There’s something about July. We’re in the deep summer; in many parts of the world it’s too hot to move. So, what better to do than settle in with an icy drink and a good book?
This month, we have some contemplative picks for you. What is the link between data and power? What would happen if someone leaked a deadly disease from a lab? Are maggots secretly fascinating? Why can’t we just pack up and move to Mars?
The answers to these questions and more can be found in the wilds of these 11 books.
Data Empire: The Power of Information to Organize, Control and Dominate by Roopika Risam
The first human name recorded in written history was an accountant. This book explores the idea that data is power and always has been. From early human history through our present day, in which the power brokers of data are rapidly changing, this is an eye-opening look at our past, and our future.
Biological War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobson
New York Times bestselling author Annie Jacobson explores what might happen were a biological war to erupt. While it reads like dystopian prose, the information is based on dozens of interviews with experts, painting a chilling picture of a disaster that’s all too possible.
Hidden Creatures: Luscious Leeches, Bashful Botflies, and the Wondrous, History-Shaping World of Parasites by Dino Martins
I never thought I would describe a book about parasites as a fun-filled good time, but here we are. Author Dino Martins treats us to a close-up look at a number of different parasites, and because he thinks they’re awesome, I have to say now I do, too. Delightful chapter names, including such gems as “Marvelous Maggots” and “Fabulous Fleas” hint at a writing style filled with wonder, whimsy, and what seems like genuine appreciation for these, shall we say, less snuggly creatures of the world.
The Felicity Complex by August Clarke
This dystopian satire starts with a bang—we find ourselves in an isolation tank with a lab-grown woman. She, and five others like her, have been created to comfort wealthy survivalists in a luxury fallout shelter. But what happens when they rebel against their programming? Who will survive the end times, the served or the servants?
Our Wild Familiars: How Animals Are Adapting to Cities and Reshaping the Natural World by Dan Werb
“We have never really been alone,” writes author Dan Werb. There are now, and have always been, animals all around us, even if we live in concrete jungles. Werb explores the many ways in which animals have adapted to become expert city dwellers and considers what sort of balance we might need to strike in the future, as our cities continue encroaching on what little truly wild land remains.
The Shell Seeker by Juli Berwald
Beautiful illustrations work together with fascinating facts to paint a detailed portrait of 30 different shells. While each page is packed information, the book feels like author and Nautilus contributor Juli Berwald is simply having a conversation with readers. This book is perfect for anyone who’s ever picked up a shell and wondered what sort of creature made it.
Snake Men: Rebels, Reptiles, and the Race to Name the Creatures of Earth by Zach St. George
Every time we encounter a species we haven’t seen before, someone has to give it a name. This book takes a wry look at the eccentric people who’ve been naming Australia’s deadliest reptiles, and the surprising conflict between “snake men” and traditional taxonomists.
Lunacy: Ten False Promises of the New Space Age by Ben Bramble
We’ve all heard the claims. We can just live on Mars when things go awry here. Or, people will be living on the moon in the next five years. Author Ben Bramble provides a harsh—and much needed—reality check. He systematically goes through 10 such claims and refutes them all. We should explore space for curiosity’s sake, not as a half-baked back-up plan.
Cloudthief by Nathaniel Rich
A heist novel for the modern era, Cloudthief follows Tim, a disillusioned climate journalist, and Virginia, a paranoid and tech savvy con artist, as they, fueled by desperation, decide to try to rob a data center, the size of a small city, that contains all the world's public and private information. A definite page-turner, this novel asks us to take a look at ourselves and the world we’ve created, where privacy is gone and nothing is secure.
On the Origin of Sex: The Weird and Wonderful Science of Reproduction by Lixing Sun
This book takes a deep dive into sexual reproduction in all its weird variations. It goes behind closed doors of organisms from slime mold to lizards to duck-billed platypuses. Did you know that California condors are capable of reproducing without fertilized eggs? Think there are only two sexes? Well, buckle up, because slime molds can have hundreds of proto-sexes. Clownfish can change from male to female, and bearded dragons who can undergo sex reversal.
The Earth Said Remember Me: How to Revive Our Memories and Restore the Planet by Jason Dove Mark
With each summer hotter than the one before, it can be hard to summon up any hope for the future of our beleaguered planet. But author Jason Dove Mark does just that. Weaving hope and resistance together, he lays forth a plan to remember our planet—the way it was before climate change really took hold—and to use that remembrance as motivation to double down on protecting Earth, one person at a time. 
Lead image: Tasnuva Elahi; with image by Pixelbuddha Studio and sumonnath / Adobe Stock
