Like most of Michener's novels, Alaska seems to be a stitching together of separate but interrelated stories, and like most of Michener's novels, its structure and content offer a multitude of opportunities for productive discussions. The theme of the exploitation of human beings by other human beings is bound to stir someone's emotions. A sense of outrage could be productively turned to discussion of what to do now about Alaska's problems. Understanding the history of Alaska from the points of view of individual human beings can help people to think about how to properly deal with the state's vast resources and complex social conflicts.

If social issues are not of interest, a discussion group can turn its attention to the natural history of Alaska. Michener personalizes the natural history by telling the stories of individual animals, some of whom migrated to Alaska the same way human...