PORT TOWNSEND — A book that connects climate change to capitalism has been named by the Port Townsend Library as the 2016 Community Read.
“This book was clearly, by a landslide, the first-place vote,” Melody Sky Eisler, library director, said of Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate.
“It is a very timely, important topic that the community has an interest in.”
In an online contest in which about 250 people voted, Klein’s book received 42 percent of the vote.
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown came in second with 15.6 percent, and Saltwater Taffy by Eric DelaBarre received 14.8 percent.
Economic system
Klein’s book, published in 2014, says climate change reflects a failure of the economic system, and that system needs to be changed to save the planet, according to a library news release.
Events surrounding the Community Read, such as discussion groups, presentations and a possible author visit, are planned for March, but the book is being distributed now to give people a chance to read it and understand its message, Eisler said.
March events will include participation from Key City Public Theatre’s PT Shorts, Northwind Arts Center, Local 20/20 and other community organizations.
Eisler said the library has extended an invitation to Klein, who lives in Canada, to make a personal appearance but will not know until January, when the author’s yearly schedule is compiled, if he will attend.
In the meantime, the library is building momentum for the book.
This began with its distribution to about a dozen members of the Book Lover’s Cafe, which will discuss the book at its next meeting at 2 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Library Learning Center, 1256 Lawrence St.
Eisler said she hopes to secure several hundred copies of the book for loan, with the goal of getting that many people involved.
“It would be really exciting to see a few hundred people reading the book,” Eisler said.
“The joy of a community read is that you go around town and stop in coffee shops to see people all reading the same book.”
Call to action
This year’s selection is appropriate for its call to action, Eisler said.
“With this book, you aren’t just cuddling up with a nice fiction book or a narrative; it has a broader implication for the community.”
Eisler said the book’s selection does not mean the library is promoting its point of view.
“We are not endorsing the content of the book,” she said.
“We are allowing a discussion around the issues.
“We are not telling you what to think.”
Eisler said the information in the book will allow people to be better informed about the topic and make their own decisions.
For more information, go to www.ptpubliclibrary.org or call 360-385-3181.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
