The Forgotten Teachers: How Nature Wrote the Story of Life [Forthcoming: September!]
The Forgotten Teachers: How Nature Wrote the Story of Life [Forthcoming: September!]
OUT SEPTEMBER 30, 2025! Please note that due to shipping costs, all the books included in the same order as The Forgotten Teachers will ship together, in September 2025.
Written by Brian Isett
Illustrated by Claudia Biçen
Interweaving science and storytelling, spirituality and art, a neuroscientist and an artist guide us toward a deeper understanding of how radically interconnected all of life is.
Starting from science, while reaching for spiritual truth, The Forgotten Teachers charts the evolution of life on Earth under the mentorship of six teachers: Ocean, Air, Theia (through collision with this planet, Earth was set on its tilt), Sun, Plants, and Symbionts. Ideas from the field of evolutionary biology, accompanied by watercolor illustrations, guide this factual yet mytho-poetic exploration of life.
Motivated by their shared concern over the severance of science from the sacred, and humans from their place within nature, Isett and Biçen set out to write a scientific wonder story for our times—to enchant readers with the strangeness and beauty of evolutionary biology, while reintegrating us into the natural world.
As Rachel Carson did in her time and as Wendell Berry has done as a poet and essayist across the years, Isett writes with precision and urgency to remind us that we participate in a story that is far larger than ourselves, and that to see ourselves more truly would be to see the many ways in which we belong to the molecules and mysteries of the living world.
ISBN: 978-1-59270-411-8 • 8” (W) x 11” (H) • 104 pages • HCJ
REVIEWS
“This little beauty... is all about combining the arts and the sciences in an effort to rework our connections to the natural world." —Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production (A School Library Journal blog)
“The Forgotten Teachers is a book that rekindles our sense of the marvelous. The child and the adult in me want to read it together snuggling side by side, each of us encouraging the other's sense of wonder.” —Sophie Howarth, Cofounder of the School of Life
“The Forgotten Teachers is a magnificent story of life and its emergence. Eloquently written and beautifully illustrated, this book will enchant people of all ages. It will indeed evoke awe and wonder for our planetary home that is so needed in our time.” —John Grim & Mary Evelyn Tucker, Coproducers of Journey of the Universe and Codirectors of the Yale Forum on Religion & Ecology
“As an ocean lover and leader in ocean conservation, I found The Forgotten Teachers to be a truly inspirational and powerful book. The Forgotten Teachers uses a unique storytelling methodology to illustrate the wonders and evolutionary concepts that shaped our magnificent Blue Planet. I hope that many people can read it.” —Titouan Bernicot, Founder and CEO of Coral Gardeners and National Geographic Explorer
“Brian Isett’s evocative prose and Claudia Biçen’s stunningly beautiful images fuse into a mythic, wonder-filled story, of the unfolding universe and biosphere.” —Bron Taylor, Author of Dark Green Religion and Professor of Religion, Nature, and Environmental Ethics at the University of Florida
“The Forgotten Teachers is a magically illustrated book that weaves poetry, our ancestral history of deep connectivity, and modern scientific information into a beautifully woven quilt of words and drawings. It is a lasting and holistic story to be revisited time and time again.” —David Gruber, Distinguished Professor of Biology and Environmental Sciences at CUNY and Founder of Project CETI
“Claudia and Brian see science and spirituality, and beauty and biology as being complementary to one another. This is an immensely profound vision. Their holistic approach is needed to heal the wounds, division and separation and I highly and wholly recommend their work.” —Satish Kumar, Editor Emeritus of Resurgence & Ecologist Magazine and Founder of Schumacher College
“Uniquely creative, fascinating, awesome, inspiring, and vital are words that immediately come to mind when learning about this book. I cannot recommend it more highly.” —Leslie E. Sponsel, Author of Spiritual Ecology: A Quiet Revolution
“The Forgotten Teachers is a beautiful book about the mystery of life. Combining art and science, it reimagines the creation story in a way that leaves readers filled with awe and wonder.” —Emily Esfahani Smith, Author of The Power of Meaning
“A stunningly beautiful book, where science, spirituality, art and the natural world all come together to present magical and often surprising patterns found in the world we inhabit. I urge everyone to immerse themselves in this deeply meaningful and poetic body of work.” —Rithika Merchant, Artist