Sarah Milov, author of The Cigarette: a Political History, is the featured speaker at the San Bernardino County Museum’s Dome Talks on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m.

Milov, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Virginia, teaches courses on 20th century political and social history, and her research explores how organized interest groups and everyday Americans influence government policy. A former fellow of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, she has written on the tobacco industry, the rise of e-cigarettes, and the grassroots fight to battle climate change.

One of the most controversial products in American history, the book traces the fascinating rise and fall of the tobacco industry, the machinations of tobacco executives and scientists, and the shifting political climate that supported the smoking culture.

Now in its fourth year, the Dome Talks speaker series brings prominent, provocative, and quirky speakers to the region to discuss current books and topical issues. In 2020, these evening discussions are scheduled monthly from January through July.

Future Dome Talks speakers are:

Mar. 24, Terry Tempest Williams, naturalist and author of Erosion: Essays of Undoing. 

Apr. 16, Evan Hilgemann, mechanical engineer at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA, “How to Drive a Rover on Mars and Other Necessary Skills for the Itinerant Space Traveler.”

May 21, Marilyn Berlin Snell, author of Unlikely Ally: How the Military Fights Climate Change and Protects the Environment.

June 25, Ruth Kassinger, author of Slime: How Algae Created Us, Plague Us, and Just Might Save Us.

July 16, Larry Burns, author of Secret Inland Empire: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure.

All Dome Talks evenings open at 6:30 p.m. for a light reception sponsored by the San Bernardino County Museum Association, Amparo Serrano, and Lorenzi Estate Vineyards and Winery. Presentations start at 7 p.m. and include book sale and signing where applicable. Author’s books are available for sale in the Museum store.

Tickets for individual evenings are $20 each ($16 museum members) and can be purchased online at www.sbcounty.gov/museum or at the door. Advance ticket purchase is strongly encouraged as walkups are not guaranteed.

The San Bernardino County Museum’s exhibits of regional cultural and natural history and the Museum’s other exciting events and programs, including Dome Talks reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.

The San Bernardino County Museum is at 2024 Orange Tree Lane, at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sbcounty.gov/museum. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities.

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