
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2024
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $25.19
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Eileen Stevens
-
Stephen Graybill
-
Lee Osorio
-
Gina Daniels
About this listen
Award-winning environmentalist, author, and journalist Bill McKibben selects twenty science and nature essays that represent the best examples of the form published in the previous year.
“This was the most anomalous year (so far) in human history,” guest editor Bill McKibben writes, “the year in which the relationship between people and planet showed its most dramatic signs yet of unraveling.” The selections in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2024 reveal a trying year for our planet—from the Lahaina wildfire tragedy to the lush Amazon jungle slowly turning to savanna—while also celebrating the earth’s beautiful and mysterious ways—from the largest beaver dam on earth to the heroic innovation to prevent birds from crashing into Chicago’s expanse of glass buildings. These essays offer solace in trying times, showing a way for a better future. They are, as McKibben says, “a reminder that this world is still a lovely and deep place, well worth the fighting for.”
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2024 includes IAN FRAZIER • AMANDA GEFTER • DOUGLAS FOX • SARAH KAPLAN • BEN GOLDFARB • RAYMOND ZHONG • ALEX CUADROS • AND OTHERS
©2024 Bill McKibben and Jaime Green (P)2024 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
-
Under a White Sky
- The Nature of the Future
- By: Elizabeth Kolbert
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
That man should have dominion “over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” is a prophecy that has hardened into fact. So pervasive are human impacts on the planet that it’s said we live in a new geological epoch: the Anthropocene. The question we now face is: Can we change nature, this time in order to save it? Elizabeth Kolbert, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction, takes a hard look at the new world we are creating.
-
-
Feel Sorry For Your Grandchildren
- By Allen Moody on 02-28-21
-
The Best American Food and Travel Writing 2024
- By: Padma Lakshmi, Jaya Saxena
- Narrated by: Eunice Wong, Soneela Nankani, Ali Nasser, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Food and travel are natural companions,” writes guest editor Padma Lakshmi. From this pairing comes “the possibility of seeing anew, of examining how we make and assign meaning.” The essays in this year’s Best American Food and Travel Writing circle the world—from Dakar in Senegal, to Michoacán in south-central Mexico, to the Camino de Santiago in Spain—and deepen our understanding of our place in it.
By: Padma Lakshmi, and others
-
The Best American Essays 2024
- By: Wesley Morris, Kim Dana Kupperman
- Narrated by: Emily Rankin, Cary Hite, Jeanette Illidge, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Imparting some piece of yourself—any part—is arduous and warrants some kind of commendation,” writes guest editor Wesley Morris in his introduction. Both personal and personable, the essayists in this volume use their own vulnerability to guide listeners on excursions that unfold on uncomfortable edges. From contemplating the nuances of memory to exploring the complexities of family, romance, gender identity, illness, and death, Morris’s selection of essays presents a roundup of the thinkers who masterfully grapple with the issues of our time.
By: Wesley Morris, and others
-
What If We Get It Right?
- Visions of Climate Futures
- By: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
- Narrated by: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Ayisha Siddiqa, Jacqueline Woodson, and others
- Length: 21 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Through clear-eyed essays and vibrant conversations, infused with data and poetry, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson guides us through solutions and possibilities at the nexus of science, policy, culture, and justice. Visionary farmers and financiers, architects and advocates, help us conjure a flourishing future, one worth the effort it will take—from every one of us, with whatever we have to offer—to create.
-
-
I almost want to categorize this as sci-fi/fantasy
- By Melanie Farley on 12-16-24
-
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2023
- By: Carl Zimmer, Jaime Green
- Narrated by: Katharine Chin, Shahjehan Khan, Nikki Massoud, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“What's most compelling about a scientific story is the way it challenges us to think about the concepts we take for granted,” writes guest editor Carl Zimmer in his introduction. 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.
By: Carl Zimmer, and others
-
The Best American Essays 2022
- By: Alexander Chee
- Narrated by: Alexander Chee, Robert Atwan, Ewan Chung, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alexander Chee, an essayist of “virtuosity and power” (Washington Post), selects twenty essays out of thousands that represent the best examples of the form published the previous year.
-
-
Best of this series ever
- By Melissa on 02-28-23
By: Alexander Chee
-
Under a White Sky
- The Nature of the Future
- By: Elizabeth Kolbert
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
That man should have dominion “over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” is a prophecy that has hardened into fact. So pervasive are human impacts on the planet that it’s said we live in a new geological epoch: the Anthropocene. The question we now face is: Can we change nature, this time in order to save it? Elizabeth Kolbert, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction, takes a hard look at the new world we are creating.
-
-
Feel Sorry For Your Grandchildren
- By Allen Moody on 02-28-21
-
The Best American Food and Travel Writing 2024
- By: Padma Lakshmi, Jaya Saxena
- Narrated by: Eunice Wong, Soneela Nankani, Ali Nasser, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Food and travel are natural companions,” writes guest editor Padma Lakshmi. From this pairing comes “the possibility of seeing anew, of examining how we make and assign meaning.” The essays in this year’s Best American Food and Travel Writing circle the world—from Dakar in Senegal, to Michoacán in south-central Mexico, to the Camino de Santiago in Spain—and deepen our understanding of our place in it.
By: Padma Lakshmi, and others
-
The Best American Essays 2024
- By: Wesley Morris, Kim Dana Kupperman
- Narrated by: Emily Rankin, Cary Hite, Jeanette Illidge, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Imparting some piece of yourself—any part—is arduous and warrants some kind of commendation,” writes guest editor Wesley Morris in his introduction. Both personal and personable, the essayists in this volume use their own vulnerability to guide listeners on excursions that unfold on uncomfortable edges. From contemplating the nuances of memory to exploring the complexities of family, romance, gender identity, illness, and death, Morris’s selection of essays presents a roundup of the thinkers who masterfully grapple with the issues of our time.
By: Wesley Morris, and others
-
What If We Get It Right?
- Visions of Climate Futures
- By: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
- Narrated by: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Ayisha Siddiqa, Jacqueline Woodson, and others
- Length: 21 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Through clear-eyed essays and vibrant conversations, infused with data and poetry, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson guides us through solutions and possibilities at the nexus of science, policy, culture, and justice. Visionary farmers and financiers, architects and advocates, help us conjure a flourishing future, one worth the effort it will take—from every one of us, with whatever we have to offer—to create.
-
-
I almost want to categorize this as sci-fi/fantasy
- By Melanie Farley on 12-16-24
-
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2023
- By: Carl Zimmer, Jaime Green
- Narrated by: Katharine Chin, Shahjehan Khan, Nikki Massoud, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“What's most compelling about a scientific story is the way it challenges us to think about the concepts we take for granted,” writes guest editor Carl Zimmer in his introduction. 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.
By: Carl Zimmer, and others
-
The Best American Essays 2022
- By: Alexander Chee
- Narrated by: Alexander Chee, Robert Atwan, Ewan Chung, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alexander Chee, an essayist of “virtuosity and power” (Washington Post), selects twenty essays out of thousands that represent the best examples of the form published the previous year.
-
-
Best of this series ever
- By Melissa on 02-28-23
By: Alexander Chee
-
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024
- By: Hugh Howey, John Joseph Adams
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston, Frankie Corzo, David Lee Huynh, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“These are dangerous stories. The kind that warp reality and threaten to change the world” warns guest editor Hugh Howey in his introduction. The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024 promises a treasure trove of audacious characters, daring worldbuilding, and twisted realties. A sibling duo of supernatural hitmen. A traveling spellbreaker and his trusty alligator mount. Superheroes registering for work. Sentient spaceships with an AI-human interface grow up together with their human pilots.
-
-
The treasures in here are worth the ticket price.
- By Anonymous User on 03-01-25
By: Hugh Howey, and others
-
It's Elemental
- The Hidden Chemistry in Everything
- By: Kate Biberdorf
- Narrated by: Kate Biberdorf
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Have you ever wondered what makes dough rise? Or how your morning coffee gives you that energy boost? Or why your shampoo is making your hair look greasy? The answer is chemistry. From the moment we wake up until the time we go to sleep (and even while we sleep), chemistry is at work - and it doesn't take a PhD in science to understand it.
-
-
Great Listen
- By Great and powerful IDE on 12-20-21
By: Kate Biberdorf
-
The Bright Sword
- A Novel of King Arthur
- By: Lev Grossman
- Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith, Lev Grossman
- Length: 23 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a place at the Round Table, only to find that he’s too late. King Arthur died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table are left. The survivors aren’t the heroes of legend like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Table, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill.
-
-
A rambling woke mess
- By Adam on 07-18-24
By: Lev Grossman
-
The Birds That Audubon Missed
- Discovery and Desire in the American Wilderness
- By: Kenn Kaufman
- Narrated by: Mack Sanderson
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raging ambition. Towering egos. Competition under a veneer of courtesy. Heroic effort combined with plagiarism, theft, exaggeration, and fraud. This was the state of bird study in eastern North America during the early 1800s, as a handful of intrepid men raced to find the last few birds that were still unknown to science. The most famous name in the bird world was John James Audubon, who painted spectacular portraits of birds. But although his images were beautiful, creating art was not his main goal. Instead, he aimed to illustrate (and write about) as many different species as possible.
-
-
I LOVE the audible version of this book
- By NYC person on 10-01-24
By: Kenn Kaufman
-
The Best American Short Stories 2024
- By: Lauren Groff, Heidi Pitlor
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine, Vikas Adam, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“There have never been as many exquisitely built stories in existence than there are now,” proclaims guest editor Lauren Groff in her introduction. This abundance led to a volume of robust stories with the nerve to push against narrative expectations. The Best American Short Stories 2024 boasts a collection of twenty stories that “buzz with their own strange logic.” Daring and resonant, the stories in this volume invite in Groff “a feeling that both the author and I were simultaneously discovering something together.”
-
-
Another great collection of short stories
- By Michael on 02-25-25
By: Lauren Groff, and others
-
The Food Lab
- Better Home Cooking Through Science
- By: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 21 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Serious Eats's culinary nerd-in-residence, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt has pondered all these questions and more. Kenji shows that often, conventional methods don't work that well, and home cooks can achieve far better results using new - but simple - techniques. In hundreds of easy-to-make recipes, you will find out how to make foolproof Hollandaise sauce in just two minutes, how to transform one simple tomato sauce into a half dozen dishes, how to make the crispiest, creamiest potato casserole ever conceived, and much more.
-
-
Props to the narrator, and amazing book
- By Carla Nowicki on 08-22-20
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2023
- By: Carl Zimmer, Jaime Green
- Narrated by: Katharine Chin, Shahjehan Khan, Nikki Massoud, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“What's most compelling about a scientific story is the way it challenges us to think about the concepts we take for granted,” writes guest editor Carl Zimmer in his introduction. 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.
By: Carl Zimmer, and others
-
The Best American Essays 2024
- By: Wesley Morris, Kim Dana Kupperman
- Narrated by: Emily Rankin, Cary Hite, Jeanette Illidge, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Imparting some piece of yourself—any part—is arduous and warrants some kind of commendation,” writes guest editor Wesley Morris in his introduction. Both personal and personable, the essayists in this volume use their own vulnerability to guide listeners on excursions that unfold on uncomfortable edges. From contemplating the nuances of memory to exploring the complexities of family, romance, gender identity, illness, and death, Morris’s selection of essays presents a roundup of the thinkers who masterfully grapple with the issues of our time.
By: Wesley Morris, and others
-
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2025
- By: Susan Orlean, Jaime Green
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Best American series, launched in 1915, is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction, and it is the most respected—and most popular—of its kind. New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean selects twenty pieces that represent the best science and nature writing published the previous year and explores our ever-changing world.
By: Susan Orlean, and others
-
The Best American Short Stories 2024
- By: Lauren Groff, Heidi Pitlor
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine, Vikas Adam, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“There have never been as many exquisitely built stories in existence than there are now,” proclaims guest editor Lauren Groff in her introduction. This abundance led to a volume of robust stories with the nerve to push against narrative expectations. The Best American Short Stories 2024 boasts a collection of twenty stories that “buzz with their own strange logic.” Daring and resonant, the stories in this volume invite in Groff “a feeling that both the author and I were simultaneously discovering something together.”
-
-
Another great collection of short stories
- By Michael on 02-25-25
By: Lauren Groff, and others
-
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024
- By: Hugh Howey, John Joseph Adams
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston, Frankie Corzo, David Lee Huynh, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“These are dangerous stories. The kind that warp reality and threaten to change the world” warns guest editor Hugh Howey in his introduction. The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024 promises a treasure trove of audacious characters, daring worldbuilding, and twisted realties. A sibling duo of supernatural hitmen. A traveling spellbreaker and his trusty alligator mount. Superheroes registering for work. Sentient spaceships with an AI-human interface grow up together with their human pilots.
-
-
The treasures in here are worth the ticket price.
- By Anonymous User on 03-01-25
By: Hugh Howey, and others
-
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2022
- Best American
- By: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson - editor, Jaime Green - series editor
- Narrated by: Tracey Leigh, Jennifer Aquino, Ulka Simone Mohanty, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, renowned marine biologist and co-founder of the All We Can Save climate initiative, compiles the best science and nature writing of the year.
-
-
The worst book in the series I have read.
- By O on 06-19-23
By: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson - editor, and others
-
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2023
- By: Carl Zimmer, Jaime Green
- Narrated by: Katharine Chin, Shahjehan Khan, Nikki Massoud, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“What's most compelling about a scientific story is the way it challenges us to think about the concepts we take for granted,” writes guest editor Carl Zimmer in his introduction. 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.
By: Carl Zimmer, and others
-
The Best American Essays 2024
- By: Wesley Morris, Kim Dana Kupperman
- Narrated by: Emily Rankin, Cary Hite, Jeanette Illidge, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Imparting some piece of yourself—any part—is arduous and warrants some kind of commendation,” writes guest editor Wesley Morris in his introduction. Both personal and personable, the essayists in this volume use their own vulnerability to guide listeners on excursions that unfold on uncomfortable edges. From contemplating the nuances of memory to exploring the complexities of family, romance, gender identity, illness, and death, Morris’s selection of essays presents a roundup of the thinkers who masterfully grapple with the issues of our time.
By: Wesley Morris, and others
-
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2025
- By: Susan Orlean, Jaime Green
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Best American series, launched in 1915, is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction, and it is the most respected—and most popular—of its kind. New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean selects twenty pieces that represent the best science and nature writing published the previous year and explores our ever-changing world.
By: Susan Orlean, and others
-
The Best American Short Stories 2024
- By: Lauren Groff, Heidi Pitlor
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine, Vikas Adam, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“There have never been as many exquisitely built stories in existence than there are now,” proclaims guest editor Lauren Groff in her introduction. This abundance led to a volume of robust stories with the nerve to push against narrative expectations. The Best American Short Stories 2024 boasts a collection of twenty stories that “buzz with their own strange logic.” Daring and resonant, the stories in this volume invite in Groff “a feeling that both the author and I were simultaneously discovering something together.”
-
-
Another great collection of short stories
- By Michael on 02-25-25
By: Lauren Groff, and others
-
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024
- By: Hugh Howey, John Joseph Adams
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston, Frankie Corzo, David Lee Huynh, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“These are dangerous stories. The kind that warp reality and threaten to change the world” warns guest editor Hugh Howey in his introduction. The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024 promises a treasure trove of audacious characters, daring worldbuilding, and twisted realties. A sibling duo of supernatural hitmen. A traveling spellbreaker and his trusty alligator mount. Superheroes registering for work. Sentient spaceships with an AI-human interface grow up together with their human pilots.
-
-
The treasures in here are worth the ticket price.
- By Anonymous User on 03-01-25
By: Hugh Howey, and others
-
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2022
- Best American
- By: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson - editor, Jaime Green - series editor
- Narrated by: Tracey Leigh, Jennifer Aquino, Ulka Simone Mohanty, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, renowned marine biologist and co-founder of the All We Can Save climate initiative, compiles the best science and nature writing of the year.
-
-
The worst book in the series I have read.
- By O on 06-19-23
By: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson - editor, and others