Climate-Related Books (9/17/24)

From the story of a flooded post-apocalyptic New York City, to a climate scientist’s memoir, and a guide to decreasing harmful clutter, today we’re showcasing some upcoming climate-related titles!

ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD BY EIREN CAFFALL
9781250353528 | 1/28/25

“This captivating postapocalyptic novel is set in and around New York City’s American Museum of Natural History. Global warming has resulted in a sea level rise of unforeseen proportions. When the floodgates that keep the city dry are breached during a massive hurricane, the museum is inundated with water. The story is told from the perspective of Nonie, an adolescent insect enthusiast and the child of museum staffers who have taken flood refuge at their workplace… The setting, the detailed emotive descriptions, and nail-biting adventure are incandescent. This debut novel from Caffall (THE MOURNER’S BESTIARY) is like Peter Heller’s THE DOG STARS met Barry Unsworth’s SACRED HUNGER, with a focus on the essential nature of community.“–Library Journal, starred review

A BILLION BUTTERFLIES: A LIFE IN CLIMATE AND CHAOS THEORY BY DR. JAGADISH SHUKLA
9781250289209 | 4/22/25

Consider a world without weather prediction. How would we know what to wear tomorrow? When to evacuate people before a natural disaster? Because of renowned climate scientist Dr. Jagadish Shukla, we can predict the weather forecast beyond 10 days. Born in India with no electricity or formal schools, he attended classes that were held in a cow shed, surrounded by amid overwhelming monsoons and unpredictable crop yields. His drive brought him to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, then to MIT and Princeton. In the 70s he upended beliefs about weather prediction, then worked to export his work around the world so that governments and scientists could better understand all weather-induced natural disasters. His work allows us to feed more people, save lives, and hold on to hope in a warming world. A BILLION BUTTERFLIES is a wondrous insider’s account of climate science and an unbelievable memoir of his life.

NO NEW THINGS: A RADICALLY SIMPLE 30-DAY GUIDE TO SAVING MONEY, THE PLANET, AND YOUR SANITY BY ASHLEE PIPER
9781250382160 | 4/15/25

For a year and a half, Ashlee Piper challenged herself to buy no new things, and in the process, got out of debt, cut clutter, strengthened relationships, and became healthier than ever–basically all the things she’d hoped to do but ‘never had time to’ (because her time was bogarted by mindless scrolling, shopping, spending, and stressing). After a decade of fine tuning and thousands of participants globally, NO NEW THINGS guides us through the same revolutionarily simple challenge that’s helped folks find freedom and fulfillment. The book explores the rise of what Piper calls ‘conditioned consumerism’ and how it hijacks our time, money, and mental bandwidth, as well as harms the planet. Readers follow a customizable pathway with daily action items and quick but illuminating exercises that lead to the freedom, ease, and richness of a life less bogged down by spending and stuff.