What We Are Reading Today: Fire Weather by John Vaillant

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Updated 17 June 2023
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What We Are Reading Today: Fire Weather by John Vaillant

John Vaillant’s “Fire Weather”  takes us on a riveting journey through the intertwined histories of North America’s oil industry and the birth of climate science, to the unprecedented devastation wrought by modern forest fires. 

In May 2016, Fort McMurray, the hub of Canada’s oil industry and America’s biggest foreign supplier, was overrun by wildfire. The disaster melted vehicles, turned entire neighborhoods into firebombs, and drove 88,000 people from their homes in a single afternoon. 

Through the lens of this apocalyptic conflagration, Vaillant warns that this is a shocking preview of what we must prepare for in a hotter, more flammable world.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘California Amphibians and Reptiles’

Updated 05 February 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘California Amphibians and Reptiles’

Authors: Robert Hansen and Jackson D. Shedd

California is home to more than 200 species of reptiles and amphibians that can be found in an extraordinary array of habitats, from coastal temperate rainforests with giant redwoods to southeastern deserts offering dazzling wildflower displays each spring. 

“California Amphibians and Reptiles” covers every species and subspecies in this biodiverse region of the United States, with outstanding color photography and in-depth species accounts that draw on the latest findings on taxonomy and distribution.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Make Your Bed’

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Updated 04 February 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Make Your Bed’

  • The author argues that discipline, resilience and hard work are essential for personal improvement and growth

Author: William H. McRaven

Published in 2017, “Make Your Bed: Small Things That Can Change Your Life … And Maybe The World” by retired US navy four-star admiral, William H. McRaven, is an exploration of discipline and self-control.

According to McRaven, attending diligently to simple daily tasks, such as making one’s bed in the morning, create a sense of discipline and accomplishment.

In addition, having a sense of order and purpose in life can help motivate one to push beyond initial goals.

The author argues that discipline, resilience and hard work are essential for personal improvement and growth.

In the book’s 10 chapters, McRaven outlines specific lessons which include the value of teamwork, perseverance, and the importance of facing adversity.

His style of writing is engaging and he emphasizes some of his own struggles and wins, while elaborating on how the principles he learned can be applied.

The book provides valuable insights that could inspire people to go and “make their bed” if they want to change their own lives, and maybe even the world.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Power of Cute’

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Updated 04 February 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Power of Cute’

Author: SIMON MAY

Cuteness has taken the planet by storm. Global sensations Hello Kitty and Pokémon, the works of artists Takashi Murakami and Jeff Koons, Heidi the cross-eyed opossum and E.T.—all reflect its gathering power.

But what does “cute” mean, as a sensibility and style? Why is it so pervasive? Is it all infantile fluff, or is there something more uncanny and even menacing going on—in a lighthearted way? In “The Power of Cute,” Simon May provides nuanced and surprising answers.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior’ by David Hone

Updated 03 February 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior’ by David Hone

Our understanding of dinosaur behavior has long been hampered by the inevitable lack of evidence from animals that went extinct more than 65 million years ago and whose daily behaviors are rarely reflected by the fossil record. Today, with the discovery of new specimens and the development of new and cutting-edge techniques, paleontologists are making major advances in reconstructing how dinosaurs lived and acted.

“Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior” provides an unparalleled look at this emerging field of science.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Dragonflies of North America’ by Ed Lam

Updated 02 February 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Dragonflies of North America’ by Ed Lam

Dragonflies are large and beautiful insects, diverse in color and pattern.

This premier field guide provides all the information you need to identify every male and female dragonfly found in North America, whether in the field, in the hand, or under the microscope.

The extensive illustrations are the heart of the book. Close-up color portraits of each species, often several times life size, show the best possible specimens for close examination.

“Dragonflies of North America” is the ultimate guide to these extraordinary insects.