Gaia Vince's remarkable book is far more than a litany of the problems of global warming and mass extinction, writes Robert Hunziker. It's also an inspiring account of how people can respond to such crises in wonderful, imaginative, creative ways, achieving seemingly impossible tasks from seeding glaciers in the Himalayas, to holding back the desert with dew.
Julian Rose's diverse collection of essays is engaging, enlightening and life affirming, writes Philip Lymbery - conveying an organic farmer's revulsion at the increasing horrors of industrial agriculture, while setting out his vision of the green and sustainable future he is working to bring about.
Is it 'morally reprehensible' to arbitrarily decapitate roadside flowers? Yes it is, writes Martin Spray - at least in Switzerland. And now we know that plants have both senses and physiology, why not awareness and emotions too? Even legal standing to have their rights defended in court - at least if they are trees?
The history of genetically modified food has been one of systematic deception and fraud by corporations, scientists, media and regulators, Steven Druker writes in his remarkable new book. Jane Goodall finds the story by turn fascinating, chilling, distressing and ultimately, hope-inspiring.
Piketty's 'Capital in the 21st Century' has taken the intellectual world by storm, writes Rupert Read. His analysis of wealth inequality is timely and powerful, but there's one crucial thing he hasn't 'got': that growth must run up against ecological limits - indeed it already has.
This powerful book by Davi Kopenawa and Bruce Albert reveals to us the world view of the Yanomami shaman, writes Sue Branford - together with many uncomfortable insights about the horrors of mainstream modern society, seen from an indigenous viewpoint as a form of organized madness that's driving the world to destruction.
A new book aims to get children off their mobile phones and back where they belong: in the great outdoors. It's packed with well thought-out, purposeful activities to get children interacting with nature, but Martin Spray wonders: is it all trying too hard? Has the essential nature of 'play' somehow been forgotten?
The world's collective failure to tackle climate change comes down to one big problem, says Naomi Klein: the clash of climate necessities against corporate power and a triumphant neo-liberal world order. So after decades of government dithering, she told Oliver Tickell, it's time for civil society to unite and build a radical justice-based movement for climate action.
We must accept the reality that human beings, nature and cosmos are interconnected in a vast circular system, writes Jane Cull. To sustain ourselves on this planet, we must sustain the web of life of which we are part, and construct another kind of world that based on that understanding.
A new book charges the world's biggest conservation group with forging links with global corporations that are using its name to 'greenwash' environmentally damaging activities, writes John Vidal - in the process becoming too close to industry, and over-dependent on corporate funding.
Naomi Klein finds kernels of hope amid the closely linked perils of climate change and untamed capitalism, writes Mike Berners-Lee. Ultimately it's down to us, the people, to come together and force the changes we need - but Klein's new book provides some valuable and timely inspiration.
A new book on climate change brings a refreshing, visual, gag-filled view of a complex topic, writes Edgar Vaid - while including some surprisingly advanced science. The relentless jokiness may be a bit much for adult readers, but will be a hit with the young ones. And that is, after all, what it's all about.
Is our inability to tackle climate change the fault of politicians? Corporations? Governments? Or is it because that's the way our brains have evolved, able to hold six contradictory ideas at once, and believe them all? Carol Linnitt met climate campaigner George Marshall, who thinks he is finally asking the right questions.
This intriguing new book is a bold attempt to strike a new direction for ecological art, writes Martin Spray - not to communicate environmental issues, but to create new connections with the world around us and imbue our lives with 'artfulness'.
There is much merit in the cliché that 'a picture is worth a thousand words', writes Edgar Vaid, but 'Our Beautiful, Fragile World' suggests that great photography complemented by explanatory text is worth even more ...
Edgar Vaid reviews the biography of a man who, after a supernatural experience, takes it upon himself to clone species of tree that he deems 'special'; trees that he believes may be crusaders in the fight against global warming ...
On the 50th anniversary of Aldous Huxley's death, Matt Williams remembers a little-known passage from his 'Brave New World', and asks if Huxley's dismal vision of our relationship to nature is coming to pass ...
Ever had trouble spotting your hogweed from your hemlock, or your coltsfoot from your charlock? It's a problem Andy McKee will never face again, thanks to Gail Harland's comprehensive new guide on edible weeds
From slave labour to armed conflict, our thirst for natural resources has created serious problems for Africa. Pádraig Carmody’s latest book attempts to unravel the moral morass, says Mark Newton
Did you know that the humble octopus can teach us how to prevent security threats or deal with natural catastrophes? Nor did Rachael Stubbins until she read Rafe Sagarin’s new book
A masterpiece of nature writing, J.A. Baker’s ‘The Peregrine’ is well worth revisiting, says Mark Newton, not just for the prose but also to help us re-engage with the natural world
Is population really the demographic time bomb it’s portrayed as? Author Vanessa Baird sifts through the evidence and comes up with some surprising answers, says Mark Newton
Mangroves are the unsung heroes of the biosphere, says Kennedy Warne in his comprehensive study. So why are we so ready to rip them up in pursuit of tropical golf courses and all-you-can-eat shrimp?
Bernie Krause has spent a lifetime recording the sonics of nature. But, as Laurie Tuffrey finds, his quest to record the elusive sound of the wild finds practical application in conservation