"This special selection includes books on storytelling, science, and climate change."
"Humans are storytelling animals.
That, at least, is one of the stories that humans tell about themselves. We are not logic machines or information processors; we need the tug of a narrative thread to carefully follow an argument.
This poses a challenge for science, especially climate science, which has such a long timeframe, such a vast playing field, and way too many characters. But climate scientists, social scientists, reporters, and activists have tried, in permutating collaborations, to meet this challenge. And they have stories to tell about their efforts. (Or should we call them quests?)
This special selection presents six recently published titles.
The list starts with the recognition that technology shapes the kinds of stories we tell. The authors of “Story Tech” put some new teeth into this truism. They point out that our phones now routinely collect such detailed information about our actions and habits that companies and governments can create stories about us that we may not want told. New story technologies also affect how we aim stories at audiences and measure their impact. This thread in the story about storytelling can only get longer and thicker."
Michael Svoboda reviews for Yale Climate Connections January 30, 2026.
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