Humanities Book Group
A monthly reading and discussion group focusing on topics in history, culture, and the humanities. The group typically meets first Thursdays at 7pm and is led by guest scholars. Pick up a copy of each month's book from the front desk.
2026 Theme
Wild About Nature
1 october 2026, 7pm
The Wild Trees
by Richard Preston
Scholar: Kerri Clement, PhD, WSU
Book Summary:
Hidden away in foggy, uncharted rain forest valleys in Northern California are the largest and tallest organisms the world has ever sustained–the coast redwood trees, Sequoia sempervirens. Ninety-six percent of the ancient redwood forests have been destroyed by logging, but the untouched fragments that remain are among the great wonders of nature. The biggest redwoods have trunks up to thirty feet wide and can rise more than thirty-five stories above the ground, forming cathedral-like structures in the air.
5 November 2026, 7pm
Lassoing the Sun
by Mark Woods
Scholar: Lawrence Culver, PhD, USU
Book Summary:
For many childhood summers, Mark Woods piled into a station wagon with his parents and two sisters and headed to America's national parks. Mark’s most vivid childhood memories are set against a backdrop of mountains, woods, and fireflies in places like Redwood, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon national parks.
On the eve of turning fifty and a little burned-out, Mark decided to reconnect with the great outdoors. He'd spend a year visiting the national parks. He planned to take his mother to a park she'd not yet visited and to re-create his childhood trips with his wife and their iPad-generation daughter.
3 December 2026, 7pm
Wild Rescues
by Kevin Grange
Scholar: Eric Swedin, PhD, WSU
Book Summary:
Wild Rescues is a fast-paced, firsthand glimpse into the exciting lives of paramedics who work with the National Park Service: a unique brand of park rangers who respond to medical and traumatic emergencies in some of the most isolated and rugged parts of America.
Upcoming Book Groups
- Requests must be made at least 24 hours in advance.
- Please specify which event you are attending.
- If you haven't received a link within 4 hours of the event, please call us at 435-723-5850.