Staff Picks: Nature and Discovery

Every month, staff at our Downtown branch read books in a specific fiction genre or nonfiction subject, to familiarize themselves with titles they might not have discovered otherwise. For August, they read nonfiction in the area of nature, environmentalism, and discovery. Here's what staff members read and what they had to say about it:

A Wolf Called Romeo, by Nick Jans
Nick Jans has been photographing wildlife, and especially wolves, for over 20 years.  He tells the story of a wolf they named Romeo who appears suddenly near his home on the outskirts of Juneau, Alaska.  It is rare to see a wolf in the wild, never mind having a wolf befriend the local canine community.  A good story, well written, and a must-read for someone who knows nothing of wolves.  Great recommended resources in the back of the book for more information about wolves. 4 stars

Never Cry Wolf, by Farley Mowat
Naturalist Farley Mowat spent the summer alone studying the wolf population, and developing a deep affection for the wolves. Very well written with great descriptions. 5 stars

The End of Night, by Paul Bogard
A wonderful book, very well written, about the rapid disappearance of darkness. Bogard talks about the issue of light pollution, the benefits of darkness, and what we can do to get it back. 5 stars

There Once Was a Sky Full of Stars, by Bob Crelin
A great children's book that almost mirrors The End of Night for kids. 5 stars

A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold
Published in 1948, this is the precursor to Silent Spring. A Sand County Almanac is often hailed as a foundational work of the modern environmental movement.  It’s slow moving, but it talks about preserving the marshlands before anyone else. 3 stars

Cosmos, by Carl Sagan
Written in 1980, this is still an important piece of writing and should be required reading in schools.  Carl Sagan is a very gifted writer who has written what is considered “the best-selling science book ever published in the English language... a magnificent overview of the past, present, and future of science.” 5 stars