I think I’ve read most everything he’s written. As for man vs nature stories, I’ve been an addict for years. I think it all started with White Nile, which is about the often disastrous exploration of said river.
Sorry for the derailment.
My top reads of 2025, in no particular order. Dissolution by Nicholas Binge was my favorite.
Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea - Edith Widder
The author, a marine scientist, recounts her life exploring the deep ocean and working to understand bioluminescence, including setting a depth record for diving in a mechanical suit and being on the team that first filmed the giant squid.
Well-written book on a fascinating topic.
How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days Kari Leibowitz
The author, an American psychologist, examines how people in far northern latitudes (particularly Tromso Norway which has two months of darkness) cope with winters, without developing SAD. As someone who lives in a moderately cold climate, I am ok with low temperatures, but not seeing the sun for weeks would be difficult.
The book is basically common sense (“focus on the positive aspects of winter, not the negatives”) but it’s pretty well-written common sense, so I give it a thumbs up.
Rose/House - Arkady Martine
A famed architect dies and his will stipulates that only one person (a former student) is ever allowed to enter his house, which is infused with a powerful AI that guards it. Then the AI calls the local police to report that there is a dead body inside.
A modern twist on the locked room mystery.
Dissolution - Nicholas Binge
A sci-fi psychological horror.
An elderly woman cares for her husband, who is suffering memory loss. One day a strange man appears at her door and explains that her husband isn’t losing his memories. They are being stolen.
A complicated and well constructed story, with some deep ideas. Highly recommend.
Midnight at the Pera Palace - Charles King
A history of Istanbul from the end of World War to the 1950s. A quite comprehensive and lengthy book, it covers music, the arts, the role of women, as well as politics and battles.
Well-researched and well-written.
The Summer of Beer and Whiskey - Edward Achorn
A history of professional base ball (as it was spelled back then) focusing on the American Association league. The Association differed from the more established National League by having games on Sunday and selling alcohol at games, both of which were controversial back then. A key figure was Chris Van der Ahe, a German immigrant who owned the St Louis Browns (who later became the Cardinals). Van der Ahe didn’t understand the game well, but he owned a bar and knew how to sell beer.
The book is well written with entertaining descriptions of colorful characters and the games, as well as interesting history of the first African-Americans to play in the pro leagues.
The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi - Bruce Upholt
A history of humanity’s relationship with America’s greatest river, which runs almost the length of the country from North to South. Ever since European arrived, we’ve been meddling with the river in various ways, with levees, dams and dredging. The author’s assessment is that the cost of these projects has greatly exceeded the benefits, and maybe it would be better to allow the river to return to a more natural state.
Thoroughly researched and well-written book.
The Urban Naturalist: How to Make the City Your Scientific Playground - Menno Shilthuizen
A look at the various types of citizen science and environmental activism being done in cities around the world, including posting to platforms such as Inaturalist.
Very well written book on an engaging topic
The Peace War Vernor Vinge
A sci-fi classic from the 1980s. The setup is a bit convoluted, and unfolds slowly. In the late 20th century a group of scientists invent a force field projector and use it to take over the world. A group of rebels held by one of the inventors of the device fights back.
Enjoyable and well-written book
Marooned in Realtime Vernor Vinge
Sequel to the Peace War.
The setup is this: In the 23rd Century humanity disappears, for reasons unknown. Maybe nuclear war, maybe aliens, maybe the Second Coming.
The only survivors are a small group of people who time-traveled forward past the Extinction event and are now living in fifty million years in the future, divided into mutually antagonistic groups.
Then there is a murder, and the only police officer left on Earth must investigate.
Well-written book with some mind bending big ideas. I enjoyed it more than the prequel, which is pretty good.
The Mesopotamian Riddle: An Archaeologist, a Soldier, a Clergyman, and the Race to Decipher the World’s Oldest Writing - Joshua Hammer
The history of the decipherment of Cunieform writing by a group of British men in the 1800s using linguistics and inspired guesswork.
Interesting and well-written book. highly recommended
The Last Dynasty Toby Wilkinson
A history of Egypt, from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra, which was mostly a series of rulers named Ptolemy who married their sisters, who were mostly named Cleopatra. (The famous Cleopatra was actually Cleopatra VII).
The book goes into a lot about the economy and culture of Egypt at the time, as well as the politics and battles.
Well researched and well written book
So Very Small - Thomas Levenson
A history of microbiology and germ theory from van Luwenhoek to the rise of the antibiotic resistant bacteria.
A history of false starts and persistent clinging to wrong ideas, which we are clearly still struggling with.
Well written and enjoyable book