The Big Read

Keynote Lecture: July 30, 2026 at 7:30pm in Hall Auditorium

Sam Kean will speak on the fascinating world of experimental archaeology—bringing ancient cultures to life through the stories in his national bestselling book, Dinner with King Tut.

Rather than simply studying artifacts, Kean explores how scientists recreate ancient tools, food, engineering, and daily life to better understand how people once lived. The result is a talk filled with surprising discoveries, humor, and unforgettable stories.

Dinner with King Tut was a national bestseller and named a top book of the year by The New Yorker, Amazon, Smithsonian, and the History Channel. It also received the Non-Obvious Book Award for Most Original Book.

Whether you’ve read the book or are simply curious about how the ancient world still shapes us today, this promises to be an engaging and thought-provoking evening in Hall Auditorium.

Get the Book:

We encourage you to grab your copy at northern Michigan favorites McLean and Eakin in Petoskey or Between the Covers in Harbor Springs—and start reading today!