The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2025
HarperCollins · Paperback · October 21, 2025
“The best science and nature writing—which these stories represent—reminds us of the wide world and our connection to it, and the multitude of ways we make our place in it,” writes Susan Orlean in her introduction.
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- Who it’s for
- For when you want writing that explains, entertains, and keeps the page moving.
- Themes
- science exploration, nature connection, environmental inquiry
- Pacing
- Reflective
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Start with this bookAbout this book
“The best science and nature writing—which these stories represent—reminds us of the wide world and our connection to it, and the multitude of ways we make our place in it,” writes Susan Orlean in her introduction. This year’s collection masterfully guides us through exotic locations and groundbreaking research, leading us to consider complex and utterly fascinating questions about the world. How does it feel to camp in one of the hottest places on Earth?
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Is the ability to recognize and remember faces a sign of intelligence? What does it mean for a species to be wild or invasive—are city pigeons and rats less deserving than the coyotes that recently wandered down from Westchester? Encompassing the strangeness and, at times, severity of our world, these stories are urgent, vital, and ultimately inspiring. As Orlean eloquently observes, “Science keeps unlocking mysteries, revealing secrets, helping us heal. And as imperiled as nature seems, it remains amply, gloriously gorgeous: The world is still full of beauty.” THE BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE AND NATURE WRITING 2025 INCLUDES: FERRIS JABR • EMILY RABOTEAU • RIVKA GALCHEN • BEN GOLDFARB • DAVID NAIMON • TOM MCALLISTER • KATIE ENGELHART • AND OTHERS
Close Reading
For when you want writing that explains, entertains, and keeps the page moving.
Come here for
- science and nature pieces
- layered short-form reading
Expect
- short pieces
- essays with range
Where it sits
| Nature Writing | 50% |
|---|---|
| Science Writing | 49% |
| Essay Collections | 32% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Essay Collections
- Nature Writing
- Science Writing
- Authors
- Susan Orlean, Jaime Green
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- October 21, 2025
- Format
- Paperback
- Theme
- science exploration · nature connection · environmental inquiry
- Reading lane
- Essay Collections