Anchorage Public Library has partnered with Science Friday to bring the Sci Fri Book Club to the science and reading enthusiasts in our community. The SciFri Book Club is a program created by Science Friday to bring people together around all things science reading – anything from sci-fi short stories to nonfiction science books to science articles from various publications to science-y poetry!
There’s lots of ways to participate: Read the book, join our community space, attend an event, or send a message on the SciFri VoxPop app.
December Selection
This December, the SciFri Book Club is reading Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet by Ben Goldfarb. While modern roads may be a familiar and ubiquitous sight to humans, they can be an alien force of death and disruption to wildlife. In Crossings, environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb tells of his travels around the US and the world to investigate how roads have transformed our planet, informs readers about innovations that can minimize their threat to wildlife, and imagines a world where road ecology is a natural part of our urban planning strategy—for the sake of all living beings.
Crossings brings together a range of topics, including ecology, urban design, animal and human behavior, pollution, habitat restoration and more—and we’ll touch on these ideas throughout this Book Club season.
Get the ebook and audiobook from the Alaska Digital Library.
This Book Club season kicks off Sunday, December 1, and you can read along with us! We’ll be (loosely) following this schedule, but all our readers are welcome to join us at their own pace:
- December 1-8: Part I: Killer On The Road
- December 9-15: Part II: More Than A Road
- December 16-22: Part III: The Roads Ahead
- December 23-31: Final thoughts
Plus, we’ll be hosting events throughout the month! Keep an eye out on our website or join our Events newsletter to be the first to know.
There are so many ways to dive in and participate! You can purchase a copy of the book (and support the author and SciFri), read an excerpt from the book, join the discussion in our online Book Club community, sign up for our email newsletter, or RSVP for our upcoming Book Club events. Check out all the details below.
Book Club Meeting
Want to meet other SciFri Book Club members, talk about the book selection, and find more resources for deeper learning—all without leaving your home? Our community meeting is the place for you!
Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet
Thursday, December 19
4 PM | Zoom
This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics featured in Crossings. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress—come chat with other science-interested folks about ecology, urban design, animal and human behavior, pollution, habitat restoration and more.
Fire Weather: On the Front Lines of a Burning World
Thursday, January 30
4 PM | Zoom
This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics featured in Fire Weather. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress—come chat with other science-interested folks about ecology, environmental science, climatology, history, energy policy, and more.
Author Livestream Event
Join us online for a livestream all about the science topics featured in the SciFri Book Club pick. Come with your queries and wonderings—we’ll be taking your questions in the livestream comments!
Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Plane
Tuesday, December 17
3 PM, Science Friday's YouTube Livestream
From altered migration patterns to the spread of invasive species, and from road salt contamination to the sounds that chase songbirds away, the new science of road ecology is shining light on all the ways roads deeply affect wildlife. Hear from environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb on his quest to document road ecologists’ vital work across the world.
Fire Warning: On the Front Lines of a Burning World
Tuesday, January 21
10 AM, Science Friday's YouTube Livestream
Author John Vaillant will join the SciFri Book Club livestream to talk about the Fort McMurray wildfire and the escalating impact of fire in the age of climate change. Dive into the history of fire’s role in human evolution and the urgent lessons this fiery catastrophe holds for our future.
Upcoming Selections
- January: Fire Weather: a True Story from a Hotter World by John Vaillant. Ebook and audiobook available from the Alaska Digital Library.
- February: Origin: a Genetic History of the Americas by Jennifer Raff.
- March: Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. Ebook and audiobook available from the Alaska Digital Library.
