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Book Group: Past books
Book Group Information
Tue, 01/15/2013 - 5:34pm — Sandra.CoynerA list of books selected and read by this book group from 2008 to 2013 can be found here. For recent books, see below.
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| 09/02/2025 - 2:00pm | Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress—and how to Bring it Back Again |
Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress—and how to Bring it Back Again by Marc J. Dunkelman (2025, Public Affairs/Hachette 335pp). America was once a country that built big things, but today progress seems stifled. Conservatives deserve some of the blame, but progressives/democrats do too, because inherent fears of “The Establishment” persist, as “speaking truth to power” has become more important than building a better America. We can learn from the progressives of a century ago how to restore the power of democracy to do good and also restore confidence in democracy. |
| 08/05/2025 - 2:00pm | May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit our Biases—and What We Can Do About It |
May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit our Biases—and What We Can Do About It by Alex Edmans (2024, U. California Press, 300 pp.). “A Statement is not a Fact … A Fact is not Data … Data is not Evidence … ., After identifying flawed thinking referred to by these three statements, this book stresses examining the relationships among e.g. statistics and other sorts of facts. Includes strategies for improving both individuals and societies. Yes, this is about critical thinking, and helps some of our frustration about the current divides in our society. |
| 07/01/2025 - 2:00pm | Stolen Pride: Rise of the Resentful Right |
Stolen Pride: Rise of the Resentful Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild (New Press, 2024, 267pp.). Another careful scholarly study from Arlie Hochschild of people in an area that strongly supports Trumpian populism. Read this and you will understand a lot more. The meeting will take place on Zoom. Contact graf@sou.edu for zoom information. |
| 06/03/2025 - 2:00pm | Of Boys and Men: Why the modern male is struggling, why it matters, and what to do about it. |
Of Boys and Men: Why the modern male is struggling, why it matters, and what to do about it. Richard V. Reeves. 2022. Evan Osnos of the New Yorker calls it "provocative, timely, and rich with real-world solutions." It's a Barack Obama 2024 Summer Reading Selection. We've been reading a lot of books about women's issues. This would provide a good balance. Has a strong grounding in the idea that males are oppressed as males. Our discussion could be lively. The meeting will take place on Zoom. Contact graf@sou.edu for zoom information. |
| 12/03/2024 - 2:00pm | Book Discussion of Ours Was the Shining Future by David Leonhardt |
The Jefferson Center Book Group will meet on Zoom to discuss Ours Was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream by David Leonhardt (2023). Leonhardt traces origins, success of, and challenges to the American Dream from the Depression to the present. The big arc of the history he covers is probably familiar, but this author has non-standard (well supported) interpretations of how various parts of the trajectory interrelated. Ends with discussable ideas about what political “compromise” might mean. |
| 06/17/2024 - 12:00pm | What We Owe the Future |
What We Owe the Future: The author is a professor of moral philosophy and this is a philosophical argument that we should prioritize positively influencing the long term future. It’s philosophy, not social science, so it is an argument/essay. |
| 05/20/2024 - 12:00pm | Poverty, by America |
Names, examines, and evaluates all the usual explanations/justifications for poverty, showing what makes sense and what doesn’t. He discusses “what we can do about it” more extensively than other books we have read. Very discussable! |
| 04/22/2024 - 12:00pm | The Gender Knot |
The Gender Knot: A feminist man’s explanation of patriarchy avoiding guilt, blame, anger, denial. |
| 03/18/2024 - 12:00pm | The Power of Crisis |
The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats—and our Response—Will Change the World 2022 by Ian Bremmer. Recent crises show threats & possibilities for hope. Discusses global health emergencies, climate change, and AI. “Provides a roadmap for surviving—even thriving in—the 21st century.” |
| 02/19/2024 - 12:00pm | Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues |
Covid was definitely not the first one. This book examines human history as far back as the Paleolithic through eight serious encounters with infectious disease. Do any patterns emerge? Does it make a difference to view history with disease at the center, perhaps from the main viewpoint of the virus/bacterium? |