Join us this winter for the first-ever AAPS community read!
AAPS member Dr. Anne Toomey published her highly acclaimed* 2024 book, Science with Impact, in a more optimistic political climate, but the topic could not be more timely. Subtitled, How to Engage People, Change Practice, and Influence Policy, this is a highly readable and informed reflection on ways (and reasons why) scientists and the public often see things differently. Drawing both on her own experiences and on insights from experts (community leaders and academics alike), Anne suggests ways that participatory sciences can provide a route towards solutions we can all trust.
This is a perfect winter read––Anne’s writing is as approachable and engaging as she is herself. For those who attended CAPS 2025 in Portland you may have seen Anne by her poster (photo), where its interactive design opened the door for provocative questions. The book is similar. Anne opens her first chapter referencing both Star Trek and the movie, Don’t Look Up, drawing the reader in to consider how mis-steps in science communication set the stage for polarizing issues such as climate change. Throughout the book, Anne weaves together stories of visits to Amazon cafes, Pennsylvania farms, and New York City’s wild spaces with topics including unexpected conversations about data analyses, funding for community-engaged research, under-researched spaces, and roles for scientists in policy-making and advocacy.
Over the winter we offer three different ways to join this conversation. Register for the first event to receive updates about the rest of the series.
• January 15th (1pm ET) virtual book club launch and discussions of chapters 1-3
• February 10th (12pm ET) virtual discussion with the author on any chapter of interest
• weekly winter discussion questions in AAPS Connect on relevant topics
The link above to Bookshop.org (a non-profit sales point supporting local bookstores and other non-profits) is an affiliate link, with a portion of sales benefitting AAPS. You can get the book there if you’d like to support AAPS, or request a copy at your local bookstore or library.
Want to host your own local discussion? Email us for a list of questions and some bonus materials!
We look forward to discussing ideas that can help us all better understand and present the power of participatory sciences in this moment.
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*Selected as one of Choice’s annual Outstanding Academic Titles for 2025. Won the Silver Award in the 2025 Nautilus Book Awards in the Relationships and Communication category. Reviewed in the Journal of Science Communication, The Biologist, Popular Science, Choice, and Wildlife Activist, and covered on: NPR, Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria, Ecotopia, and Land and Climate Review.
