Environmental publishing is growing like topsy, providing readers with volumes of good books from which to choose.

I certainly don’t claim to read exhaustively in this area, and there are many recent publications that are still on my “to-read” list, including Andrew Nikiforuk’s Empire of the Beetle.

But when I reflect on my reading this year, these are the titles that immediately come to mind as compelling books that helped to enlarge my understanding of the world:

Becoming animal : an earthly cosmology by David Abram - David Abram’s first book, The Spell of the Sensuous has become a classic of environmental literature. This book with equally poetic prose, reminds us of our animal senses and the elemental kinship between the body and the earth.

Goodlands: a meditation and history on the Great Plains by Frances W. Kaye. Anyone who loves the Great Plains and has ever wondered how the prairie ecosystem became so distorted should read this book. Kaye divides her time between a farmstead outside Lincoln, Nebraska, and a house in Calgary, so that she may always be close to the prairie land that drives her research.

Homegrown & handmade: a practical guide to more self-reliant living by Deborah Niemann. Plenty of us look at the environmental challenges we face and want to throw up our hands. Author Deborah Niemann suggests that instead, we get those hands to work, creating a cleaner, healthier life for ourselves and our families.

The Leap : how to survive and thrive in the sustainable economy by Chris Turner. Moving from our current unsustainable mode of life to a more sustainable model requires a great leap. Local author, Chris Turner, presents a well researched guide to recent developments which make this leap seem more feasible.

Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis - In an age of gluten intolerance, this controversial book presents a chilling story of how through genetic modification, an ancient dietary staple has been transformed into one of the most damaging food products in today’s world.