowned Lost Kitchen restaurant. Located in an old mill in Freedom, Maine, the Lost Kitchen serves people from all around the world, utilizing seasonal and local foods that come from our coastlines, rivers, farms, fields, and woods, and sharing with them the joys of small town life. The Lost Kitchen is a restaurant that focuses on intimate, home-cooked, locally-sourced meals—and this cookbook brings those recipes to life. -LB
For younger readers and their parents
Rivers of Sunlight: How the Sun Moves Water Around the Earth
By Molly Bang & Penny Chisholm
Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm return with another fascinating book in their Sunlight series of science picture books about how light affects the world. This time, they explore how light moves water around the Earth, controls the global ocean currents, and shapes the world. Bang’s beautiful illustrations easily bring clarity and understanding to a subject that is sure to capture the attention of curious young minds. -LB
Tidy
By Emily Gravett
Pete the badger learns that being tidy isn’t always the best thing in this save-the-environment picture book from award-winning author and illustrator Emily Gravett. Pete likes everything to be neat and tidy at all times, but what starts as the collecting of one fallen leaf escalates quickly and ends with the complete destruction of the forest. Will Pete realize the error of his ways and reverse his tidying habit? -RR
La La La
By Kate DiCamillo
“La la la . . . la.” A little girl stands alone and sings, but hears no response. Gathering her courage, she skips farther out into the world, singing away to the trees and the pond and the reeds—but no song comes back to her. With the simplest of narratives and the near absence of words, Kate DiCamillo conveys a lonely child’s yearning for someone who understands. With a subtle palette and captivating expressiveness, Jaime Kim brings to life an endearing character and a transcendent landscape that invite readers along on an emotionally satisfying journey. -RR
After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)
By Dan Santat
Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat’s poignant tale follows Humpty Dumpty, an avid bird watcher whose favorite place to be is high up on the city wall—that is, until after his famous fall. Now terried of heights, Humpty can no longer do many of the things he loves most. Will he summon the courage to face his fear? After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) is a masterful picture book that will remind readers of all ages that Life begins when you get back up. -RR
Wishtree
By Katherine Applegate
Red is the old neighborhood “wishtree”—people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red’s branches. Along with her crow friend, Bongo, and other animals who seek refuge in Red’s hollows, this “wishtree” watches over the neighborhood. You might say Red has seen it all…until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red’s experiences as a wishtree are more important than ever. Funny, deep, warm, and nuanced, Wishtree is author Katherine Applegate at her best—writing from the heart, and from an unexpected point of view. -RR
