The EFI DEI Working Group hosts Book Clubs that read books on topics relevant to diversity, equity, and inclusion in academia, science, and ecological forecasting. Typically, the groups meet in June-July each year.
In October 2023 the DEI Working Group created this living document to provide a summary of action items suggested during book club calls. The living document is to be used as a reference to support and inspire activities for EFI that can be developed and led as individuals have time, availability, and interest in doing so. The living document also provides an opportunity to collate and celebrate activities that have taken place that have been inspired by or align with suggestions from the book clubs.
Email info@ecoforecast.org if you are interested in joining the book club to receive further details and the Zoom information for the calls.
2026 Book Club
Based on suggestions from the Canadian EFI Chapter and EFI2026 Conference organizers, the joint EFI Education/DEI working group is hosting the 2026 book club in June to read and discuss Elbows Up!, edited by Elamin Abdelmahmoud, in preparation for the Conference.
Elbows Up! is a collection of essays by over 30 Canadian writers, artists, and cultural figures reflecting on Canadian identity, Canada’s relationship with the U.S., national unity, and the country’s future, featuring diverse voices from Indigenous, immigrant, and Québécois perspectives.
The group will meet on June 15 and June 22 at 4pm US ET. Email info@ecoforecast.org if you would like to receive the calendar invite to participate.
Previous Book from the Book Club
 | Data Feminism by Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein. | June-July 2025 |
 | Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius | May 2024 |
 | 97 Things About Ethics Everyone in Data Science Should Know edited by Bill Franks | July-August 2023 |
 | Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy by Cathy O'Neil | June-July 2022 |
 | Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Statement developed by the book club participants as a guide for considering data and forecast provenance. "Ecological forecasts, and the data that shape them, are a gift from the community. In this context, the community includes humans, animals, plants, and the land. Forecasts help us to shape decisions that impact our collective community or cultural values in a collaborative framework. We show gratitude for the gifts of ecological forecasts and data when we honor the reciprocal relationships among community members." | June-July 2021 |
 | Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson | December 2020-January 2021 |
 | Spatio-Temporal Statistics with R by Christopher K. Wikle, Andrew Zammit-Mangion, and Noel Cressie | August-November 2020 |
 | The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us by Paul Tough Note: This book was originally published as "The Years That Matter Most" now it is "The Inequality Machine" | June-July 2020 |