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.
This June, for National Ocean Month and World Ocean Day, the SciFri Book Club will read Many Things Under a Rock: The Mysteries of Octopuses by David Scheel. Octopuses live incredible lives in the oceans—shifting colors, outsmarting predators, and engaging with the world in ways that question our ideas about intelligence. Marine biologist David Scheel has spent decades studying these unreachable animals off the coast of Alaska and beyond. In Many Things Under a Rock, he welcomes us into their underwater world. We’ll learn not just about the biology and behaviors of octopuses, like how they hunt, hide, and maybe even dream, but also the cultural and ecological links that affect their lives, such as climate change. Scheel combines scientific discovery with personal reflection to reveal the complexity of one of nature’s most mysterious animals.
Many Things Under a Rock brings together a range of topics, including evolution, marine biology, anatomy, ecology, animal behavior and more—and we’ll touch on these ideas throughout this Book Club season.
Get the Ebook or audiobook from the Alaska Digital Library, or get the audiobook with no waiting on hoopla. A Young Reader's Edition is also available as a book or ebook. You can also get a copy from your local bookstore.
This Book Club season kicks off Sunday, June 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:
- June 1-8: Chapters 1-7
- June 9-15: Chapters 8-11
- June 16-22: Chapters 12-16
- June 23-30: Chapters 17-22 + 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), 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.
Join the SciFri Book Club community forum here.
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!
Many Things Under a Rock
Thursday, June 26
4 PM | Zoom
This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics featured in Many Things Under a Rock. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress—come chat with other science-interested folks about evolution, marine biology, anatomy, ecology, animal behavior and more.
Author Live Stream
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!
Many Things Under a Rock
Friday, June 20
9 AM | Science Friday's YouTube Livestream
Octopuses have long captured our imaginations, yet much about their lives remains unknown. Marine biologist David Scheel shares his discoveries in Many Things Under a Rock, weaving together the story of one unreachable octopus with deep insights into the biology, behavior, and changing ecosystems that shape these remarkable creatures.
Upcoming Selections
- July: Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed our Food, our Planet, and Ourselves by Nicola Twilley. Ebook available from the Alaska Digital Library.
- August: Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are by Rebecca Boyle.
