A curated year in science writing
Guest editor Hope Jahren selects the year's standout essays spanning ecology, physics, medicine, and the environment for a general readership. The collection is a snapshot of science as told for 2017.
The Best American Science And Nature Writing 2017 (The Best American Series)
4 ideas
Range of reported subjects
The pieces gather narrative reportage from leading magazines on climate, disease, discovery, and the natural world. Together they show the breadth of contemporary science storytelling.
Science as human story
The selection frames scientific subjects through narrative and personal stakes rather than raw data. The editorial choice argues that story is how science reaches a wide public.
The ethical charge of nature writing
Many pieces carry environmental urgency, linking careful observation to conservation concern. Attention to the natural world doubles as an argument for protecting it.