This month brings us new books about wildlife trafficking, pesticides and the history of the oceans.

reads books

The nights are getting shorter, the days are getting cooler, and the bookstores are stocking up on great new titles. Here are six new environmentally themed books coming our way this November, addressing such issues as pesticides, poaching and climate change. Check ‘em out:

Precautionary TaleA Precautionary Tale: How One Small Town Banned Pesticides, Preserved Its Food Heritage, and Inspired a Movement by Philip Ackerman-Leist

Let’s learn from history so we can avoid repeating it. This incredible book tells the true story of Mals, Italy, a pristine community in the Alps that found itself threatened by “Big Apple” —massive agriculture producers that poisoned the area with pesticides. The story of how this tiny town stood up and protected itself stands as a testament that real change is possible. (Chelsea Green Publishing, Nov. 9, $19.95)

bonfire krysten ritterBonfire by Krysten Ritter

Ritter, probably best known for her role as superhero-turned-PI Jessica Jones, brings us her first novel starring a similarly hard-hitting female protagonist: an environmental lawyer returning to her small, rural home town and getting into a conflict with the corrupt, polluting company. Sign me up for a binge-read. (Crown, Nov. 7, $26)

oceans historyThe Oceans: A Deep History by Eelco J. Rohling

The history of Earth is wet — and fascinating. Rohling, a professor of ocean and climate change, takes us on a journey dating back 4.4 billion years of history (well, mostly prehistory) while also providing readers with critical information about the oceans’ roles in the planet’s climate systems. If you want to understand the planet and climate change, this book is for you. (Princeton University Press, Nov. 21, $29.95)

Many: The Diversity of Life on Earth by Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton

Here’s one for the next generation. Davies and Sutton follow up their award-winning book Tiny Creatures with a look at the wildlife and plants that fill the planet — and how humans are screwing up the system and pushing everything into extinction. The book asks an important question: What sort of world would it be if it went from having many types of living things to having just one? Yeah, it sounds bleak, but it’s also quite marvelous. (Candlewick, Nov. 7, $15.99)

extinction marketThe Extinction Market: Wildlife Trafficking and How to Counter It by Vanda Felbab-Brown

Tigers and elephants and rhinos, oh why? Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, has the answers. She traveled to three continents to understand the “causes, means and consequences of poaching and wildlife trafficking” — and maybe how to stop the process and save some of these species from disappearing. (Oxford University Press, Nov. 15, $24.95)

The New Carbon Architecture: Building to Cool the Climate by Bruce King

Can we build better buildings that actually help to stave off climate change? Yes, according to King, who examines new construction techniques that could change the way we build and how buildings’ energy and water use impact in the planet. A must-read for architects, engineers, policy-makers and anyone interested in the future of construction technologies. (New Society Publishers, Nov. 27, $29.99)

That’s it for our list this month, but what about yours? Let us know what you’re reading in the comments.

Previously in The Revelator:

Revelator Reads: Great New Environmental Books for Fall

Revelator Reads: 8 New Environmental Books for September

Revelator Reads: 7 New Environmental Books for August

Revelator Reads: 7 New Environmental Books for July

John R. Platt

is the editor of The Revelator. An award-winning environmental journalist, his work has appeared in Scientific American, Audubon, Motherboard, and numerous other magazines and publications. His “Extinction Countdown” column has run continuously since 2004 and has covered news and science related to more than 1,000 endangered species. He is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and the National Association of Science Writers. John lives on the outskirts of Portland, Ore., where he finds himself surrounded by animals and cartoonists.

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