on getting to the heart of science communication

it's book release day!

As many of you know, I’ve been working on a book and it’s finally making its way into the world. Indeed, Getting to the Heart of Science Communication is officially out today!

The book offers an on-the-ground perspective on communicating emotional and contentious topics and is filled with concrete examples from actual people. It is centered around practical tools like relating, listening, working with conflict, and understanding trauma, all with an eye toward equity and justice. It includes a foreword from Eric Holthaus, as well as the deep wisdom of around one hundred practitioners. I will be sharing some of that wisdom on social media over the coming weeks.

The book has been written up favorably in both Grist and Science. Thank you to Kate Yoder for writing about the material in a such a clear and accessible way for the former, and Jonathan Wai for his thoughtful comments for the latter. I was also honored to have early reviews of the book from Cynthia Barnett, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, and Bob Lalasz.

Yanna Lambrinidou @DrishtiEthics

“‘It’s really absurd to think that you would have a class on ‘public listening,’ right?’ Kearns joked. ‘Whereas like ‘public speaking’ is this ubiquitous thing. At some point, I start to wonder: Who’s doing all the listening to all this public speaking?’”

grist.orgThe conventional wisdom on how to talk about climate change? It’s wrong.Listen to the science? On how to talk about climate change and science, Faith Kearns makes the case that it’s just not that simple.

If you would like to buy Getting to the Heart of Science Communication, you can use the code HEART for 20% off with Island Press, the publisher. It is also available in all the usual places that books are sold — and is listed as the #1 new release in both communications and environmental studies on the big one! Book reviews on these sites are super helpful, and I’m happy to connect with you about talks, workshops, book clubs, course adoption, and more.

Finally, thank you to everyone who has been sharing copies of the book in the wild! To say I am blown away by the early support would be a vast understatement (also, all your reading spots are so cozy and nature-y)!

E. Joaquin Esquivel @ejesquivel

It arrived! I'm looking forward to digging into @frkearns' timely book on science communication. So often science miscommunication and confusion are embedded and part of our collective inaction. Thank you, Faith, for synthesizing this. #WeekendReading

CA Naturalist @CANaturalist

We know what we’re doing this weekend! Enjoying the garden and reading our copy of @frkearns new book on Getting to the Heart of Science Communication from @IslandPress that arrived this week. Congratulations Faith!

Francisco J. Guerrero @fjguerrerob

3..2..1 Here we go! Ready to dive into the heart of #scicomm with @frkearns new book. Spoiler alert: it includes mentions to @COMPASSscicomm and @AAASMassMedia. Ready for the #weekend!

Gabrielle Roesch-McNally, PhD @G_Roesch

Ok- so just digging into the first part of this new book by @frkearns on science comm with heart & I was moved to applauding/ tears. This work is so important- I want everyone I know to read it @AngieLCarter @andreabasche @RESchattman @julianjon @Caitydid685 @hnw2 @HRPrendeville

Dr. Tessa Hill @Tessa_M_Hill

On a beach with a book by @frkearns 🥰 and loving it! Can’t wait to introduce this book in a @UCDavisEngaged workshop for @UCDavisGrad later this month!

Recommended:

• So many great books have come out already this year, including The Disordered Cosmos by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein and Lessons from Plants by Beronda Montgomery. I was also thrilled to get the updated version of one of my favorite books of all-time, How To Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America by Kiese Laymon.

• So many great books are also coming later this year. I’m really looking forward to The Sound of the Sea by Cynthia Barnett, Disasterology by Sam Montano, Paradise by Lizzie Johnson, and Complaint! by Sara Ahmed, all available for pre-order. This is just a small sample, and you can see some of the books I love and/or cited and/or have pre-ordered at Bookshop and by following my periodic bookstagramming.

• Now is the time to catch up on the second season of the Water Talk podcast I co-host with Mallika Nocco and Sam Sandoval. We’ve had some great guests including farmer and writer David 'Mas' Masumoto and Indigenous scholar Cutcha Risling Baldy, with more to come!

• Speaking of podcasts, there are too many good ones out there to do anything comprehensive, but a must listen is Hear to Slay hosted by Tressie McMillan Cottom and Roxane Gay. I’ve also recently enjoyed conversations with Lydia Jennings on episode two of The Trail Ahead and Sergio Avila on Science Moab, both of whom I was also lucky enough to interview for the book!

I welcome any thoughts you want to send me about the content of this newsletter or otherwise.