What is this Reading for Planet Earth Book Club about? We read books that have been advancing green thinking and doing. ‘Green’ could relate to nature conservation, (human) ecology, sustainable consumption, or to environmental sustainability in the broadest sense. We read classics as well as contemporary bestsellers, and sometimes controversial titles. We aim for an inclusive and diverse list of authors and topics.

 

Why a book club? Especially in an academic setting, reading is essential. Yet, it is so difficult to make time to read books. Committing to this book club will solve that. Further, discussing a book in a (small) group of people will enlarge and sharpen understanding and expand worlds. And it is more fun than thinking about it on your own.

 

For whom? Anyone is welcome; from first year students to facilitating staff and full professors. Also open to non-affiliates of the WUR.

 

What is the format? Every month you read a book. Then we discuss it in a physical (not digital) meeting of one hour. The format of these meetings may vary, but it is informal and open. Of course, there is no obligation to read every book and join every meeting. You can pick and mix.

Ultimately, the book reading is the cake. The meeting is the cherry on the cake.

 

What is the language of the book club? We read books published in, or translated into, English. Related meetings will also be held in English. Occasionally, there may be a book written in Dutch. Discussing those books can also be done in English.

 

I am a WUR BSc/MSc student. Can I earn something by participating? For students, in addition to the intellectual credits, it may be possible to earn ECTS. For 3 ECTS you need to read 3 books from the list, participate in the 3 related meetings, and write a 2000 word synthesis paper according to social scientific academic standards. For 6 ECTS it’s 6 books and a 4000 word paper. If you want to make use of this opportunity, you can email Koen or speak to him after a book club session.

 

I am a WUR (WASS) PhD student. Can I earn something by participating?  For PhD students connected to Wageningen School of Social Sciences (WASS), to prevent adding further stresses and obligations, WASS is prepared to provide you with 1 ECT for every book that you read + associated meeting you attend (with a maximum of 3 ECTS – Category A2 in your TSP). So, no need for WASS PhD students to write papers or do anything else; just read and join a one hour discussion of the book. If you want to make use of this opportunity, you can email Koen or speak to him after a book club session. For PhD students from other WUR graduate schools or other universities who want to participate for ECTS, it is best to check with you own graduate school first to see what may be possible. Potential opportunities can then be discussed with Koen.

 

How do I join? Simply read the book and come to the meeting. To keep up-to-date with announcements, sign up to the newsletter, and don’t forget to confirm your subscription directly in your inbox. If you are interested but not sure if you can make it to many meetings, feel also free to sign up.

 

How do I obtain the books? The onus is on you to obtain the books. Some older titles may be available digitally through www.gutenberg.org. The (WUR) library may also have hard or digital copies available. Purchase requests to the library may also offer possibilities, but they have to be made timely.

 

Previously read and discussed

  1. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (2013) Robin Wall Kimmerer [03/05/2023]
  2. A Sand Country Almanac (1945) Aldo Leopold [05/06/2023]
  3. Failing Forward: The Rise and Fall of Neoliberal Conservation (2023) Robert Fletcher [13/06/2023]
  4. Silent Spring (1962) Rachel Carson [03/07/2023]
  5. Vuur en Beschaving / Fire and Civilisation (1992) Johan Goudsblom [07/09/2023]
  6. Designs for the Pluriverse: Radical Interdependence, Autonomy, and the Making of Worlds (2018) Arturo Escobar [29/09/2023]
  7. A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis (2021) Vanessa Nakate [31/10/2023]
  8. The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity (2021) David Graeber & David Wengrow [07/12/2023]
  9. Wat de Bomen Ons Vertellen: Een Geschiedenis van de Wereld in Jaarringen / Tree Story: The History of the World Written in Rings (2020) Valerie Trouet [11/01/2024]
  10. The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins (2015) Anna Tsing [06/02/2024]
  11. Down to Earth: Politics in the New Climatic Regime (20187) Bruno Latour [06/03/2024]
  12. Matters of Care: Speculative Ethics in More than Human Worlds (2017) Maria Puig de la Bellacasa [02/04/2024]
  13. Wolven op het Ruiterpad: Over mensen en andere roedeldieren (2022) Tijs Goldschmidt [02/05/2024]
  14. Subtle Agroecologies: Farming With the Hidden Half of Nature (2021) Julia Wright (ed.) [11/06/2024]
  15. The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World (2015) Andrea Wulf [03/09/2024]
  16. The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow's World (2018) Charles Mann [03/10/2024]
  17. Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're In Without Going Crazy (2012) Joan Macy & Chris Johnstone [07/11/2024]
  18. Rosewood: Endangered Species Conservation and the Rise of Global China (2022) Annah Zhu [03/12/2024]
  19. On the Animal Trail (2018) Baptiste Morizot [07/01/2025]
  20. The Matter With Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World (Volume 1) (2021) Iain McGilchrist [13-02-2025]
  21. The Matter With Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World (Volume 2) (2021) Iain McGilchrist [13-03-2025]
  22. Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene (2016) Donna Haraway [10-04-2025]
  23. Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation (2004) Silvia Federici [08-05-2025]
  24. The Nicomachean Ethics (± 351 BC) Aristotle [10-06-2025]
  25. The Ministry for the Future (2020, novel) Kim Stanley Robinson [02-09-2025]
  26. Sacred Nature (2022) Karen Armstrong [07-10-2025]
  27. If Women Rose Rooted (2016) Sharon Blackie [04-11-2025]
  28. Ten Birds That Changed the World (2022) Stephen Moss [11-12-2025]

 

Upcoming books and meetings

  1. Hunter, gather, parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us about the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans (2021) Michaeleen Doucleff, Tue 6-1-2026 12:30-13:30, WUR, Gaia 2
  2. The Comfort Crisis (2021) Michael Easter, Thu 12-02-2026, 12:30-13:30, WUR, Lumen 5
  3. The Memory Code: Unlocking the Secrets of the Lives of the Ancients and the Power of the Human Mind (2016) Lynne Kelly, Thu 05-03-2026, 12:30-13:30, WUR, Lumen 4
  4. Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living (2022) Dimitris Xygalatas, Thu 09-04-2026, 12:30-13:30, WUR, Lumen 6
  5. The Living Mountain (1977) Nan Shepherd, Tue 12-05-2026, 12:30-13:30, WUR, Lumen 6
  6. Sand Talk:  How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World (2019) Tyson Yunkaporta, Mon 01-06-2026, 12:30-13:30, WUR, Lumen 5
  7. Full tilt: Ireland to India with a bicycle (1965) Dervla Murphy, Thu 03-09-2026, 12:30-13:30, WUR, Lumen 6
  8. An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us (2022) Ed Yong, Thu 08-10-2026, 12:30-13:30, WUR, Lumen 6
  9. Wanderlust: A History of Walking (2000) Rebecca Solnit, Thu 05-11-2026, 12:30-13:30, WUR, Lumen 6