Thoughtful Books to Read Now: Our Sustainable Reading Recs

The Thought: After a balmy summer of lighter beach-friendly reads (some a little more on the trashy side), we felt it was time to move on to something a little more substantial.

The Feeling: These are some of our top picks for informative and engaging books covering sustainability and the climate crisis. These page-turners are gripping, and - dare we say it – enjoyable, offering a more positive uplifting approach to the state of the world and our place in it.

Our top sustainability focused reads:

1. The Future we Choose by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac – hailed as a must-read by everyone from Al Gore to Ed Miliband, this is an optimistic and practical approach to the great challenge of our time – the climate crisis. Mark Ruffalo calls it ‘inspirational, compassionate and clear’ and we couldn’t agree more.

2. This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein – Another hard-hitter from the author of no.1 international bestsellers No Logo and The Shock Doctrine. This book encourages you to think outside the capitalist box and listen to the language of fires, floods and storms to recognise a civilizational wake-up call. This book is about changing the world, and we can get on board with that. 

3. The Joyful Environmentalist: How to Practise Without Preaching by Isabel Losada – If you’re tired of reading ranty tirades re-hashing the same old (albeit terrible) news about the state of our planet, this may be just what the doctor ordered. Losada skips the typical doom-filled intro and heads straight into positive solutions. A book for those who want to make a difference AND smile. 

4. How Bad are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything by Mike Berners-Lee – a new and updated version of the original ground-breaking 2009 book, republished with new facts and figures covering all areas of modern life. A science-based manual that doesn’t preach, simply provides the resources for its reader to make informed choices. Worth keeping in your handbag.

5. No More Rubbish Excuses: How to reduce your waste and why you must do it now by Martin Dorey – a brilliant book explaining how we can all make simple, impactful changes to cut down on waste and why this will make a big difference. His approach offers 2 minute solutions, showing not only how easy this can be, but how quick it is too.