Mennonite Life, formerly Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, will host author Donald B. Kraybill on Thursday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. The event will take place in the Community Room at the Collections Building, the former historical society building, 2215 Millstream Road, Lancaster.

Kraybill, a professor emeritus at Elizabethtown College, has authored dozens of books on Amish life and culture. He is also a senior fellow at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies.

His first book, "The Riddles of Amish Culture," was influenced by the interest in the Amish generated by the 1984 Hollywood film "Witness" starring Harrison Ford. He also co-wrote a book with Steven M. Nolt and David L. Weaver-Zercher called "Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy" about the Nickel Mines shooting in 2006 and how Amish families forgave the perpetrator.

His newest book, "What the Amish Teach Us," is a collection of 22 short essays that infuse storytelling with informational reflections. Each essay shares a lesson that the author has learned from the Amish. Subjects include community, faith, technology, apprenticeship, entrepreneurship, and aging in place.

Copies of "What the Amish Teach Us" will be available for purchase at the event. Kraybill will sign books after the presentation.

To watch a livestream of the event, visit http://www.facebook.com/MennoniteLife.