Books about the Environment

One of the best books out there for the general public on climate change and its consequences. Wells's message is that global warming is worse than most people realize. Much worse. And it's here now, already costing lives and taking land, causing species extinction and rendering parts of the planet nearly uninhabitable and unfarmable. It's an easy read but also explains the science well and offers compelling information that should help any reader understand the magnitude of the crisis and the need for immediate change. 

Half of all the plastic ever produced in the world has been produced since 2007. That's just one eye-opening statistic in this sobering book, a trove of information about plastic. With rich detail and expert perspective it covers plastic's history, toxicity, effects on the environment and on polluted communities, the scourge of microplastics and the insidious way the plastics industry has duped the  public into thinking recycling was a solution all the while knowing it wasn't. It's also a handbook for those who want to learn more about how each of us can help reduce plastic. 

 Fatal Conveniences warns the world about the hidden and not-so-hidden toxicity of common household products, from cosmetics to clothing to cell phones. It pretty much confirms the nagging thoughts you may've had about such conveniences as wrinkle-free clothes, polyester, furniture foam, flame retardants, plastics, cleaning products and food. The well-researched book is packed with alarming data about so many seemingly-safe products, why they're dangerous, what the health and environmental impacts are and why little is being done to protect the public.

The Sixth Extinction won the Pulitzer Prize in 2015 and remains one of the most powerful books warning of the consequences of environmental destruction, including the extinction of humans. From a summary: "Over the last half a billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the Sixth Extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us."

Losing Earth chronicles the history and urgency of the climate change crisis, from awareness of it to attempts to stop the global warming that is rendering the Earth unlivable to the fossil fuel industry's efforts to thwart policies, laws and other measures designed to reduce or eliminate the pollutants that are causing it. It has won several awards, including the Society of Environmental Journalists award. 

Filled with advice and practical tips, this great book is a handy guide for reducing plastic in your life. It was written by a couple who began their plastic-free journey after being concerned about the toxins in their new baby's plastic bottles and their difficulty finding glass ones. The book strives to create more awareness about BPA-based products, polystyrene and other single-use plastics, and provide readers with advice and alternatives.

What is driving climate change? What impact does it have on the Earth's ecosystems, our environment, and us? Understanding Climate Change explains in a clear and understandable way the interrelationships, influencing factors and effects of the greatest challenge facing mankind: climate change. With this book, you can understand the causes of climate change, discover the physical connections, and recognize both local and global impacts. You will learn about the role our location in the solar system plays, the feedback processes involved in global warming, and what it means when the oceans acidify.

n Planet Aqua, Jeremy Rifkin, author and climate change expert, argues we have misunderstood the nature of our existence and our relationship with the Earth. We have long believed we live on a land planet when, in fact, we live on a water planet, he argues. This highly-praised 2024 book is helpful for anyone interested in learning about the climate change crisis and the role of, and impact on ,oceans. 

ohn J. Berger's book, Solving the Climate Crisis, explaining climate change and what it's going to take to stop it has been called "deeply insightful" and "critically important" in published reviews. A former policy director at The Sierra Club calls it "....a vital tool and voice that is urgently needed right now." Mr. Berger  is an environmental science and policy specialist, prize-winning author, and journalist. A graduate of Stanford and the University of California, he has written and edited 11 books, including three previous books on climate change, and written over 100 articles on climate change and transitioning to clean energy.

A finalist for the 2025 Banff Mountain Book Competition in Environmental Literature, this book was also named a Best Book of 2025 by The New Yorker, Economist, Guardian, Minneapolis Star-Tribune and more. It’s a tribute to rivers, their ecology, ebb and flow of life, their culture and rich history as both fragile habitat and powerful force in economies, and the threats they now face from pollution, manufacturing and development. The author takes readers on three journeys teeming with extraordinary people, stories, and places: to the cloud-forests and mountain streams of Ecuador, to the wounded creeks and lagoons of India, and to the wild rivers of Canada.

This book offers a wide variety of great recipes that use leftovers to help prevent food waste, and save money too. According to the author, one-third of all food produced in the world is thrown away. The book also has other creative ways to use extra food, like making pet treats, home cleaning products and beauty treatments. Author Christine Tizzard runs a website called The Zero Waste Kitchen. 

With all the time spent at home in recent years, you probably realize how much the inside of your home contributes to your mental and physical health, for better or worse. But did you know that the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air is 2–5 times (and occasionally more than 100 times) more polluted than outdoor air? The good news is that you can control and improve the environment inside your home, and A Healthier Home provides an accessible, room-by-room roadmap for doing just that.