MONDAY
Richard Preston, fresh off his Daily Show appearance, where he confounded Jon Stewart, brings his unique perspective on some of America’s oldest residents, California redwood trees, in The Wild Trees. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, 7:00 p.m.
TUESDAY
With the glut of celebrities proclaiming themselves Buddhists, it’s sometimes hard to pin down the historical and ethical roots of this ancient religion. Author Lama Surya Das, who the Dalai Lama calls ‘The American Lama’, gets back to basics in Buddha is as Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living. The book reflects on how people of all faiths can embrace the goals of positive action and personal reflection. Sounds like Washingtonians could learn a thing or two. Barnes and Noble, 4801 Bethesda Avenue, Bethesda, 7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Learn more about the evolution of America’s most prominent museums with Heather Ewing’s The Lost World of James Smithson: Science, Revolution, and the Birth of the Smithsonian. The book details the fascinating battle between Congress, prominent Americans like Alexander Graham Bell and John Quincy Adams and philanthropists that gave birth to the Smithsonian Institutions we know today. Olsson’s Penn Quarter, 418 7th St., NW, 7:00 p.m.
