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October is National Book Month, so we thought we'd prepare you by sharing some of our favorite books on nature and the environment. And after you've read our selections, read the top 10 eco-books as chosen by members of the Great Places Network!

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The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss
The Lorax teaches readers young and old about the importance of the environment and the dangers it faces. Written in classic Seuss style, it tells the story of environmental loss and survival through the imaginative characters and critters we've grown accustomed to from Seuss.

Earth is Enough: Growing Up in a World of Trout and Old Men, by Harry Middleton
This autobiography captures Middleton's time when, as a young boy in the 1960s, he was sent off to live with two older men in the Ozark Mountains. These men enjoy a very simple life style - living in a very small country cabin, spending much of their time trout fishing and hunting. Through this experience, the boy learns about the value and wonders of nature - and eventually grows up to be a nature writer.

Last Chance to See, by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine
Last Chance to See chronicles the authors' trip to film endangered species around the world, including the Komodo Dragon, the white rhinos of Zaire, New Zealand kakapos, and Yangtze River dolphins. Adams (the author of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy") injects his trademark sense of humor throughout the book, making fun of the animals and of people whose actions threaten their habitat. Although the book is very funny, it also has a serious and well-articulated appeal for conservation.

Sand County Almanac (Outdoor Essays & Reflections), by Aldo Leopold
This is a book of essays on nature and Leopold's adventures in nature. Written from a cabin along the Wisconsin River, Sand County Almanac contains Leopold's reflections on the surrounding natural world and inspires the reader to reflect on nature as well.

Red Sky at Morning: America and the Crisis of the Global Environment, by James Gustave Speth
Speth is dean of the Yale School of Forestry and co-founder of Natural Resources Defense Council. His analysis in Red Sky at Morning of the current environmental situation is dead-on, as is his thinking about where to go from here. Read this book as a companion piece to "The Death of Environmentalism," a 2004 essay by Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus that argued environmental groups are ill-equipped to tackle the complex environmental issues of today.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, by Bill Bryson
This book is a hilarious account of Bryson's walk on the Appalachian Trail. It has lots of good environmental messages interspersed with milk-out-your-nose-funny prose on American consumerism, characters, and personal thoughts about being mauled by a bear.

The Ecology of Commerce, by Paul Hawken
The Ecology of Commerce examines the values and economic sense of "going green." Written about 10 years ago, it outlines (and rather frighteningly) our current energy issues and the unsustainable nature of the current model of doing business in the developing world. Hawken also offers some compelling and realistic alternatives.

The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: The Fate of the World and What We Can Do Before It's Too Late, by Thom Hartmann
Hartman argues that the only solution to our current environmental crises is to learn from the past - from those ancestors who lived sustainably for thousands of generations. This book was a complete eye-opener for me and transformed the way I looked at the world - ultimately inspiring me to dedicate my life to bettering the environment.

Cities in the Wilderness: A New Vision of Land Use in America, by Bruce Babbitt
In this book, Babbitt offers great ideas on how we should plan for development and decide where it should be allowed. He argues that, if the United States had a nationwide plan, the environmental community would be proactive instead of reactive in dealing with environmentally incompatible development projects. Babbitt also shares insights into his years as Secretary of the Interior, admitting his mistakes and then showing how he has learned from them.

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