Curious Reading Club

In case you missed it... We're a book recommendation service focused on hand-picking brilliant non-fiction that will entertain you, provoke your imagination and expand your horizons. Sign up to get a new book each month: It's $30/month to subscribe (US-only) readcurious.xyz

Enjoy our book of the month, BEYOND INHERITANCE? Here are some other biology reads that should make great follow-up reads. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/biology-bo...

Great recommendation, this was our pick of the month from this February... and we still have some hardback copies available! readcurious.xyz/products/thi...

Podcasting milestone for Ayana! (Author of WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? our pick for March 2025.)

A new report found Elon Musk’s DOGE canceled $470 MILLION in grants and spending for Indian Country. The federal government’s obligation to tribes goes back to treaties, and many advocates are saying the cuts amount to treaty violations.

There's neat storytelling gimmick Lovecraft used that you can steal: 'only three fully human souls since time began had ever crossed and recrossed the black impious gulfs to other dreamlands, and of that three two had come back quite mad.' Guess what he doesn't do next? Tell you who the third was.

Just a few days left to join and get your copy of BEYOND INHERITANCE until we close up for October. We have monthly, bi-monthly, and annual memberships available! newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur030-bey...

For folks in South Carolina... If you don't know, bioethicist Carl is the author of "The Occasional Human Sacrifice" -- our second ever pick!

Nearly half of U.S. bald and golden eagles have lead poisoning, often from lead ammo in gut piles. After the Citizen Potawatomi Nation released two captive-bred golden eagles, one died this way. Now the tribe is asking hunters to go non-lead.

Why science writing is hard, and why getting it right means three things: to translate, to explain, and to expand. Featuring @roxannekhamsi.bsky.social, @theopennotebook.bsky.social and an open mind. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/close-read...

It's important to remember that the AI doom scenario assumes not only that intelligence is a single well-defined thing, but also that intelligence solves literally every single problem, and that in every conflict overwhelming intelligence always wins. This is just not how anything works.

🤯 Dang! Turns out that glass sea sponges are the Immortal Unicorns of the Deep. Makes sense that some of the longest-living individual animals are also some of the most plant-like, rooting in place, growing up and out, and forming concentric rings that record climate and can be used to estimate age

These little dudes are just nonstop adorable chaos

Excited to share our book of the month for October: "Beyond Inheritance" by @roxannekhamsi.bsky.social—a fresh perspective on what's going on with your DNA. Turns out we're all mutants! Sign up to join the club and get your copy today. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur030-bey...

Annalee has a new book coming out! Apparently it features an alien slime mold graduate student who changes shape to study Earth-like creatures and hangs out in ancient Pompeii. 🤯🤯🤯

I don’t know if anyone needs this right now but here are some baby goat zoomies!

One of our picks, Valley of Forgetting by @jennieerinsmith.bsky.social (January 2026) just won the National Association of Science Writers award for book of the year. Congratulations! newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/distinctio...

Less traffic. Lower emissions. Cleaner air. Better public transit. ✅ In honor of NYC Climate Week, we’re interviewing Louise Yeung, NYC’s Chief Climate Officer Listen (and review 🌟and follow!) wherever you get your podcasts. 🎧 getitright.earth/podcast

It's your last chance to sign up to our club and get September's book, SOLDIERS AND KINGS,—an astonishing, intimate look at human trafficking from Mexico to the US. LAT: "a glimpse into a world rarely seen or understood” NYT: "A rare inside look at human smuggling on the border" readcurious.xyz

This is solarpunk art

AI companies are delaying their IPO's for a very specific reason. Author Cal Newport and @adambecker.bsky.social discuss why they are delaying. #ai #datmpodcast #future #science #ipo #doomer #deepwork #calnewport #goodnews @multitudeshows.com

"I don't think I really knew that it was going to work until it was done" We spoke to @robertakwok.bsky.social about her excellent book "Lost in Curiosity," the messy middle of science, and her A+ recommended reading! newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/roberta-kw...

Curious synchronicity! Rebecca wrote BY THE FIRE WE CARRY (CUR007) and the work of Navajo scientist Jani Ingram is the focus of chapter 8 of @robertakwok.bsky.social’s LOST IN CURIOSITY (CUR028) We love to see it!

The clean energy industry is getting aggressive, super PAC style. This episode, Bill and I spoke with Tom Matzzie, founding chairman of the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC, to break down their winning strategy. Listen-follow-review 🌟wherever you get your podcasts: getitright.earth/podcast

Future generations will call our era of AI-driven content "the Void Ages." I explain it all in @newscientist.com (register for free to read it for free)! www.newscientist.com/article/2584...

In today’s article, spend A Day in the Life of freelance science writer @robertakwok.bsky.social! Between promoting her new book, Lost in Curiosity, communications work, and prepping to teach a workshop, there’s a lot to glean from her current day-to-day. www.theopennotebook.com/2026/09/15/a...

This week's guest, linguist @emilymbender.bsky.social, talks with @adambecker.bsky.social about the origin of her famous paper on LLM’s, “On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots” #ai #datmpodcast #future #science #llm #linguist #stochastic #parrots

What makes Jason de León's "Soldiers and Kings" work so well? One reason is how comfortable it is with ambiguity, and how it sets the reader up for life in the gray zone. Our close read is here: newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/close-read...

The messy business of making science happen: I review Roberta Kwok's (@robertakwok.bsky.social) “Lost in Curiosity” for @undark.org: #science #books undark.org/2026/09/04/b...

ICYMI: Season 5 of the What If We Get It Right? podcast has an incredible new co-host! I’m teaming up with OG climate legend @billmckibben.bsky.social to cover everything you need to know about environmental issues leading up to Election Day. Subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts. 🎧

September's book of the month is "Soldiers and Kings" by Jason De León, a fascinating, harrowing look at human smugglers who ferry undocumented migrants across the US border. The anthropologist embedded himself with coyotes across seven years to write it. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/soldiers-a...

If you liked our book of the month, "Lost in Curiosity," here are three books that take you behind the scenes of the scientific life in different but interesting ways. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/three-scie...

One thing we really appreciated about our book of the month "Lost in Curiosity" is how patient it is. Author Roberta Kwok followed scientists throughout their research, not just calling them up afterwards. You'd be surprised how rarely that happens. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/close-read...

Our country's R&D infrastructure has been disrupted and getting it back won't be easy. Our guest this week is @alondra.bsky.social , former head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under Joe Biden. #datmpodcast #aiethics #science @adambecker.bsky.social @multitudeshows.com

"You don't have to be an oracle. Just go to the library." We had a delightful conversation with @susanamorris.bsky.social about her book "Positive Obsession," the reality of Octavia Butler's prophetic prose... and alien sex vampires. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/interview-...

Our book of the month for August is @robertakwok.bsky.social’s brand new “Lost in Curiosity”—a collection of surprising, sharp portraits of researchers at work. It’s pop science that avoids the typical pop science narrative. Sign up to get your copy now! newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur028-ann...

We don't generally pick biographies or books about artists and writers -- so this month's choice of POSITIVE OBSESSION was a little unusual. Here are three other works about creative minds that cover everything from art scenes and innovation to grief. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/three-art-...

Why did we love POSITIVE OBSESSION by @susanamorris.bsky.social so much? Many reasons, but a few of the most important ones are here. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/positive-o...

July's book of the month is Susana M. Morris's fascinating Octavia E. Butler biography POSITIVE OBSESSION. Grappling with Butler's life and work, it has a different texture than I expected—Kirkus called it “a sensitive examination.” Available now! newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur027-pos...

In the week when Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire, interrogating the beliefs of the technology world's most powerful people seems more important than ever. Our June pick, MORE EVERYTHING FOREVER does just that. But how? newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/close-read...

Excited to say that our pick of the month for June is @adambecker.bsky.social's storming MORE, EVERYTHING, FOREVER. From AI apocalypse to immortality, if you've ever wondered what strange beliefs the Silicon Valley really hold... this is the book for you. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cu026-anno...

Our book of the month for May is “Feed the People!” by Gabriel N Rosenberg and @jandutkiewicz.bsky.social — a provocative argument in favor of mass food production and the pleasures of “democratic hedonism” Read more: newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur025-ann...

What made “Waste Wars” our book of the month for April? It’s a skillful expose of the myths at the center of the rubbish and recycling industry… revealing how this is a big money operation that perverts our relationship with trash. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/waste-wars...

Our book of the month for April is the remarkable, globetrotting “Waste Wars: The Wild Afterlife of Your Trash” by Alexander Clapp - @alexclapp.bsky.social - an eye-opening dive into what really happens to the stuff you throw into the garbage and recycling. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur024-was...