Work: Loving it, hating it, and getting through the shift

In 'Chasing Smoke', Aaron Williams recounts his years on unit forest firefighting crews in British Columbia, portraying the brutal physical labour and the camaraderie of crews confronting wildfires. The book combines vivid on‑the‑ground scenes with reflections on labour, risk, and the changing nature of work in resource communities. Williams examines both meaningful aspects of firefighting and the bureaucratic or pointless tasks that can accompany government work. Through personal anecdotes and descriptive prose, he conveys the endurance required for the job and the complex motivations of those who choose it. The memoir situates individual experience within broader conversations about labour, purpose, and environmental change.

Aaron Williams' 'The Last Logging Show' is a memoir tracing his family's four‑generation involvement in the logging industry and his decision not to continue that tradition. The book explores community life on Haida Gwaii, tensions between settlers and Indigenous people, and the economic and environmental forces reshaping British Columbia's forests. Williams combines personal recollection with reporting on industry changes, protests, and the decline of local logging economies. He portrays the colorful, dangerous work of loggers while reflecting on identity, place, and the costs of resource extraction. The narrative situates intimate family history within broader cultural and ecological shifts affecting forestry in the region.