Published by Plaid Safety — Smart Strategies. Safer Workplaces.
Introduction
As an environmental and safety professional, I geek out on the science behind why we do what we do — how ecology, biology, and human behavior all connect to health and safety.
These books aren’t just great reads; they remind us why this work matters. Each one offers insight into the systems we protect, the people we serve, and the delicate balance between industry and the environment.
Whether you’re an EHS professional, an environmental scientist, or simply curious about how the world works, these are the books I personally recommend — the ones that challenge how you think and deepen why you care.
1. The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
By Kate Moore
Bestselling Historical Nonfiction
The haunting true story of the young factory women who painted luminous radium onto watch dials — and paid for it with their lives. Their fight for justice forever changed U.S. labor and safety laws.
Why read it: A must-read for every safety professional — a powerful reminder of why worker health protections exist.
2. Silent Spring
By Rachel Carson
The Book That Launched the Modern Environmental Movement
Carson’s groundbreaking 1962 classic exposed the dangers of pesticides and awakened public consciousness about environmental responsibility.
Why read it: Still relevant today — it teaches that scientific courage and truth-telling can reshape policy and culture.
3. Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
By James Nestor
National Bestseller
A fascinating dive into how modern life changed the way we breathe — and how proper breathing can dramatically impact our health and resilience.
Why read it: Essential for EHS and wellness leaders exploring the link between air quality, human performance, and wellbeing.
4. The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate
By Peter Wohlleben
The Mysteries of Nature, Vol. 1
Reveals how trees form communities, share resources, and communicate underground — a poetic and scientific portrait of the forest as a living system.
Why read it: Inspires a deeper understanding of natural intelligence — perfect for sustainability and environmental professionals.
5. The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild
By Thomas D. Seeley
Harvard Biologist’s Masterpiece
An in-depth look at how wild honey bees survive, communicate, and adapt — and what that teaches us about ecosystems and human impact.
Why read it: Shows how environmental balance, not control, sustains life — a valuable lesson for EHS and environmental management.
6. Death in the Air: The True Story of a Serial Killer, the Great London Smog, and the Strangling of a City
By Kate Winkler Dawson
A Chilling Intersection of Crime and Pollution
An unforgettable true story that intertwines the deadly 1952 London smog with a serial killer’s reign of terror — and how both events reshaped public health.
Why read it: A reminder that environmental health is inseparable from urban planning and social justice.
7. The Cyanide Canary: A True Story of Injustice
By Robert Dugoni & Joseph Hilldorfer
Investigative Environmental Crime Nonfiction
A gripping courtroom drama about one of the worst environmental crimes in U.S. history — where negligence led to deadly exposure and corporate cover-up.
Why read it: For EHS professionals, it underscores how accountability, ethics, and documentation save lives.
8. The Overstory: A Novel
By Richard Powers
Pulitzer Prize Winner
A sweeping, multi-generational novel connecting people and trees in a breathtaking narrative about resistance, nature, and hope.
Why read it: Fiction that feels like truth — it reignites empathy for the living systems we often overlook.
9. Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic
By David Quammen
Scientific Nonfiction Bestseller
Explores how diseases jump from animals to humans — from Ebola to COVID-19 — and what that means for global health systems.
Why read it: Essential for understanding zoonotic disease, a core issue in environmental and occupational health.
10. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
By Elizabeth Kolbert
Pulitzer Prize Winner
A compelling look at humanity’s role in the planet’s sixth mass extinction — weaving field science, history, and moral urgency.
Why read it: A sobering call to action for every professional working to protect life and limit environmental harm.
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