MONDAY

Marla Ruzicka, who was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq, was a dedicated peace activist who not only labored intensely for the victims of war, but sought to flip the peace movement’s entire paradigm by waging peace within the system, a move that set her apart from her colleagues, but also got results, including landmark legislation for the innocent victims of war and the respect of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Her extraordinary, yet tragically short, life is recounted by Jennifer Abrahamson in Sweet Relief: The Marla Ruzicka Story. Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY

Does the music we love have a physiological effect on us? Besides the seizures Wang Chung videos cause, that is? Find out when Daniel Levitin discusses This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession. Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, 12th & Jefferson Drive SW, 6:30 p.m. $25.

WEDNESDAY

Locals best know Michel Richard as the genius behind Citronelle. This week, he comes to Politics and Prose to tell us why he’s so Happy in the Kitchen: The Craft of Cooking, the Art of Eating. Hint: it’s more than just convincing people to pay $14 for eggplant gazpacho. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, 1 p.m.