The Alumni Book Club (ABC) focuses on recently published, high-quality, and policy relevant fiction and non-fiction. The ABC will host a discussion every month.
March’s book will be “Nation Maker – Sir John A. Macdonald: His Life, Our Times” by Richard Gwyn for discussion on April 4th (RSVP)
April - Academic Reform: Policy Options for Improving the Quality and Cost-Effectiveness of Undergraduate Education in Ontario by Ian Clark. Professor Clark to attend. (Confirmed with Ian). *Date – May 23rd (RSVP)
May - A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness by Nassir Ghaemi
June - Thinking Fast & Slow by Daniel Khaneman
July - The Black Swan: Second Edition: The Impact of the Highly Improbable: With a new section: “On Robustness and Fragility” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Past Books
The first book of 2012 was “If We Can Put a Man on the Moon: Getting Big Things Done in Government” (2009) – Eggers & O’Leary.
February saw us reading “Zeitoun” (2009) by Dave Eggers.
The second book that the ABC read in the fall (2011) was Shakedown: How Our Government is Undermining Democracy in the Name of Human Rights by Ezra Levant. Discussion will be in the evening of November 16th with special guest Alison Loat. Alison is the Director of Samara, and Shakedown won Samara’s contest of Best Political Books.
The first book that the ABC indulged in during this ‘scholastic’ year was Stayin’ Alive: How Canadian Boomers will Work, Play, and Find Meaning in the Second Half of their Adult Lives, which is the most recent publication by Canadian social-values expert Michael Adams, author of Sex in the Snow, Better Happy than Rich, Fire & Ice, American Backlash, and Unlikely Utopia.
Other introductory sessions were: Arrival City (March 2011) and Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry (June 2011).
I would consider always having the next two books set as opposed to just the one — the extra flexibility and choice in when I can do this sort of reading would be welcome!
I think that’s a great idea and we’ll work to set 2 books ahead.
I would like to suggest two books to be put on the list of options for the book club:
1. We Think:Mass Innovation not Mass Production by Charles Leadbeater
2. Power and Love: a Theory and Practive of Social Change by Adam Kahane
I have seen both of these authors speak; they are both inspiring and insightful and bring a different way of looking at policy than we usually think about.
thanks!
Viola
Thanks, Viola! We will be sure to include these in our next poll.
I also have two books to add to the next poll:
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374275637
The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation by Drew Westen
http://www.amazon.com/Political-Brain-Emotion-Deciding-Nation/dp/1586484257
Thanks!
Jane
Jane, I love your suggestion! I agree that we should put “Thinking, Fast and Slow” on our list!
I’ve got a couple of ideas! I’ve started reading… and really enjoy Quiet: The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain maybe we could add this to the reading list – I would love to hear what other Alumni think.
Also, I want to propose reading a book on leadership – and there are a lot – Leadership Now has annual listings for “the best” leadership books, but we might also want to consider something like Good Boss, Bad Boss – How to be the Best and Learn from the Worst.
Last, I want to pitch The Spirit Level – I haven’t read it, but have heard good things!