Selects: How Droughts Work

This book provides a comprehensive narrative of the Dust Bowl, detailing its effects on the regions of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas. It explores the experiences of people living through this ecological disaster and the broader historical context, including the Great Depression and New Deal policies. The book is based on local sources and personal accounts, offering a detailed look at the lives of those affected by the Dust Bowl.

Published in 1939, 'The Grapes of Wrath' is a powerful and poignant novel by John Steinbeck. It tells the story of the Joad family, Oklahoma tenant farmers who are forced to leave their home after the devastating effects of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. The novel follows their arduous journey along Route 66 to California, where they face numerous hardships, including poverty, exploitation, and the loss of family members. The book explores themes of family, survival, and the struggle for human dignity in the face of overwhelming adversity. It also delves into the broader social and economic issues of the time, highlighting the conflict between the powerful and the powerless. Steinbeck's work is known for its vivid portrayal of the human condition and its impact on American literature and society.

In 'Merchants of Doubt', historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway expose how a loose-knit group of high-level scientists, with deep connections in politics and industry, ran effective campaigns to mislead the public and deny well-established scientific knowledge over four decades. The book highlights how the same individuals repeatedly denied the truth of studies linking smoking to lung cancer, coal smoke to acid rain, and CFCs to the ozone hole, all while promoting an ideology of free market fundamentalism aided by a compliant media.