The most beneficial reading you can do is to read the newspaper everyday.

I would recommend The Times if you are willing to pay for a subscription as it covers a broad range of topics in a balanced way.

The Guardian website is free which provides many articles about energy and the environment.

You can subscribe to the BBC Daily News E-mail list. Read a few articles each day that interest you, plus one that does not to ensure you are covering a range of ideas

www.bbc.co.uk/news/help-16617948

Factfulness

By Hans Rosling

This is about global development and inequalities around the world. It looks at various indicators that suggest the world is not necessarily as it first seems.

This book links to Section 2.2 People of the Planet

The Uninhabitable Earth

By David Wallace-Wells

This book looks at potential consequences of climate change on people, the economy and the environment. It can be quite negative, but remember he is trying to raise awareness and concern!

This book links to Section 1.3 Environmental Threats to the UK and Section 2.3 Environmental Threats to the Planet

The Making of the British Landscape

By Nick Crane

This book covers the geological history of the UK and how it has changed over time. It focuses on human impacts, and how we have manipulated the area to suit our needs including agriculture and settlements

This book links to Section 1.1 Landscapes of the UK and Section 1.2 People of the UK

So you think you know about Britain?

This study of contemporary Britain, leading geographer Daniel Dorling dissects the nation and reveals unexpected truths about the way we live today, contrary to what you might read in the news.

This book links to Section 1.2 People of the UK