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After a challenging year, we could all use something to help us recharge and remotivate ourselves. A new book (or two, or more) may be just what the situation calls for. We’ve gathered 14 new books to inspire you, your friends and family as the year winds down — and encourage everyone to start the new year with a positive and energetic approach. The list includes practical, thoughtful, and informative reads that you might find humorous and enlightening. We’ve adapted the books’ official descriptions below, and the link in each title goes to the publisher’s page. You should also be able to find any of these titles through your local bookseller. Pseudoscience: An Amusing History of Crackpot Ideas and Why We Love Them by Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen This short, light-hearted book is a visual and narrative history of popular ideas, phenomena, and widely held beliefs disproven by science. From the easily disproved to the wildly speculative, to straight-up hucksterism, Pseudoscience is a romp through much more than bad science — it’s a hilarious look into why we insist on believing in things such as climate change denial, phrenology, astrology, and the existence of aliens. For example, “Rumpology” claims you can tell a person’s future by touching their butt. Seriously. Other examples include fake moon landings by the government, spontaneous human combustion, and gay conversion “therapy.” This wild mix of history, pop culture, and good old-fashioned science not only entertains, but sheds a little light on why we all tend to believe in things we know aren’t true — and how con artists take advantage of us by convincing us that these unscientific notions are facts. This book is a searing commentary on how conspiracy theories can spread like wildfires across the social networks of our increasingly interconnected online existence. Painting the Cosmos: How Art and Science Intersect to Reveal the Secrets of the Universe by Nia Imara This National Indie Excellence award winner presents a stunning portrait of our vast, dynamic, and mysterious universe as seen through the lenses of astronomy and art, evoking our curiosity about where the two come together. Astrophysicist and visual artist Dr. Nia Imara combines these perspectives to shed new light on the marvels of the universe and how we see ourselves in it. Richly illustrated with stunning full-color images of our universe and beautiful paintings, drawings, sculptures, and more from creators around the world — particularly the often-neglected work of women and Black artists — this one-of-a-kind book unites the realms of art, science, and culture to create a dynamic portrait of the cosmos, inspiring one to see the world in a fascinating new light where space and art are beautifully intertwined. Welcome to Florida: True Tales From America’s Most Interesting State by Craig Pittman Humor with an environmental message, award-winning investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author Craig Pittman introduces readers to the people, creatures, places, and issues that make up the Florida of today. From threats to Florida’s environment to a hippo that became an official state citizen, these tales range from the moving to the bizarre. Follow the escapades of crime writers, hungry predators, politicians, and developers across the state. At the core of this collection is a deep sense of admiration for the resilience of those who live here, showcasing the power of “ordinary Floridians” fighting to save some part of the state and its wildlife that they hold dear. Often, that means folks rallying to protect the state’s unique natural landscape; sometimes it means former CIA agents incorporating their own island community. Both a love letter to and hilarious deep dive into the nation’s fastest growing state, and imbued with Pittman’s characteristic humor and undeniable fondness for both the weird and wonderful parts of his home, this book shows why, despite some of its reputations, Florida continues to prove irresistible. Wild Eye: A Life in Photographs by Beverly Joubert and Dereck Joubert A magnificent, large-format coffee table book featuring the dazzling wildlife and haunting landscapes of the African continent, with more than 250 beautiful photographs from one of National Geographic’s most popular photographers and her filmmaker husband. This luxe retrospective documents their 40-year odyssey through Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania. A vivid journey into Africa’s landscape and all its wildlife, this passion for animals shows striking images that tell an arresting story in an instant, opening a window into the souls of their subjects and inspiring viewers to fight for their survival. Each alluring shot includes Dereck’s observations on the wildlife they hold so dear. Covering five themes, the book reveals the essence of Africa such as a leopard, his eyes glowing, from an acacia tree, a lion devouring a buffalo, a baboon silhouetted against the moon, a baby elephant snuggling with his mother, a rhino being rescued from poachers and much more. Both profound and inspiring, this majestic book forms a bridge between the animals, the lands, and the photographer. Each page is an impassioned call to conserve all forms of life— no matter what it takes. Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking: Vegan Recipes, Tips, and Techniques by Joe Yonan Maybe you know someone who wants to become vegan but doesn’t know where to start. This informative and fun cookbook features simple, delicious, and wholesome plant-based recipes, making it easy for anyone to savor the joys of vegan cooking — whether you’re a seasoned chef or a curious beginner. With over 100 vegan recipes using seasonal and sustainable ingredients, this book educates vegan newbies on how to choose fresh, local produce that supports the planet while respecting their busy lives with quick meals. Voted by NPR and Bon Appétit as one of the best culinary books of 2025, it’s the first book to collect vegan dishes and wisdom into a single volume, treating vegan food as its own cuisine, worthy of mastery. Packed with recipes and essays from prominent food writers in the plant-based sphere, this book shows the abundance of vegan food around the world, offering something for everyone. Starting with an in-depth pantry section, it explains how to create homemade versions of foundational ingredients like milks, butters, stocks, dressings, and spice mixes. There are numerous base recipe variations, an extensive dessert section, hundreds of vegan meals, and stunning photography. This will become a mainstay in you and your friends’ kitchens delivering new ideas for years to come. Yosemite Wildlife: The Wonder of Animal Life in California’s Sierra Nevada By Beth Pratt This lively and accessible blend of storytelling, the latest research, natural history, and compelling wildlife photographs fills a 100-year gap in publishing that will deeply connect people to this world-renowned national park in California. Crafted over decades by writer and conservation leader Beth Pratt to fulfill her vision of continuing the legacy of Grinnell & Storer’s landmark 1924 work, Animal Life in the Yosemite. Beth’s writing is accompanied by the work of naturalist-photographer Robb Hirsch, who spent more than 30 years in the field photographing animals so as not to impact them by his presence; his photography tells a distinct story of the park’s dazzling wildlife at its most undisturbed. Portrait of an Oyster: A Natural History of an Epicurean Delight by Andreas Ammer, translated by Renée von Paschen, illustrated by Falk Nordmann For anyone who loves oysters, this glorious guide to global oyster varieties, with drawings and descriptions of each specimen is an exploration of the oyster’s role in art, culture, cuisine, science, and history — featuring stunning full-color illustrations. Delve beyond the shucked shell to discover the rich and surprising world of the oyster and the artists, philosophers, explorers, and chefs the mollusk has inspired across the centuries. See vintage advertisements, line drawings, and archival photographs and find intriguing insights into the biology and cultivation of oysters. Bonus: Read our article about how conservationists are restoring oyster reefs and helping to protect coastal communities. Tamed: From Wild to Domesticated, the Ten Animals and Plants That Changed Human History by Alice Roberts Dogs became our companions. Wheat, rice, corn, soy and potatoes fed booming populations. Chickens inspired new branches of science. Horses gave us strength and speed. Apples and other fruits provided harvestable sweetness. Humans tamed them all. For hundreds of thousands of years, our ancestors were just one wild species among many, our survival dependent on the whims of nature. Then we began to tame the plants and animals all around us — and ourselves. Combining genetics, archaeology, evolutionary biology, and anthropology, Tamed tells the story of the greatest revolution in human history, revealing the fascinating origins of crucial domesticated species and how they transformed us. As Roberts uncovers the astounding global implications of mutual domestication, she urges us to look again at our relationship with the natural world — and our incredible influence upon it. *** And Something for the Young Folks… No matter the occasion, never arrive empty-handed — bring a book! These titles encourage our younger readers to discover ways to protect and sustain the planet. How to Explain Climate Science to a Grown-Up by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Teresa Martínez Hey kids: Do you want to know a secret? Sometimes grown-ups need you to explain things to them — like climate science. In this tongue-in-cheek guide, an in-the-know narrator instructs kid readers in the fine art of explaining climate science to a grown-up. Both children and their adults learn: The difference between weather and climate, how climate scientists collect data, what causes climate change and what we can do to reverse course and repair the planet. Fun and fact-filled, this book, part of a series, will empower kids to explore complex scientific concepts with any grown-up who will listen. Earthrise: The Story of the Photograph That Changed the Way We See Our Planet by Leonard S. Marcus A unique middle-grade nonfiction book about the astonishing photograph taken during the Apollo 8 mission that forever shifted the way we view ourselves and our planet. Gazing out the window of the Apollo 8 spacecraft on Christmas Eve, 1968, NASA astronaut Bill Anders grabbed his camera and snapped the iconic color photo of our planet rising over the lunar horizon. Not long after the crew’s safe return, NASA developed Anders’s film and released “Earthrise” to the world. It soon became one of the most viewed and consequential photographs in human history, inspiring the first Earth Day in 1970 and boosting the global environmental movement. In the decades since, this incredible photograph of our “blue marble” has moved billions to rethink their understanding of our home planet, and even their very idea of “home.” No Less Strange or Wonderful: Essays in Curiosity by A. Kendra Greene Author and artist Greene delivers a brilliant and generous meditation on the complex wonder of being alive, on how to pay attention to even the tiniest (sometimes strangest) details that glitter with insight, whimsy, and deep humanity, if only we’d look. In 26 essays, illuminated in both text and image, Greene is trying to make sense of the things that matter most in life: Love, connection, death, grief, the universe, meaning, nothingness, and everything. Through a series of encounters with animals, strangers, and children, the wild merges with the domestic and the everyday meets the sublime. Each essay returns readers to our smallest moments and our largest ones in a book that makes us realize life’s playful curation, and its delightful associative interconnectedness that helps us understand we are all one. History Smashers: Earth Day and the Environment by Kate Messner In this graphic novel for young adults, discover the real story behind the first Earth Day celebration and some of the biggest U.S. climate catastrophes — and their solutions. In April 1970, 20 million people grabbed their rakes, gloves, and recycling bins to celebrate the first Earth Day. Since that environmental kickoff, the struggle to save and restore wildlife and nature continues. While it’s true that the first Earth Day encouraged people around the globe to clean up their act when it came to the environment, it has not been an easy task. Learn about the centuries-old history of activists who have tried to save the planet: Indigenous people across the world using sustainable farming practices, women in 18th-century India protecting trees, and amateur scientist Eunice Foote discovering the science behind global warming in the 1850s. Join the History Smashers team to bust history’s biggest misconceptions and figure out what in the world really happened before and after the first Earth Day — and how you can join the fight to protect the environment. Plant Attack! The Fascinating Ways Flora Defends Itself by Erin Silver Plants can’t scream or run away from danger, but many have developed surprisingly cool and courageous ways to keep themselves safe from pesky bugs, hungry animals and even large-clawed crabs. Plants can stab, poison, drown and even suffocate their predators. Discover the corpse flower, which smells like a combination of rotting wounds, garlic, cheese and sour sweat. Then there’s the touch-me-not balsam that explodes, flinging anything that touches it through the air. This intriguing book explores 15 different plants and the unique, and sometimes bizarre, ways they defend themselves from predators, including us. We Love You: An Optimistic Guide to Life on a Rock Floating Through Space by Thomas Sullivan and Andy Min Join best friends Thomas and Andy as they take you on an optimistic, philosophical, and hopeful journey that contemplates what it means to be joyfully alive. Providing a guidebook to deepen your relationship with nature — and your relationship with yourself — these lifelong best friends explore nature as they talk, laugh, and cry their way through what it means to live a fulfilling life on Earth. From teeming oak forests to the strange concrete wilderness of our human cities, Thomas and Andy will show you how to pursue hope and happiness across our world and teach you to recognize the beauty of what we often take for granted. With breathtaking imagery, essays, original artwork, poetry, and mindfulness practices, universal human themes like “Recapturing Childhood Wonder” and “Dealing with Today’s World” take on the big questions of life and shows that maybe there’s nothing to be afraid of. If we embrace the journey, we can make our lives and this rock we live on so much better. *** You can find hundreds of additional environmental book recommendations, including many more to inspire your friends and relatives, in the “Revelator Reads” archives. And let us know what you’re reading: Drop us a line at comments@therevelator.org. The post 14 Incredible New Books to Inspire Your Friends and Family in the Year Ahead appeared first on The Revelator.

These beautifully produced new books — covering art and photography, cooking, crafts, and more — celebrate our wildlife, health, and sustainable ways to care for our environment. The post 14 Incredible New Books to Inspire Your Friends and Family in the Year Ahead appeared first on The Revelator.