Global Issues Book Group
The Global Issues Book Group, reads and discusses books on the vital Political, Economic, Environmental and Social issues that challenge humankind in the 21st Century.
April 2019
The Curse of Bigness
We live in an age of extreme corporate concentration, in which global industries are controlled by just a few giant firms--big banks, big phama, and big tech, just to name a few. But concern over what Louis Brandeis called the "curse of bigness" can no longer remain the province of specialist lawyers and economists, for it has spilled over into policy and politics, even threatening democracy itself. History suggests that tolerance of inequality and failing to control excessive corporate power may prompt the rise of populism, nationalism, extremist politicians, and fascist regimes. In short, as Wu warns, we are in grave danger of repeating signature errors of the twentieth century. The San Francisco Chronicle calls the book, "A bracing intellectual tour de force."
Tuesday, April 9th at 6:30 PM
May 2019
The Truth About Stories
"Stories are wondrous things. And they are dangerous." In his widely read and frequently taught The Truth About Stories, Native novelist and scholar Thomas King explores how stories change who we are and how we understand and interact with other people. From creations stories to personal experiences, historical anecdotes to social injustices, racist propaganda to works of contemporary Native literature. King probes Native culture's deep ties to storytelling. With wry humor, King deftly weaves events from his own life as a child in California, an academic in Canada, and a Native North American with a wide-ranging discussion of stories told by and about Indians.
Tuesday, May 14th at 6:30 PM
June 2019
Learning to Die: Wisdom in the Age of Climate Crisis
"Bringhurst and Zwicky ponder an all-but-unthinkable question: How should we live in the end times? They don't discount our attempts to stave off environmental catastrophe. But they believe, on the evidence, that it's too little too late. And they go on to ask, How should we face our coming fate? Can we learn, as members of a species run amok, how to perish with a modicum of responsibility and grace? These are artist-thinkers of commanding stature, and the specific answers they give deserve our attention. But what makes Learning to Die indispensable goes even deeper: the example it sets of unblinking moral courage. It opens a space for human beings to reckon with ultimate things."- Dennis Lee, poet and editor
Tuesday, June 11th at 6:30 PM
