National Great Outdoors Month: My 5 favorite nature and environment books 
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all of these fantastic books!
Nature lovers and book lovers unite! I'm celebrating my love for the outdoors for National Great Outdoors Month and taking a quick break from my summer reading list to share my five favorite books about nature and the environment. There are lots of great books about nature, but these five are the outside books I've enjoyed the most. So grab a book and a blanket and find a tree to rest under, because it's time to connect with the Earth through the pages of a book!
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
The Sixth Extinction is probably one of the few science-based books that captivated my attention from start to finish. This Pulitzer Prize-winning book maps out the five extinctions of the past and educates about the inevitable sixth extinction that's predicted for the future. This well-researched book is surprisingly easy to read, even for someone like me who has no science background. While it's slightly depressing- which is to be expected when the subject matter is extinction- the book makes the reader take a step back and think about what it means to be human, the impact that mankind has made, and the fate of our species. This book really drives home the importance of biodiversity. The author uses anecdotes and facts about a different animal and plant species to take the reader on a journey to better understanding extinction, why it happens and our potential to prevent the next big extinction.
Don't Even Think About It by George Marshall
This is my absolute favorite book I've ever read about climate change and is THE book about climate denial. Don't Even Think About It is unapologetic. Some have criticized this book for not sending a hopeful message, but I appreciate the realistic tone of the book because if you look at the facts, there isn't a lot of hope. The author must have decided not to hide behind messages of hope and to tell it like it is. I love this book! I read it over two days while I was taking a bus to and from the Climate Reality Project Canada's 10th-anniversary gala. Ironically I spilled my water on the book while I was reading the chapter on flooding. This book tackles the human brain's instinct to deny climate change. This book should be required reading.
The Sacred Balance by David Suzuki
The classic book about the human connection to nature! The Sacred Balance is one of David Suzuki's bestselling books that does what the cover states: helps the reader rediscover their place in nature. This book was first published in 1997, but I purchased the revised and enlarged version that contained more current information. This book examines each creature's place in the ecosystem- humans included. While the information is scientific and the book covers topics like global warming, it really is all about the connections made on our planet. The best part is the insight from David Suzuki's own experiences.
The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel
Unlike the other science-based books on this list, The Stranger in the Woods is about a different type of connection with the forest. This book is a true account of real-life hermit Christopher Knight, who disappeared into the woods in Massachusetts in 1986. Although it's based on true events, it reads like a novel. It's an unbelievable story of one man's deep connection to the forest and the risks he would take to protect that connection. This book was the National Geographic Best Book of the Year when it was released. For those who have dreamed of leaving behind modern society and living off of the grid, this book can immerse the reader in that world without having to walk out the front door.
Just Cool It! by David Suzuki and Ian Hanington
Would I be a true Canadian if David Suzuki didn't make this list more than once? Just Cool It! is another- and more hopeful- insightful book about climate change. This book was published after the Paris Climate Agreement and was intended to have real-world solutions and a game plan to accomplish the goals set by the agreement. David Suzuki is a passionate voice in the fight to protect the environment, and that voice is loudest in this book. Once you are able to accept the devastating statistics, you can hold on to the solutions presented as a small glimmer of hope.
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