Greetings, fellow alien traveler! I see that you have recently crash-landed on Earth, and you know absolutely nothing about your new home planet. But fear not! Primitive as their species may be, a few Earthlings have written so-called “books” about their planet, and some are actually quite informative and engaging. So to learn more about Earth and blend in with the Earthlings around you, we suggest absorbing the five excellent “books” below into your brain matter.
Download the Next Big Idea App for “Book Bite” summaries of hundreds of new nonfiction books like these.
A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters
By Andrew H. Knoll
Drawing on his decades of field research and up-to-the-minute understanding of the latest science, a renowned geologist delivers a rigorous yet accessible biography of Earth, charting our home planet’s epic 4.6 billion-year story. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Andrew H. Knoll, in the Next Big Idea App
Water: A Biography
By Giulio Boccaletti
Spanning millennia and continents, Water: A Biography is a stunningly revealing history of how the distribution of water has shaped human civilization. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Giulio Boccaletti, in the Next Big Idea App
How to Prepare for Climate Change: A Practical Guide to Surviving the Chaos
By David Pogue
An Emmy-winning science and technology correspondent offers a practical and comprehensive guide to surviving what could be the greatest disaster of our time. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author David Pogue, in the Next Big Idea App
To Rule the Waves: How Control of the World’s Oceans Shapes the Fate of the Superpowers
By Bruce Jones
From a brilliant Brookings Institution writer comes a vivid, timely, and insightful examination of the critical role that oceans play in the daily struggle for global power. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Bruce Jones, in the Next Big Idea App
The World for Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders Who Barter the Earth’s Resources
By Javier Blas and Jack Farchy
Two acclaimed journalists take the reader into the back alleys of high-powered global trade, showing how capitalism really works and who really profits. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by authors Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, in the Next Big Idea App
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