Have you ever wondered how science explains transcendence? Dr. Alan Lightman’s The Transcendent Brain navigates the balance between the material nature of the physical universe (our bodies, our brains) with the immaterial experiences of transcendence, spirituality, and consciousness.

Throughout this story, author Richard Powers draws powerful links between biodiversity and human diversity. If you’d like a glimpse at how the natural world can penetrate our lives to bring us both pain and enduring joy, pick up a copy of the novel Bewilderment.