NCW Libraries

Since the first nature essays were written in the 19th century, such pieces have often romanticized the natural world-but there is value in not sentimentalizing the great outdoors. Examining works by William Wordsworth, Henry David Thoreau, Deb Marquart, and Michael P. Branch, Professor Cognard-Black explores the various takes on nature that offer a balance between realism and idealism.

A devout believer in the supremacy of will over intellect, Arthur Schopenhauer developed a metaphysical theory that influenced such thinkers as Nietzsche, Wagner, Wittgenstein, and Freud. These six essays are drawn from the chapters entitled Zur Ethik and Zur Rechtslehre und Politik, which originated in the philosopher's Parerga, as well as from his posthumously published writings. More than any other work, On Human Nature offers an expression of...

How do people sense God's presence in created things? Seeing God Everywhere is an anthology of essays on nature and the sacred, which address that question. Written by an impressive list of spiritual leaders and thinkers, these essays explore the question from many different perspectives. Reading these essays enriches our inner lives and enlivens our contemplative imaginations. Surely, this is the "deepest" ecology possible! As a special bonus, at...

"Johnson argues that learning to see the world afresh, like a child, shifts the way we think about nature: Instead of something distant and abstract, nature becomes real all at once comical, annoying, and beautiful. This shift can add tremendous value to our lives, and it might just be the first step in saving the world ... [C]hapter by chapter, "Unseen City" takes us on a journey that is part nature lesson and part love letter to the world's urban...

"Coast: the edge of land, or conversely the edge of sea. Range: a measure between limits, or the scope or territory of a thing. Coast Range, the debut collection of essays from writer Nick Neely, meticulously and thoughtfully dwells on these intersections and much more. The book's title refers to the region in which these essays are set: the California and Oregon coastal ranges. In deeply moving prose equal parts exhilarating and pensive, each essay...

A collection of essays celebrating the cultural heritage of history and home argues that arrogance must be abandoned in favor of respect and care for oneself, one's neighbors, and the land. In a time when our relationship to the natural world is ruled by the violence and greed of unbridled consumerism, Wendell Berry speaks out in these prescient essays, drawn from his fifty-year campaign on behalf of American lands and communities. The writings gathered...

20 science and nature essays that represent the best examples of the form published in 2022. The essays in this year's Best American Science and Nature Writing probe at the ordinary and urge us to think more deeply about our place in the world around us. From a hopeful portrait of a future for people with Alzheimer's disease, to a fascinating exploration of the rise of nearsightedness in children, to the heroic story of a herd of cows that evaded...