Human/NatureJane RawsonNewSouth, $34.99 Most of her life, Jane Rawson held certain staunch beliefs about nature. Humans are ruining the environment. Introduced species are bad. Biodiversity matters. Wilderness is the real nature. We are on the brink of apocalypse. Writing this book, she says, has made her challenge all these assumptions, especially the division between nature and not-nature. She comes to no neat conclusions, but her informed and probing questions about why we lament the extinction of some species but not others, or how we justify killing for conservation, are like the ripples from a stone tossed into the water. They unsettle, but in a good way, inspiring unexpected hopefulness. The more complex the picture became for Rawson, the wider her circle of compassion. “I thought discovering more about the natural world would break my heart, but instead I keep finding myself in a state of transcendent joy.” Age of DoubtEdited by Tracey Kirkland & Gavin FangMonash University Publishing, $34.99 There are no simple solutions to the rise of misinformation and the erosion of trust in institutions, the media and society as a whole. In these essays, ethicists, journalists, scientists, business leaders and other thinkers offer diverse perspectives on how we might regain community cohesion and the ability to agree to disagree. Instead of the curated truths of “extreme individualism”, says Anglican bishop Michael Stead, we need an acceptance of something larger than ourselves whether it is God or a social compact. The importance of strengthening civil society is a recurring theme, as is learning from the example of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and of being attuned to our own biases and preconceptions, rather than simply defending them. Above all, the message is that doubt can be constructive as well as corrosive, an opportunity to rethink the very foundations of society. The Booklist is a weekly newsletter for book lovers from Jason Steger. Get it delivered every Friday.