Books About Science and Systems

Books About Science and Systems

This article relates to The Last Extinction

In The Last Extinction, geologist Gerta Keller summarizes research supporting her theory of Deccan volcanism (which suggests the dinosaurs were not killed off in conditions produced by an asteroid but rather by a period of sustained volcanic activity) and offers a view of the patriarchal and other hierarchical systems she encountered over the years in seeking a platform for her non-mainstream work. Many more scientists and journalists have published books focusing on how significant science concerning human health, nature, and the universe interacts with (and is often compromised by) scientific media and other social phenomena. Below are just a few. These books dig deeper into solutions to the informational and environmental concerns raised in The Last Extinction, and may make for good additional reading for book clubs.

The Disordered Cosmos (2021) by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

Writing for Guernica, Lacy M. Johnson calls this "a fascinating and hard-to-classify book that blends clear and cogent writing about the science of theoretical physics with piercing critiques of the cultures in which that science occurs." An acclaimed theoretical physicist, Prescod-Weinstein approaches scientific culture with a strong grounding in sociopolitical phenomena and Black feminism, as well as expertise in dark matter. She discusses racism and gatekeeping in science—who is expected or allowed to take part in scientific practice and the consequences of this. As Kirkus interprets her book, "the cosmos offers a siren song to all humans, and changing the centuries-old framework dictating how science is constructed, perceived, and taught is imperative not only to make room for diverse scientists, but also to enrich the pursuit of knowledge itself."

This Changes Everything (2014) by Naomi Klein

Published in 2014, the aptly titled This Changes Everything was controversial for addressing the link between capitalism and the ongoing climate crisis, and its influence helped set the stage for how we talk about environmental issues today. In it, journalist Klein holds deregulation meant to benefit the wealthy and powerful responsible for rising greenhouse gases and carbon emissions, writing, "We are stuck because the actions that would give us the best chance of averting catastrophe—​and would benefit the vast majority—​are extremely threatening to an elite minority that has a stranglehold over our economy, our political process, and most of our major media outlets." More than a decade later, it's far more common for writers and activists addressing climate concerns to use capitalist systems as a starting point for discussions, rather than foregrounding individual responsibility and scolding the general public for their actions within those systems.

The Viral Underclass (2022) by Steven W. Thrasher

In recent years, the Covid-19 pandemic has sparked the publication of many books about virology and lessons for survival in a world increasingly prone to viral spread. LGBTQ+ scholar, Northwestern professor, and journalist Steven Thrasher's The Viral Underclass, titled for a phrase used to refer to the criminalization of HIV, adds a key element to the study of viral illness in its analysis of the relationships between social systems and health, focusing on the ways marginalized populations are disproportionately subjected to the effects of viruses (and then blamed for carrying them) and identifying the "social vectors" behind this, including racism, ableism, borders, and capitalism. He points to how both HIV and Covid have heavily affected racially marginalized people as well as immigrants, queer people, and incarcerated people. Ultimately, Thrasher stresses the ways quality of life could be improved for the most vulnerable, emphasizing that we are all connected and that such actions better conditions for everyone.

Merchants of Doubt (2010) by Erik Conway and Naomi Oreskes

This landmark exposé by historians Conway and Oreskes focuses on how valuable scientific information has often been presented to the public as "junk science," or only one side of a complicated debate, to benefit the interests of powerful industries, via the influence of right-wing institutions and their connections with high-ranking scientists and the media. Examples include downplaying of the effects of DDT, tobacco smoke, and fossil fuels. While people now generally have a better understanding of having been misled on these issues, the problems plaguing the dissemination of information featured in Merchants of Doubt are doubtless still relevant to the relationship between science and public understanding.

Filed under Reading Lists

This article relates to The Last Extinction. It first ran in the October 22, 2025 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.