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  • Experts

Ecology

Most Recommended Books

Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine

“This is a book obviously for readers but it’s also a book for writers of science to understand how to capture the imagination of readers.”

Gaia Vince, Environmentalist

Read more

We have a range of interviews recommending books on various areas of ecology.  On man’s impact on the environment and the climate, the journalist Gaia Vince recommends his top books on the Anthropocene and the writer Caspar Henderson looks at growing up in the Anthropocene.  Marine biologist Helen Scales looks at man’s impact on ocean life and the environmental activist Mark Lynas chooses five books that explore man’s impact on the environment.  Professor of ecology, Beth Shapiro, looks at extinction and de-extinction and how genetics can help to preserve species.

Elsewhere Professor Paul Falkowski discusses the essential role microbes play in life on earth.  The entomologist May Berenbaum does the same for bugs and the ecologist Jonathan Silvertown the same for plants.

The BBC’s science correspondent, David Shukman looks at the debate over environmental change and professor of geology, Adam Maloof, discusses how an understanding of the Earth's history can contribute to and inform that debate.  US Congressman Terry McNerney talks about clean energy and Juliet Davenport, CEO of a green electricity company considers renewable energy.

    The best books on Ocean Life, recommended by Helen Scales

  • Read
    The best books on Ocean Life - Lady With a Spear by Eugenie Clark

    1

    Lady With a Spear
    by Eugenie Clark

  • Read
    The best books on Ocean Life - Blueback by Tim Winton

    2

    Blueback
    by Tim Winton

  • Read
    The best books on Ocean Life - The Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts

    3

    The Unnatural History of the Sea
    by Callum Roberts

  • Read
    The best books on Ocean Life - Four Fish by Paul Greenberg

    4

    Four Fish
    by Paul Greenberg

  • Read
    The best books on Ocean Life - The Rime of the Modern Mariner by Nick Hayes

    5

    The Rime of the Modern Mariner
    by Nick Hayes

The best books on Ocean Life, recommended by Helen Scales

We plunder the ocean for food, dump our waste in it, respect its wildlife less than land-based creatures. Why? Is it a case of “out of sight, out of mind”? Marine biologist Helen Scales tells us what’s down there and what we’re doing to it.

    The best books on The Anthropocene, recommended by Gaia Vince

  • Read
    The best books on The Anthropocene - Field Notes From a Catastrophe: Man, nature and climate change by Elizabeth Kolbert

    1

    Field Notes From a Catastrophe: Man, nature and climate change
    by Elizabeth Kolbert

  • Read
    The best books on The Anthropocene - When The Rivers Run Dry: Journeys into the heart of the world's water crisis by Fred Pearce

    2

    When The Rivers Run Dry: Journeys into the heart of the world's water crisis
    by Fred Pearce

  • Read
    The best books on The Anthropocene - Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine

    3

    Last Chance to See
    by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine

  • Read
    The best books on The Anthropocene - The End of Nature by Bill McKibben

    4

    The End of Nature
    by Bill McKibben

  • Read
    The best books on The Anthropocene - Our Dying Planet: An ecologist's view of the crisis we face by Peter Sale

    5

    Our Dying Planet: An ecologist's view of the crisis we face
    by Peter Sale

The best books on The Anthropocene, recommended by Gaia Vince

In 2015 Gaia Vince became the first woman to win the Royal Society’s science book of the year prize for her book, Adventures in the Anthropocene. She spent two years on the road investigating how communities across the world are coping with climate change. Here, she shares the five best books on climate change and the Anthropocene – the geological epoch of man.

    The best books on Microbes, recommended by Paul Falkowski

  • Read
    The best books on Microbes - Micrographia: The Complete Facsimile of the First Printing of 1665 by Robert Hooke

    1

    Micrographia: The Complete Facsimile of the First Printing of 1665
    by Robert Hooke

  • Read
    The best books on Microbes - Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth by Andrew H Knoll

    2

    Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth
    by Andrew H Knoll

  • Read
    The best books on Microbes - The Genesis of Germs by Alan L. Gillen

    3

    The Genesis of Germs
    by Alan L. Gillen

  • Read
    The best books on Microbes - Plankton: Wonders of the Drifting World by Christian Sardet

    4

    Plankton: Wonders of the Drifting World
    by Christian Sardet

  • Read
    The best books on Microbes - Microcosmos: Four Billion Years of Microbial Evolution by Dorion Sagan & Lynn Margulis

    5

    Microcosmos: Four Billion Years of Microbial Evolution
    by Dorion Sagan & Lynn Margulis

The best books on Microbes, recommended by Paul Falkowski

Without them, plants and animals wouldn’t exist and even the Earth’s geology would be different. Paul Falkowski recommends the best books on microbes.

    The best books on Extinction and De-Extinction, recommended by Beth Shapiro

  • Read
    The best books on Extinction and De-Extinction - The Diversity of Life by Edward O. Wilson

    1

    The Diversity of Life
    by Edward O. Wilson

  • Read
    The best books on Extinction and De-Extinction - The Cave Bear Story by Björn Kurtén

    2

    The Cave Bear Story
    by Björn Kurtén

  • Read
    The best books on Extinction and De-Extinction - Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine

    3

    Last Chance to See
    by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine

  • Read
    The best books on Extinction and De-Extinction - The Making of the Fittest by Sean B Carroll

    4

    The Making of the Fittest
    by Sean B Carroll

  • Read
    The best books on Extinction and De-Extinction - The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

    5

    The Sixth Extinction
    by Elizabeth Kolbert

The best books on Extinction and De-Extinction, recommended by Beth Shapiro

Evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro tells us why it’s impossible to clone a mammoth, and why we might want to. She guides us through five inspiring books to get us thinking about extinction and the role genetics could potentially play in maintaining biodiversity.

    The Best Books for Growing up in the Anthropocene, recommended by Caspar Henderson

  • Read
    The Best Books for Growing up in the Anthropocene - Natural History by Pliny the Elder

    1

    Natural History
    by Pliny the Elder

  • Read
    The Best Books for Growing up in the Anthropocene - The Descent of Man by Charles Darwin

    2

    The Descent of Man
    by Charles Darwin

  • Read
    The Best Books for Growing up in the Anthropocene - The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss by Claire Nouvian

    3

    The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss
    by Claire Nouvian

  • Read
    The Best Books for Growing up in the Anthropocene - Storms of my Grandchildren by James Hanson

    4

    Storms of my Grandchildren
    by James Hanson

  • Read
    The Best Books for Growing up in the Anthropocene - The Techno-Human Condition by Braden Allenby and Daniel Sarewitz

    5

    The Techno-Human Condition
    by Braden Allenby and Daniel Sarewitz

The Best Books for Growing up in the Anthropocene, recommended by Caspar Henderson

Welcome to life in the Anthropocene, a new epoch in the history of life where the impact of humanity on the Earth system is so great, we need a new term for it. Author and journalist Caspar Henderson offers a rich reading list to help ourselves and our children grow up in the Anthropocene.

    The best books on The Sea, recommended by Philip Marsden

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - Moby Dick by Herman Melville

    1

    Moby Dick
    by Herman Melville

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad

    2

    The Mirror of the Sea
    by Joseph Conrad

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - Seven Tenths by James Hamilton-Paterson

    3

    Seven Tenths
    by James Hamilton-Paterson

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - The Safeguard of the Sea by N.A.M Rodger

    4

    The Safeguard of the Sea
    by N.A.M Rodger

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - The Longshoreman by Richard Shelton

    5

    The Longshoreman
    by Richard Shelton

The best books on The Sea, recommended by Philip Marsden

The travel writer casts his net over books about the sea and comes up with a haul including Moby Dick and a naval history of Britain.

    The best books on Bugs, recommended by May Berenbaum

  • Read
    The best books on Bugs - For Love of Insects by Thomas Eisner

    1

    For Love of Insects
    by Thomas Eisner

  • Read
    The best books on Bugs - Life on a Little Known Planet by Howard Ensign Evans

    2

    Life on a Little Known Planet
    by Howard Ensign Evans

  • Read
    The best books on Bugs - Introduction to the Study of Insects by Charles Triplehorn and Norman F Johnson

    3

    Introduction to the Study of Insects
    by Charles Triplehorn and Norman F Johnson

  • Read
    The best books on Bugs - Encyclopedia of Insects by Vincent H Resh and Ring T Cardé

    4

    Encyclopedia of Insects
    by Vincent H Resh and Ring T Cardé

  • Read
    The best books on Bugs - The Insect Societies by Edward O. Wilson

    5

    The Insect Societies
    by Edward O. Wilson

The best books on Bugs, recommended by May Berenbaum

Insects outnumber us, outweigh us, and without them ecosystems would collapse. In short, we live on their planet. The entomologist explains why we should value bugs more – even, or especially, the carrion beetles and dung feeders

    The best books on Clean Energy, recommended by Jerry McNerney

  • Read
    The best books on Clean Energy - The Limits to Growth by Dennis L. Meadows, Donella H Meadows & Jorgen Randers

    1

    The Limits to Growth
    by Dennis L. Meadows, Donella H Meadows & Jorgen Randers

  • Read
    The best books on Clean Energy - Hubbert’s Peak by Kenneth S Deffeyes

    2

    Hubbert’s Peak
    by Kenneth S Deffeyes

  • Read
    The best books on Clean Energy - Winning the Oil Endgame by Amory B Lovins, E Kyle Datta, Jonathan G Koomey and Nathan J Glasgow & Odd-Even Bustnes

    3

    Winning the Oil Endgame
    by Amory B Lovins, E Kyle Datta, Jonathan G Koomey and Nathan J Glasgow & Odd-Even Bustnes

  • Read
    The best books on Clean Energy - Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by Michael Braungart and William McDonough

    4

    Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
    by Michael Braungart and William McDonough

  • Read
    The best books on Clean Energy - Wind Power by Paul Gipe

    5

    Wind Power
    by Paul Gipe

The best books on Clean Energy, recommended by Jerry McNerney

We’re in a “dual energy crisis”, says the author of Clean Energy Nation, and not doing enough about it. He tells us what we must do if we’re to overcome our dependence on oil and limit the damaging effects of climate change

    The best books on Renewable Energy, recommended by Juliet Davenport

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    The best books on Renewable Energy - Solar by Ian McEwan

    1

    Solar
    by Ian McEwan

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    The best books on Renewable Energy - The Corporation by Joel Bakan

    2

    The Corporation
    by Joel Bakan

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    The best books on Renewable Energy - Sustainable Energy – Without the Hot Air by David J C MacKay

    3

    Sustainable Energy – Without the Hot Air
    by David J C MacKay

  • Read
    The best books on Renewable Energy - Too Big to Fail by Andrew Sorkin

    4

    Too Big to Fail
    by Andrew Sorkin

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    The best books on Renewable Energy - The Hemlock Cup by Bettany Hughes

    5

    The Hemlock Cup
    by Bettany Hughes

The best books on Renewable Energy, recommended by Juliet Davenport

The chief executive of Good Energy says we need to think big if we want to cut our use of high-carbon energy. She tells us about the intersection between business, politics and doing the right thing

    The best books on Man and Nature, recommended by TC Boyle

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    The best books on Man and Nature - The Song of the Dodo by David Quammen

    1

    The Song of the Dodo
    by David Quammen

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    The best books on Man and Nature - Out of Eden by Alan Burdick

    2

    Out of Eden
    by Alan Burdick

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    The best books on Man and Nature - Playing God in Yellowstone by Alston Chase

    3

    Playing God in Yellowstone
    by Alston Chase

  • Read
    The best books on Man and Nature - The Tiger by John Vaillant

    4

    The Tiger
    by John Vaillant

  • Read
    The best books on Man and Nature - The Beast In The Garden by David Baron

    5

    The Beast In The Garden
    by David Baron

The best books on Man and Nature, recommended by TC Boyle

The novelist and nature lover T C Boyle tells us about delicious dodos, angry tigers, snakes on planes and why Viagra saves rhinos.

    The best books on Plants, recommended by Jonathan Silvertown

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    The best books on Plants - The Emerald Planet by D J Beerling

    1

    The Emerald Planet
    by D J Beerling

  • Read
    The best books on Plants - Eating the Sun by Oliver Morton

    2

    Eating the Sun
    by Oliver Morton

  • Read
    The best books on Plants - The Secret Life of Trees by Colin Tudge

    3

    The Secret Life of Trees
    by Colin Tudge

  • Read
    The best books on Plants - Plant by Janet Marinelli

    4

    Plant
    by Janet Marinelli

  • Read
    The best books on Plants - Feeding the Ten Billion by L T Evans

    5

    Feeding the Ten Billion
    by L T Evans

The best books on Plants, recommended by Jonathan Silvertown

Internationally known ecologist says plants are grievously overlooked, because no life on earth would exist without them – essential reading on plants

    The best books on Environmental Change, recommended by David Shukman

  • Read
    The best books on Environmental Change - Why We Disagree About Climate Change by Mike Hulme

    1

    Why We Disagree About Climate Change
    by Mike Hulme

  • Read
    The best books on Environmental Change - Coral by Steve Jones

    2

    Coral
    by Steve Jones

  • Read
    The best books on Environmental Change - The End of the Line by Charles Clover

    3

    The End of the Line
    by Charles Clover

  • Read
    The best books on Environmental Change - Terra Incognita by Sara Wheeler

    4

    Terra Incognita
    by Sara Wheeler

  • Read
    The best books on Environmental Change - Kolymsky Heights by Lionel Davidson

    5

    Kolymsky Heights
    by Lionel Davidson

The best books on Environmental Change, recommended by David Shukman

BBC News Environment and Science correspondent discusses climate change. Recommends books on coral, fishing, the antarctic, and the science of climate change – as well as an Arctic thriller

    The best books on Earth History, recommended by Adam Maloof

  • Read
    The best books on Earth History - The Sheltering Desert by Henno Martin

    1

    The Sheltering Desert
    by Henno Martin

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    The best books on Earth History - On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

    2

    On the Origin of Species
    by Charles Darwin

  • Read
    The best books on Earth History - Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino

    3

    Cosmicomics
    by Italo Calvino

  • Read
    The best books on Earth History - Rare Earth by Peter Ward and Don Brownlee

    4

    Rare Earth
    by Peter Ward and Don Brownlee

  • Read
    The best books on Earth History - Chaos by James Gleick

    5

    Chaos
    by James Gleick

The best books on Earth History, recommended by Adam Maloof

Just as no one can study political science without a basic understanding of human history, or study a modern animal without a basic understanding of evolution, so no one can understand climate change without understanding the Earth’s history, argues the Princeton geology professor.

    The best books on The Environment, recommended by Mark Lynas

  • Read
    The best books on The Environment - Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine

    1

    Last Chance to See
    by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine

  • Read
    The best books on The Environment - The Ages of Gaia by James Lovelocke

    2

    The Ages of Gaia
    by James Lovelocke

  • Read
    The best books on The Environment - Straw Dogs by John Gray

    3

    Straw Dogs
    by John Gray

  • Read
    The best books on The Environment - Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond

    4

    Guns, Germs and Steel
    by Jared Diamond

  • Read
    The best books on The Environment - The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell

    5

    The Tipping Point
    by Malcom Gladwell

The best books on The Environment, recommended by Mark Lynas

The British author, journalist and environmental activist talks to us about climate change. Warns that mankind has become a global catastrophe and discusses books that reveal our impact on the planet

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