MONDAY
The enormous efforts undertaken by naturalists to save the California condor are documented by John Nielsen in his book, Condor: To the Brink and Back—The Life and Times of One Giant Bird. Nielsen will be at the Audubon Naturalist Society to sign and discuss his book, bringing with him the hope that the condor will one day again fly with ubiquity across the western skies, and that my special recipe for crème brulee—which calls for condor eggs—will be as legal as it is delicious. 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, at 7:30 p.m.

TUESDAY
David Hume saved Jean-Jacques Rousseau from persecution, only to end up in a vicious feud with him years later. The story of their friendship and falling-out frame a comparison of their philosophical beliefs in Rousseau’s Dog. And speaking of beef, one might ask why John Eidinow will be appearing at Politics and Prose without his co-author David Edmonds. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW., at 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY
Malcolm Lawrence is back in town to discuss and sign his book, Something Will Come Along: Witty Memoirs of a Foreign Service Officer, again. This time, however, there will be food. Old Country Buffet, 240 N. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, at noon.

THURSDAY
PostSecret turned the act of confession into an art form, taking the private into the public with fascinating results. Fresh off winning the Bloggie Award for Blog of the Year, the site’s mastermind, Frank Warren, will be on hand to talk about the site and his book, PostSecret at the Barnes & Noble in Rockville. Undoubtedly, there will be some nervous people in the audience, casting shifty glances. 12089 Rockville Pike, Rockville, at 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY
Arch has been helping to provide educational programs for DC’s youth for nearly two decades, and their 5K Run/Walk is an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon and help raise money for some great kids. Come out to the Olsson’s in Penn Quarter to register for the Arch Race For Their Future today at 4:00 p.m. Or just register online at www.archdc.org, if you’ve got to be a big shut-in. Sooner or later, you’re gonna have to come outside.

SUNDAY
What if the problem with American politics didn’t have anything to do with the failings of your party, or the stupidity of the other guy's party, but rather had everything to do with the fact that everybody’s Congressperson was so safe in their incumbency and the voting habits of their constituents so calcified, that the entire House has degenerated into a massive den of shrill partisans who could afford to be as obnoxious as they are useless, without any worry of possible repercussions? And then what if they started hitting us with their cellphones? Go hear about it from Juliet Eilperin, who’ll be discussing her book, Fight Club Politics, at Politics and Prose. 5 p.m.