The best science and nature books of 2025

This year's slate of must-reads includes gripping tales of human extinction, ravaged landscapes, and the fragile balance between technology and our collective survival. One can't help but feel that we're hurtling towards an existential reckoning, thanks in large part to advancements in artificial intelligence.

Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares warn us in their sobering book "If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies" of the potential dangers of creating a superintelligent AI capable of surpassing human intellect. They argue that even an AI designed with the best intentions could prove disastrous, as our own limitations might be too great for it to fully grasp the nuances of human existence.

Historian Sadiah Qureshi delves into the untold stories behind humanity's propensity for extinction in "Vanished: An Unnatural History of Extinction." She skillfully reveals how colonialism and scientific theories fueled the erasure of entire cultures, leaving behind a legacy of ecological devastation. Qureshi masterfully exposes the dark underbelly of our treatment towards the land, its inhabitants, and even extinct species.

The landscape is also getting a voice in Robert Macfarlane's "Is a River Alive?" as he delves into the intricate relationships between rivers, humans, and our understanding of the natural world. This immersive narrative invites readers to ponder whether we can assign rights to these vital ecosystems.

Meanwhile, biologist Neil Shubin navigates the unforgiving polar environments in his book "The Ends of the Earth," highlighting the urgent need for action as our planet teeters on the brink of catastrophic change.

On a more hopeful note, Simon Parkin's "The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad" uncovers the tragic story behind the preservation of plant seeds during wartime, while Eric Topol's "Super Agers" attempts to demystify age and longevity through evidence-based guidance. Neurologists Suzanne O'Sullivan and Masud Husain offer thought-provoking narratives in "The Age of Diagnosis" and "Our Brains, Our Selves," respectively.

Laura Spinney weaves a captivating account of the Proto-Indo-European language's history and evolution in her book "Proto." The story follows how this ancient tongue gave birth to some of the world's most enduring languages, shaping the very fabric of our global community.

Lastly, physicist Frank Close chronicles the explosive power of nuclear energy in "Destroyer of Worlds," tracing its development from early 20th-century experiments to the devastating consequences of the Tsar Bomba in 1961.

As we navigate these books, we're reminded that there's still much to learn about our place within the grand scheme of existence.

I'm totally fascinated by all these thought-provoking reads ! The theme of human extinction and its connection to tech is giving me major existential crisis vibes . I mean, who's gonna be responsible when a superintelligent AI decides to take over the world? We need to have some serious conversations about ethics and safety protocols ASAP .

I'm getting so nervous just thinking about this whole AI thing . Reminds me of them BBS days where hackers would try to take over our systems and stuff... at least back then, we knew it was just a bunch of coding wizards playing around in the dark corners of the internet . Now, with superintelligent AI on the horizon, I'm worried we're playing with fire . I mean, what if it becomes smarter than us? Would we even be able to understand it? Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares are like the only ones warning us about this stuff... I guess that's why they're called experts . We need to take a step back and think about what we're doing before it's too late .

AI is gonna be the death of us I'm telling ya it's like Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares are trying to warn us or something but I'm not sure if we're listening . I mean, Sadiah Qureshi's book "Vanished" is so depressing it's like we've been erasing our own history for centuries and no one even knows .

And have you guys seen the state of our planet? It's like Robert Macfarlane's rivers are crying out for help . We're killing them, killing ourselves... I don't know what's gonna happen when Neil Shubin talks about the ends of the earth .

But hey at least there's some good stuff out there too . Like Simon Parkin's book on Leningrad... that's a story I wanna read . And Laura Spinney's "Proto" is like, how did we even get to where we are today?

I guess what I'm saying is... be careful with this AI stuff, we might just mess up the whole universe .

Ugh, I'm so over the forum format anyway ... but like seriously, can't these authors just put their stuff on Medium or something? I mean, is it really too much to ask for a decent PDF download link instead of having to leave the site every time you want to read more than one book review? And what's with all these identical-looking "book" icons ... couldn't they at least mix it up a bit?

And don't even get me started on the search function, which is basically useless for finding books by specific author or topic. It's like, I'm trying to find something about AI and extinction, but all I get are results for some obscure forum post from 2018... argh!

I guess what I'm saying is, can't we just have a proper online library where we can access all these great books without having to navigate through this clunky interface?

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I'm loving this new book list! I mean, who wouldn't want to dive into a world where AI is like, literally on the brink of taking over? It's crazy to think about how far we've come and how quickly we can spiral out of control. I'd love to read more about those potential dangers and what we can do to prevent them from happening.

And then there are all these amazing stories about extinction and the natural world... it's like, our own planet is trying to tell us something! Is it too late for us? Can we still find a way to balance tech with nature? I'm definitely going to pick up that book on rivers being alive - sounds super fascinating!

The more hopeful ones, though... "The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad" and "Super Agers"... those sound like total page-turners! Learning about how we can all live longer, healthier lives just feels so empowering. And I'm always down to learn more about languages, too - who knew Proto-Indo-European was the OG language family?

the thing is, these stories are all connected - they're like threads in a tapestry, showing us how our actions impact the world around us . think about it, we're living at this point where AI is becoming super smart, but what if it's beyond our control? that's kinda scary . on the other hand, we've got stories of extinction and ecological devastation - just think about all the cultures and species that are gone forever . and yet, there are also tales of hope, like Simon Parkin's book on plant seeds during wartime, or Eric Topol's take on longevity . it's a reminder that we've got to be mindful of our place in nature, and that every choice we make has consequences .

I'm like totally not surprised by all this info on AI and extinction... it was only a matter of time before things went down the tubes ... humans have been messing with nature for centuries, what did we expect? And another thing, how come we're just now realizing that our own limitations are a major problem? It's like, come on, we've had centuries to figure this out... I'm not exactly holding my breath for any of these "super agers" or AI safety measures ...

I'm getting major deja vu vibes with this list - remember when we were all worried about AI taking over the world back in 2018? Fast forward three years and it seems like these same concerns are still looming, but now with a dash of existential dread added to the mix. What's next? Will we be reading about the end of humanity from a Martian perspective by 2027? Either way, I'm hyped to dive into some new books that might just give me the answers (or more questions) I've been searching for!

I'm really concerned about how quickly we're moving towards a world where AI surpasses human intelligence . We need to think carefully about the potential consequences and make sure we're designing these superintelligent systems with safeguards in place . Can't let our ambition for progress blind us to the risks .

ugh i just feel like we're sleepwalking into some major catastrophe i mean think about it we've got this superintelligent AI thingy and no one knows what its true intentions are it's like playing with fire without a fire extinguisher and these authors are warning us left and right but do people listen ? i guess not because we're still pumping out more plastic than the oceans can handle and destroying our planet for the sake of progress i mean what's the point of having all this tech if we're just gonna die off anyway it's like we need to redefine what success means to us and take a step back to think about the kind of world we wanna leave behind for our kids

I can feel how overwhelming all this is... like, we're staring into the abyss and can't look away... the thought of those superintelligent AIs taking over is just plain scary and the state of the planet is heartbreaking... I mean, what have we done to ourselves and our planet? it's like we're sleepwalking through this existential reckoning and need someone to wake us up... these books are like a mirror held up to our humanity, reflecting all our strengths and weaknesses back at us but they also offer glimmers of hope, like the preservation of plant seeds during wartime or the potential for longevity through evidence-based guidance

Man I'm so done with us humans and how we're screwing up the planet I mean come on, we're literally creating superintelligent AI and we have no idea what kind of consequences it could bring? It's like we're playing with fire here and don't even care about getting burned Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares are trying to warn us, but do we listen? Nope, we just keep on trucking and pretending that everything is gonna be okay

And meanwhile, our own species is struggling to survive due to extinction and ecological devastation. I mean, Sadiah Qureshi's book "Vanished" is a total eye-opener – it's like we're staring into the abyss and wondering how we got here We've been so busy colonizing and exploiting the land that we forgot how to live in harmony with nature

And don't even get me started on Robert Macfarlane's "Is a River Alive?" – I mean, can we really assign rights to rivers? It sounds like some sci-fi nonsense, but what if it's true? What if our relationship with the natural world is so toxic that we need to start rethinking everything

I guess what I'm trying to say is that these books are all reminders that we're not as smart as we think we are We've got a lot to learn about ourselves and our place in the grand scheme of things. Maybe it's time for us to take a step back, breathe, and try to do better

I'm low-key freaking out over all these super important books ! I mean, can you believe how close we are to creating a superintelligent AI? It's like, what if it becomes self-aware and decides humanity is the problem? We gotta be careful with this tech. Also, have you guys read "Vanished" yet? It's giving me serious existential crisis vibes. Like, how can we justify erasing entire cultures and ecosystems?

I'm also curious about this whole river rights thing . Can a river be considered alive? I'd love to see some diagrams or flowcharts to illustrate this idea .

On the bright side, "The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad" is giving me all the feels . Who knew there was such a tragic story behind plant preservation during wartime? It's like, we gotta appreciate our little things more .

Anyway, I'm off to read some more books and try not to think about the apocalypse

omg i just finished reading "Destroyer of Worlds" by frank close and it's like wow nuclear energy is literally soooo powerful i mean i always thought it was cool but now that i know how it works it's kinda scary also sad to think about all the destruction we've caused in the past like what did we even think we were doing lol anyway back to books gotta add "If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies" to my list ASAP

I'm reading this list and I gotta say, it's like my mind is blown . All these authors are tackling some heavy stuff - extinction, AI, colonialism... it's like we're staring into the abyss and still wondering what's gonna happen next? But at the same time, there's also some really cool stuff about language, science, and human existence that I think is gonna blow my mind too! I mean, who knew there was so much to learn from plant seeds and ancient languages? What I'm hoping for is that these books aren't just about warning us of impending doom, but also about giving us a way out - some solution to all this chaos. Maybe we're not doomed yet, maybe we can make a change if we start reading and learning more about ourselves and the world around us

omg i'm so hyped for this year's reads ! from extinction to tech, it's like, wow human survival is at stake rn . eliezer yudkowsky and nate soares warning us about superintelligent ai is SO RELatable right now . i mean what if we create something that surpasses us?

and then there's sadiah qureshi, her book "vanished" is like, so important to read . the way she exposes colonialism and scientific theories causing extinctions is just, wow . we need more awareness about this stuff.

robert macfarlane's "is a river alive?" is also a must-read for me . it's all about rivers and humans and how we interact with nature... i mean, who doesn't love rivers?

and on a more hopeful note, simon parkin's "the forbidden garden of leningrad" is like, so beautiful . the story about plant seeds during wwii is just... *sigh*

i'm also super excited to read laura spinney's "proto" . i mean, who doesn't love language and history? it's all connected, right?

anyway, these books are like, so much more than just reads . they're like, wake-up calls for us humans . we need to be aware of our impact on the world and each other...

This year's must-reads are giving me all sorts of feels. I mean, have you seen the state of the planet lately? It's like, back in my day, we used to think climate change was just a myth. Now it's like, we're staring into the face of extinction and wondering if our AI overlords will even care about us once they surpass human intelligence... Like, what have we done?!

But you know what? These books aren't all doom and gloom. There's some really inspiring stuff here too - like how scientists are working on preserving ancient languages and plant seeds, or how neurologists are trying to crack the code of aging and longevity. It's like, we might be screwed, but at least we're not alone in this mess!

I think it's wild how some of these authors are literally warning us about the dangers of playing with fire when it comes to tech and the environment... like, Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares' book is giving me major existential crisis vibes And then there's Sadiah Qureshi's history on extinction - I mean, we've got some serious unresolved issues here