Best American Science and Nature Writing books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series?"

"There are twelve books in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series, published between 2010 and 2021."

Q: "What is the first book in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series?"

"The first book in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series is The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2010, published in 2010."

Q: "How are the Best American Science and Nature Writing volumes edited?"

"Each volume has two editors. A series editor selects about 100 candidate articles from American and Canadian periodicals, then a guest editor picks roughly 25 for the final book. Guest editors have included notable scientists and writers like Michio Kaku, Ed Yong, and Carl Zimmer."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2010	2010	Sam Kean	Buy
2	The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2011	2011	Sam Kean	Buy
3	The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2012	2012	Sam Kean	Buy
4	The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2013	2013	Sam Kean	Buy
5	The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2014	2014	Sam Kean	Buy
6	The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2015	2015	Sam Kean	Buy
7	The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2016	2016	Sam Kean	Buy
8	The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2017	2017	Sam Kean	Buy
9	The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2018	2018	Sam Kean	Buy
10	The Best American Science And Nature Writing 2019	2019	Sam Kean	Buy
11	The Best American Science And Nature Writing 2020	2020	Sam Kean	Buy
12	The Best American Science And Nature Writing 2021	2021	Sam Kean	Buy

The Best American Science and Nature Writing is a yearly anthology series that has been running since 2000 as part of The Best American Series, originally published by Houghton Mifflin. Each volume collects roughly 25 of the best science, nature, and environmental essays published in American and Canadian periodicals that year. The pieces are selected through a two-tier process: a series editor reads widely and narrows the field to about 100 candidates, then a guest editor makes the final picks.

The guest editors change each year and have included prominent figures like Freeman Dyson, Oliver Sacks, Michio Kaku, Ed Yong, and Carl Zimmer. Sam Kean’s own writing has appeared in the series, and his work connects to the same tradition of making science accessible to general readers. The twelve volumes listed here span from 2010 to 2021, covering a period that saw major developments in climate science, genetics, public health, and space exploration. Each volume stands on its own, so readers can pick up whichever year or guest editor interests them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series?

There are twelve books in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series, published between 2010 and 2021.

What is the first book in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series?

The first book in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series is The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2010, published in 2010.

How are the Best American Science and Nature Writing volumes edited?

Each volume has two editors. A series editor selects about 100 candidate articles from American and Canadian periodicals, then a guest editor picks roughly 25 for the final book. Guest editors have included notable scientists and writers like Michio Kaku, Ed Yong, and Carl Zimmer.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order