Thank you to the publisher for this arc!
I’ve read a couple of the best American writing collections, and this one was just as good. I really enjoyed the one about ball python breeding as I knew nothing about that field before this.
4 stars

** Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review **
This anthology is as much about storytelling as it is about science, which is why it’s such an engaging read. The chapters range from deep dives into climate change to intimate accounts of animal behavior and human innovation. Each selection blends hard facts with a sense of wonder, making the science accessible without losing its depth. I was especially taken with the pieces that paired personal narrative with global issues. The variety keeps you turning pages, eager for the next discovery. A must-read for anyone who loves to learn through story.

I'm a fan of compilations - it's a great way to immerse myself in perspectives that are new to me and sometimes in areas that I know nothing about. I've read earlier "Best of" books in a variety of genres but I was intrigued to see Susan Orlean as the guest editor for 2025. Her introduction admits that she avoided hardcore science in college so she could focus on literature and the humanities. But as an author, her research into the subjects of her books meant she spent a lot of time in various scientific realms. The selections in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2025 bring together curiosity to learn more about our environment and our interactions within it with an appreciation for how an author can share their enthusiasm, inquisitiveness, and wonderings to a larger audience. There are 20 pieces so this is just a snippet of all the great work published over the past year, but this was an interesting and diverse cross section with each piece giving me something to ponder and consider. In a few pieces, I learned something completely new (in an area I didn't even know existed) while other pieces reframed issues for me forcing me to question some of my long-held assumptions. Some pieces sound the alarm about what lies ahead, others highlight the great strides we are making. Some pieces were straightforward journalistic narratives, others were philosophical observations of our living world. Many "Best of" books are a mix of great and not-so-great pieces, but, for me, each article in this book was compelling, thought-provoking and well-written. The pieces celebrate science, the value of questioning, and the sheer scope of things we don't yet know.

Many thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-arc.