Book Club: October 6, 2025, 2-4pm, – Fellows and External Fellows
- This event has passed.
October 6 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
October 6, 2025, 2-4 pm – Fellows and External Fellows
Fire Weather by John Vaillant (2023)
Discussion Leader: Susan Pfeiffer
Rather than just an intellectual exploration, this is about pressing global issues that require action, written by a Canadian author of great skill. While the Fort McMurray, Alberta, wildfires in 2016 provide a basis for the story line, the reader is informed about Canadian history, the science of wildfires in general, why modern towns burn so quickly, and how extractive industries have suppressed information about climate change. While published before the devastating Los Angeles fires, its theme is directly relevant to them. Vivid and compellingly written, it is full of information, though painful to read in places. It was on several “Best Books of the Year” lists in the US and Canada, one of Time’s must-read books of 2023, and a finalist for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction. (Available in all formats; 339 pages plus notes)
The 2024 National Film Board film, Incandescence, streaming free at https://www.nfb.ca/film/incandescence/, provides a vivid illustration of much of the book.
The link to register is https://forms.office.com/r/mwuuWyiBwD
The deadline to register is the Monday morning the day of the event at 8 am. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only.
If you have any questions, please contact the organizer, Mary Jane Ashley at maryjane.ashley@utoronto.ca.
