Getting to the Heart of Science Commu..., Faith Kearns
Getting to the Heart of Science Commu..., Faith Kearns
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Getting to the Heart of Science Communication
A Guide to Effective Engagement

Author: Faith Kearns

Narrator: Callie Beaulieu

Unabridged: 9 hr 6 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 09/21/2021

Synopsis

Scientists today working on controversial issues from climate change to drought to COVID-19 are finding themselves more often in the middle of deeply traumatizing or polarized conflicts. It is no longer enough for scientists to communicate a scientific topic clearly. They must not only be experts in their fields of study, but also experts in navigating the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of members of the public they engage with, and with each other. And the conversations are growing more fraught.

In Getting to the Heart of Science Communication, Faith Kearns has penned a succinct guide for navigating the human relationships critical to the success of practice-based science. Using interviews and personal anecdotes, as well as her own insights as a field scientist, Kearns walks listeners through the evolution of science communication and how emotional and high-stakes issues have shaped communication. The meat of the book lies in the middle chapters, where Kearns offers key tools for communicators: listening, working with conflict, and understanding trauma, loss, and healing. She concludes the book with a substantive discussion on diversity, equity, and inclusion in science communication, and advice to listeners for handling their own emotional needs in an unpredictable career landscape.

About Faith Kearns

Faith Kearns is a scientist and science communication practitioner who focuses primarily on water, wildfire, and climate change in the western United States. Her work has been published in New Republic, On Being, Bay Nature, and more. She has been working in the science communication field for more than twenty-five years, starting with the Ecological Society of America and going on to serve as a AAAS Science and Policy Fellow at the US Department of State, manage a wildfire research and outreach center at the University of California, Berkeley, and bridge science and policy advocacy efforts at the Pew Charitable Trusts. She currently works with the California Institute for Water Resources. Kearns holds an undergraduate environmental science degree from Northern Arizona University, and a doctorate in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California, Berkeley.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Aviv on September 04, 2021

This book is a must read for anyone even remotely involved in the sciences: science communication, research, teaching, etc. Faith Kearns breaks down science communication and brilliantly discusses the human sides: building community, listening to one another, and the importance of understanding wher......more

Goodreads review by Kadie on January 17, 2022

I found this book to be supremely helpful and incredibly inspiring. The book shares examples of how to be an effective communicator in the realm of scientific disciplines, but I have found it to be helpful with all forms of communication in life. We can learn from and connect deeply with people if w......more

Goodreads review by Georgia on August 28, 2024

This book was an interesting and balanced look into the field of science communication practice. I think my only issue was that the topics it focused on seemed almost surface-level? Or else maybe they were just topics that I’ve already encountered so they feel obvious to me. In any case, it is well......more

Goodreads review by Alison on September 11, 2024

This was fine. I don’t feel like I got a lot out of it; it’s less a “guide” and more a description of the landscape of science communication. The focus is heavily on research scientists who make the switch to communication professions, so not much for me personally to relate to. Few concrete recomme......more

Goodreads review by Bhavisha on April 14, 2025

I’m so glad I read this book in the first year of my PhD. Science communication is such an intricate field, and this book underscores just how important and difficult it is to build public trust in a time when that trust is so fragile. It pushed me to be really reflexive and understand how I’m perce......more

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List