THURSDAY

Chaya Bhuvaneswar, Louise Aronson “White Dancing Elephants.” 7 p.m. City Lights Bookstore, 261 Columbus Ave., S.F. 415-362-8193. www.citylights.com

Ashley Conrad-Saydah, Michael Reynolds, Scott Tangenberg, John Buckley “Heroic Rescue and Reconstructions: Fires, Forests, Trees, Homes,” panel discussion. 6 p.m. $8-$20. Commonwealth Club, 110 The Embarcadero, S.F. 415-597-6705. www.commonwealthclub.org

Noah Deich, Greg Dalton “Going Carbon Negative.” 6:30 p.m. $7-$20. Commonwealth Club, 110 The Embarcadero, S.F. 415-597-6705. www.commonwealthclub.org

Laura Harema “Bering Sea Strong.” 5:30 p.m. Book Passage, 100 Bay St., Sausalito. 415-339-1300. www.bookpassage.com

Paul Johnson “How America Exploited Japan’s Biological Weapons Crimes.” Noon. $8-$20. Commonwealth Club, 110 The Embarcadero, S.F. 415-597-6705. www.commonwealthclub.org

Kiese Laymon, Tongo Eisen-Martin Poetry reading. 7 p.m. Marcus Books, 3900 Martin Luther King Way, Oakland. 510-652-2344. lca.sfsu.edu; 1 p.m. The Poetry Center, Humanities Building, SFSU, 1600 Holloway Ave., S.F. 415-338-2227. lca.sfsu.edu

FRIDAY

John Prendergast, Fidel Bafilemba, Dave Eggers, Chou Chou Namegabe “Congo Stories: Battling Five Centuries of Exploitation and Greed.” 7 p.m. Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. 415-927-0960. www.bookpassage.com

SATURDAY

Eric Karpeles “Almost Nothing,” and “Lost Time.” 4 p.m. Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. 415-927-0960. www.bookpassage.com

Kenneth Pelletier “Change Your Genes, Change Your Life.” 1 p.m. Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. 415-927-0960. www.bookpassage.com

Breton W. Kaiser Taylor “The Dragon of Emerhill. 2 p.m. Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. 415-927-0960. www.bookpassage.com

Writers With Drinks Shawn Wen, May-Lee Chai, Alan Chazaro, Jennifer S. Cheng, Jaymee Goh and Bryan Thao Worra are featured. 7:30 p.m. $5-$20. Make Out Rom, 3225 22nd St., S.F. www.writerswithdrinks.com