Science and Nature Bossy Book Gift Ideas
I love giving nonfiction book gifts about interesting elements of science and nature to many of my gift recipients, and these types of books can often be read a little bit at a time, which is perfect for recipients who don't constantly read.
This is the last of my annual Bossy book gift ideas for the holidays, and I hope you've found a book or two in these lists to delight someone you love--or to give to yourself!
You can also check my past Bossy gift idea lists (linked below) 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 list!
2024 Bossy Book Gift Guides
2023 Bossy Book Gift Guides
2022 Bossy Book Gift Guides
2021 Bossy Book Gift Guides
2020 Bossy Book Gift Guides
Bossy Independent Bookstore Love
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 Bossy Bookworm 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.)
I love my local independent bookstore, Park Road Books. They have a fantastic selection of titles, staff members offer spot-on recommendations (and sparkling personalities!), and they can order almost anything they don't have in stock.
01 The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Robin Wall Kimmerer is an Indigenous scientist, and as she harvested serviceberries alongside wild birds, she reflected on the importance of reciprocity in the world.
She wondered: How can we use the knowledge and experience of the Indigenous people of a region to shift our use of our precious natural resources? How can we rethink our approach to sharing these resources, which are often hoarded due to a panicked sense of scarcity?
By observing the serviceberry tree's distribution of resources to its surrounding community and how the tree and its environment thrive, Kimmerer suggests new ways of living in our natural environment.
02 Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures by Katherine Rundell
Katherine Rundell traces many of the fascinating creatures that currently face possible extinction around the world.
She explores animals ranging from the seahorse, whose couples mate for life and engage in a ballet of wooing; to the American wood frog that allows itself to freeze solid each winter to survive; to lemurs, who live in matriarchal groups and who, when cold or afraid, can band together and form a furry lemur ball as large as a bicycle wheel.
Rundell showcases 23 intriguing creatures, encouraging readers to wonder, appreciate, and work to preserve these fragile, special animals.
03 The Birds That Audubon Missed: Discovery and Desire in the American Wilderness by Kenn Kaufman
The Birds That Audubon Missed explores the discoveries of the famous ornithologist John James Audubon in this combination of biography/memoir, art, history, and science.
Audubon painted as many beautiful birds as he could, but one of his primary goals was arguably to outdo his rival Alexander Wilson. In an era of ultracompetitive naturalist discovery and showcasing, Wilson's protégé accused Audubon of falsifying the existence and appearance of certain birds, and in fact, he did.
But despite the fight to come out on top in the naturalists' matchup, many of the birds around them were never observed or documented.
Kaufman has attempted to paint in Audubon's style, illuminating the wondrous birds that the famous ornithologist never documented.
04 Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication by Arik Kershenbaum
Animals are constantly communicating to each other in a cacophany of sounds--chattering, hissing, growling, clicking, and more.
The howling of wolves, chittering of birds, and whooping of chimpanzees is clearly communicating something to other animals.
But scientists have long wondered what signals and messages animals are sending to each other, and what's their motivation?
Arik Kershenbaum, renowned zoologist and the author of The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy, here shares his original research into what he has observed that animals are communicating to each other through their varied avenues of "talking."
In the fascinating Why Animals Talk, Kershenbaum attempts to begin to uncover the secrets of animals' language.
05 Atlas Obscura: Wild Life by Cara Giaimo and Joshua Foer
I've included multiple gorgeous Atlas Obscura titles on my Bossy Gift Lists in the past few years--and I've given many as gifts. They're chock-full of information, beautifully illustrated and photographed, and just plain fascinating.
Atlas Obscura: Wild Life dives into over 500 captivating plants, animals, and natural world phenomena, with illustrations or photographs (or both) on each page.
From dung beetles to a 44,000-year-old shrub; from the incredibly strong, tiny peacock mantis shrimp to the search for ocean-dwelling insects; and from creatures deep into the sea to those found in the heart of a bustling city, Atlas Obscura: Wild Life supplies intriguing elements of the natural world in a visually stunning presentation.
06 The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean by Susan Casey
Susan Casey, chronicler of ocean life and author of Voices in the Ocean, The Wave, and The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks, traveled the world to accompany scientists and explorers to the deepest points in the ocean, interviewing the oceanographers, marine biologists, and geographers focused on exploring this mysterious territory.
Casey shares myths and stories about the ocean deep, along with some of the knowledge cutting-edge technology has allowed us to learn about life there--and why the deepest ocean is essential to our planet's healthy future.
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