TOPICS  OFFERED  FOR  SUMMER  2022

 

Classes start May 2nd and end August 26th.

Holiday periods are adapted to by individual class voting.

 

1.         (1LT)         First  Light

Astronomers have observed a great deal of the Universe's history, from recording the afterglow of the Big Bang to imaging thousands of galaxies, and even to visualizing an actual black hole. There's a lot for astronomers to be smug about. But when it comes to understanding how the Universe began and grew up we are in the dark ages. In effect, we are missing the first one billion years from the timeline of the Universe.

This brief period in the Universe's history, known to astrophysicists as the ‘Epoch of Reionisation’, represents the start of the cosmos as we experience it today--the time when the very first stars burst into life, when darkness gave way to light. After hundreds of millions of years of dark, uneventful expansion, one by one these stars suddenly came into being. This was the point at which the chaos of the Big Bang first began to yield to the order of galaxies, black holes, and stars.

Incorporating the very latest research into this branch of astrophysics, this book sheds light on this time of darkness, telling the story of these first stars, hundreds of times the size of the Sun and a million times brighter, lonely giants that lived fast and died young in powerful explosions that seeded the Universe with the heavy elements that we are made of. Emma Chapman tells us how these stars formed, why they were so unusual, and what they can teach us about the Universe today. She also offers a first-hand look at the immense telescopes that take this period in the Universe's history from the realm of theoretical physics towards the wonder of observational astronomy.

Possible presentation topics could be the Nature of Light, Types of stars/nuclear reactions, Radio “song” of Hydrogen.

Common Reading:   First Light: Switching on Stars at the Dawn of Time, by Emma Chapman (Bloomsbury, February 2021)

 

2.         (BRT)      THE  STORY  OF  BRITAIN:  FROM  THE  ROMANS  TO  THE PRESENT

The common reading for this S/DG, The Story of Britain, is an accessible one-volume history that clearly depicts Britain's origins—and explains how the past shaped the nation's current identity. Author Roy Strong begins the story of Britain from the very earliest recorded Celtic times, and with this new edition has now brought it up to date via the Blair years and into the present day of Brexit Britain.

A magnificently eloquent volume, the narrative chronicles two thousand years of Britain's history, the triumph of its people, the glory of its culture, and its dramatic influence on other nations of the world, especially the United States. It is a remarkable achievement and, with his passion, enthusiasm and wide-ranging knowledge, Strong is the ideal narrator. The book is ideally suited for everyone who cares about Britain's past.

Presentation topics could include the Roman Conquest, the Anglo-Saxons, any of the ruling Houses of England (e.g., Normandy, Plantagenet, Lancaster, York, Tudor, Stuart, Hanover, and Windsor), Parliament, the Church of England, early cultural contributions by Chaucer, Shakespeare, and others, the history of Scotland and Wales, the history of London, and many others.

Common Reading:   The Story of Britain:  A History of the Great Ages:  From the Romans to the Present, by Roy Strong (February 2019)

 

3.         (BSN)      THE  BEST  SCIENCE  AND  NATURE  WRITING  2021

This year the stories are compiled by Ed Jong, science writer at The Atlantic. The articles were written in 2020, and appeared in such magazines as Wired, NYT Magazine, The Atlantic, Slate, The New Yorker, NYT and LA Times. 

The articles are written for the general reader, although those with specializations in science usually enjoy them as well.

In the past the class has always been very popular; one of the most consistent comments is that the articles are eclectic and many learn things they might not have explored on their own.

The format for the S/DG has been that each class member picks an article, gives a short presentation on the subject, and also distributes discussion questions.  This means that each meeting is mostly discussion.

Many articles this year relate to COVID; others are on such subjects as the monarch butterfly, Space X, the deep sea, down syndrome, climate change and a catfish. There are 26 articles, averaging about 15 pages each.

Common Reading:   The Best Science and Nature Writing 2021, edited by Ed Jong (October 12, 2021)

 

4.         (CTY)    THE  99%  INVISIBLE  CITY

Have you ever wondered what those bright, squiggly graffiti marks on the sidewalk mean?

Or stopped to consider why you don't see metal fire escapes on new buildings?

Or pondered the story behind those dancing inflatable figures in car dealerships?

There are stories baked into the buildings we inhabit, the streets we drive, and the sidewalks we traverse. This S/DG will zoom in on the various elements that make our cities work, exploring the origins and other fascinating stories behind everything from power grids and fire escapes to drinking fountains and street signs. Our text promises to “captivate anyone curious about design, urban environments, and the unsung marvels of the world around them.”

Let’s delve into design and architecture with all of their functional glory and accidental absurdity, and hear intriguing tales of both designers and the people impacted by their designs (us!).

Common Reading:   The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design, by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt (October 2020)

 

5.         (ECO)       ECONOMICS  FOR  THE  TWENTY-FIRST  CENTURY

This book argues that the economic questions of the present and future require ways of thinking that are different from standard neo-classical economics. The economic goal is to put humanity into the doughnut of a decent standard of living, avoiding the hole of misery, while staying within the ecological limits of the planet. The doughnut diagram contrasts with the classical idea of the upward trending growth curve and maximizing output to fulfill unlimited wants.

The author takes up new understandings of economic behavior and the complex dynamics of economies, and describes policies that are designed to distribute wealth and allow resources to be used re-generatively from the beginning, rather than waiting for growth to even up incomes and clean up the environment. A goal is to promote policies that allow the economy to thrive, whether it is growing or not.

 

Presentation topics might describe theories of particular economists, past and present; global or national trends in economies, welfare, or the environment; political policies or movements that reflect new or classical economic thought.

Common Reading:   Doughnut Economics – How to Think Like a 21st Century Economist, by Kate Raworth (March 2017)

 

6.         (EXT)      MASS  EXTINCTION  CURRENTLY  UNDERWAY 

Over the last half-billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us.  This S/DG will explore why and how human beings have altered life on the planet in a way no species has before.

Possible presentation topics:  There are many possible topics for this S/DG including climate change impact on rainforests, growing list of endangered species, changes occurring in the oceans, causes of earlier mass extinctions, profiles of scientists studying extinction process.

Common Reading:    The Sixth Extinction:  An Unnatural History, by Elizabeth Kolbert (January 2015, paperback) 

 

7.         (FOA)      FOOD  AMERICANA

In the pre-pandemic days, when we used to travel internationally, part of the joy was experiencing the cuisine of various countries.  We savored crepes and sauces in France, slurped up tomatoey pastas in Italy, spicy moles and enchiladas in Mexico.  To say the name of a country brings immediately to mind the foods that are associated with the culture.  But what about the United States?  What is our national food?  This S/DG will look at the various tastes and dishes that convey the national experience of our 50 states.  We will read and discuss the current book by David Page: Food Americana, an entertaining mix of food culture, pop culture, nostalgia, and everything new on the American plate.   From a lobster boat off the coast of Maine to the Memphis in May barbecue competition. From the century-old Russ & Daughters lox and bagels shop in lower Manhattan to the Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival. From a thousand-dollar Chinese meal in San Francisco to birria tacos from a food truck in South Philly we will discover the inside story of how Americans have formed a national cuisine from a world of flavors.

Presentations can include research about the various foods in our history as a nation, famous US chefs that put our cuisine on international menus, various food movements and issues around sustainability.  This S/DG invites you to “Whet Your Appetites for A Fascinating History of American Food!”

Common Reading:   Food Americana: The Remarkable People and Incredible Stories behind America’s Favorite Dishes, by David Page (May 2021, paperback)

 

8.         (GEO)     SHAPE:  THE  HIDDEN  GEOMETRY  OF  JUST  ABOUT EVERYTHING

If you're like most people, geometry is a sterile and dimly remembered exercise you gladly left behind in the dust of high school. If you recall any of it, it's plodding through a series of miniscule steps only to prove some fact about triangles that was obvious to you in the first place. That's not geometry. Okay, it is geometry, but only a tiny part, which has as much to do with geometry in all its flush modern richness as conjugating a verb has to do with a great novel.

In our common reading, Jordan Ellenberg, who is himself both a world-class geometer and an excellent writer, provides a far-ranging exploration of the power of geometry, which turns out to help us think better about practically everything.  Geometry asks: Where are things? Which things are near each other? How can you get from one thing to another thing? Those are important questions. The word “geometry” comes from the Greek for “measuring the world.” If anything, that’s an undersell. Geometry doesn't just measure the world—it explains it. Shape shows us how.

Presentations can address any of the myriad applications of geometry.  The book provides lots of ideas.

Common Reading:   Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else, by Jordan Ellenberg (May 2021)

 

9.         (H2O)        RUNNING  OUT  OF  WATER

On the American Great Plains, the Ogallala aquifer has nourished life for millennia. But less than a century of unsustainable irrigation farming has taxed much of the aquifer beyond repair. The imminent depletion of the Ogallala and other aquifers around the world is a defining planetary crisis of our times. 

The author of the possible book to be used for discussion, Running Out, takes a personal journey into western Kansas where five generations of his family have lived as irrigation farmers and ranchers, to try to make sense of this vital resource and its loss.  His search for water across the drying High Plains brings the reader face to face with the stark realities of industrial agriculture, eroding democratic norms, and surreal interpretations of a looming disaster.

While the book (a National Book Award finalist), focuses on the heartland’s aquifer, the scope of the S/DG could focus on all areas of water issues including California’s dance with drought that is often in the news.  Possible topics for presentation could cover the following: water and the lack of water as a factor in climate migration; ownership and pricing of water; golf courses/entertainment centers and water usage; alternative sources for water; and how water is distributed across the planet.

Common Reading:   Running Out: In Search of Water on the High Plains, by Lucas Bessire (May 2021)

 

10.      (HDD)     HOW  DEMOCRACIES  DIE

Donald Trump’s presidency and the events of January 6th, 2021 have raised a question that many of us never thought we’d be asking: Is our democracy in danger? Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt have spent more than twenty years studying the breakdown of democracies in Europe and Latin America, and they believe the answer is yes. Democracy no longer ends with a bang—in a revolution or military coup—but with a whimper: the slow, steady weakening of critical institutions, such as the judiciary and the press, and the gradual erosion of long-standing political norms. The good news is that there are several exit ramps on the road to authoritarianism. The bad news is that we have already passed the first one.

Drawing on decades of research and a wide range of historical and global examples, from 1930s Europe to contemporary Hungary, Turkey, and Venezuela, to the American South during Jim Crow, Levitsky and Ziblatt show how democracies die—and how ours can be saved.  Presentations can focus on other countries such as Venezuela or Hungary, historical analogies, or events in our own country.

Common Reading:   How Democracies Die, by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt (January 2019, paperback)

 

11.      (HER)        HEROINE  WITH  1,001  FACES

Many people are familiar with the ‘hero’s journey’ as defined by Joseph Campbell and Hollywood.  But, what about the heroines in stories and culture?

The book suggested for this S/DG, The Heroine with 1,001 Faces dismantles the cult of warrior heroes, revealing a secret history of heroineism at the very heart of our collective cultural imagination. Maria Tatar, a leading authority on fairy tales and folklore, explores how heroines, rarely wielding a sword and often deprived of a pen, have flown beneath the radar even as they have been bent on redemptive missions. Deploying the domestic crafts and using words as weapons, they have found ways to survive assaults and rescue others from harm, all while repairing the fraying edges in the fabric of their social worlds.

The long-buried history of heroines, taking us from Cassandra and Scheherazade to Hermione Granger, Katniss Everdeen, and Wonder Woman will be looked at as it relates to folk tales, literature, and empowerment of women.  Possible presentations going beyond topics to be expanded from within the book could include: how current authors are developing female characters that reflect these traits; how the heroines of today or ‘hidden figures’ of the past apply their ‘super powers’; specific myth or literary character with heroine power; how other cultures consider the heroine; using words/voices in furthering suffragette, civil rights, #MeToo.

Common Reading:   The Heroine with 1001 Faces, by Maria Tatar (September 2021)

 

12.      (HMK)     HUMANKIND:  A  HOPEFUL  HISTORY  

If there is one belief that has united the left and the right, psychologists and philosophers, ancient thinkers and modern ones, it is the tacit assumption that humans are bad. It's a notion that drives newspaper headlines and guides the laws that shape our lives. From Machiavelli to Hobbes, Freud to Pinker, the roots of this belief have sunk deep into Western thought. Human beings, we're taught, are by nature selfish and governed primarily by self-interest.

But what if it isn't true? In our common reading, Dutch author Rutger Bregman provides new perspective on the past 200,000 years of human history, setting out to prove that humans thrive in a crisis and that our innate kindness and cooperation have been the greatest factors in our long-term success on the planet.  We are hardwired for kindness, geared toward cooperation rather than competition, and more inclined to trust rather than distrust one another. In fact, this instinct has a firm evolutionary basis going back to the beginning of Homo sapiens.

From the real-life Lord of the Flies (recently profiled on 60 Minutes) to the solidarity in the aftermath of the Blitz, from the hidden flaws in the Stanford prison experiment to the true story of twin brothers on opposite sides who helped Mandela end apartheid, Bregman shows us that believing in human generosity and collaboration isn't merely optimistic—it's realistic. Moreover, it has huge implications for how society functions. When we think the worst of people, it brings out the worst in our politics and economics. But if we believe in the reality of humanity's kindness and altruism, it will form the foundation for achieving true change in society, a case that Bregman makes convincingly with his signature wit, refreshing frankness, and memorable storytelling.

The past year has brought us a pandemic, mass shootings, police violence, and an attempted insurrection.  Now, more than ever, we need to believe that there is goodness in humanity. Presentations can expand on any of the subjects in the book or other examples of compassion, aid, or collaboration.  Alternatively, you can present other points of view --- if you dare!

Common Reading:   Humankind:  A Hopeful History, by Rutger Bregman  (June 2020)

 

13.      (ILD)        THE  ILIAD

There should be interest among Omniloreans in the Iliad: it relates, at least chronologically, to a recent Fall 2021 course “1177, The Year Civilization Collapsed.”

The Iliad has relevance to today's world as an epic poem on the human condition, especially in terms of war, heroism, loss, and death. A segment of the class should be dedicated to the Iliad's currency to our contemporary geo-political situations.

Another class segment could be devoted to vital questions about the Iliad's relevance at the time it was written. It concerns a Mycenaean civilization that existed centuries before, when the gods interacted and intermixed with humans. Confronting the legends, not just of gods but of the Trojan war and Troy itself, through archeological and historical evidence, would be a fascinating endeavor.

Finally, we would dedicate time to a discussion of oral poetry and the ways that the oral tradition finally made its way into the written words. The biggest question might be, did Homer exist as a person who finally wrote down the stories, or were there many writers?

Our main endeavor, though, would be to relish the poem and become intimately acquainted with the events and the characters. Translating the Iliad from classical Greek into English has proven to be a huge challenge to translators. Although Robert Fagles’ translation is the common reading, some could read both the Lattimore and Fagles translations to enjoy and compare.

Common Reading:   The Iliad, by Homer; translator Robert Fagles (Penguin Classics, Deluxe edition; January 1998, paperback)

Supplemental Reading:  The Iliad, by Homer; translator Richard Lattimore (University of Chicago Press, January 2011, paperback)

 

14.      (MET)        METROPOLIS:  HISTORY  OF  THE  CITY

In the two hundred millennia of our existence, nothing has shaped us more profoundly than the city. The common reading tells the grand, glorious story of how city living has allowed human culture to flourish. Beginning with Uruk, the world's first city, dating to 5000 BC and memorably portrayed in the Epic of Gilgamesh, our author shows us that cities were never a necessity but that once they existed their density created such a blossoming of human endeavor--producing new professions, forms of art, worship, and trade--that they kick-started nothing less than civilization.

Guiding readers through famous cities over 7,000 years, he reveals the innovations driven by each: civics in the agora of Athens, global trade in ninth-century Baghdad, finance in the coffeehouses of London, domestic comforts in the heart of Amsterdam, peacocking in Belle Epoque Paris. In the modern age, he studies the impact of verticality in New York City, the sprawl of L.A., and the eco-reimagining of twenty-first-century Shanghai.

Possible Presentation topics include: pick a city or cities of your choosing (perhaps where you live) and focus on particular element(s) such as: architecture and urban design, economic base, arts and culture, ethnic diversity, city infrastructure, population growth.

Common Reading:   Metropolis: A History of the City, Humankind's Greatest Invention, by Ben Wilson (November 2020)

 

15.      (MOV)   THE  COURTROOM  GOES  TO  THE  MOVIES  

From the earliest days of movies, filmmakers have turned to the courtroom for stories because it is an ideal setting for both drama and comedy. Great trials and legal battles have spawned some great movies: 12 Angry Men; Adam’s Rib; To Kill a Mockingbird; Presumed Innocent; Anatomy of A Murder; Legally Blond; A Few Good Men; A Civil Action; A Time to Kill; and Dark Waters, to name a few. In this class, participants will choose a film in this genre for their presentations, which can focus on any aspects of the film from its source material (such as a case or book), its storytelling, its legal/social/political issues, its techniques to biographical information about the filmmakers and actors. While there is no common reading, there are numerous Internet lists of the author’s “best” legal-themed movies and you also may find the book Reel Justice: The Courtroom Goes to the Movies (revised and updated 2006) is a good resource for movie ideas and analysis.

No Common Reading.

 

 

16.      (MUS)     MUSIC  GENRES  WITHIN  THE  PAST  50  YEARS

Over the past 50 years popular music history can be examined through the big genres that have defined and dominated it: rock, R&B, country, punk, hip-hop, dance music, and pop. As a staff writer for The New Yorker, the author of the proposed book for the S/DG, Kelefa Sanneh, uses his knowledge about music and musicians to look at popular music as an art form, as a cultural and economic force, and in the way it builds identities.  Songs express our grudges as well as our hopes, and they are motivated by greed as well as idealism; music is a powerful tool for human connection, but also for human antagonism.

The Wall Street Journal flagged it as one of the best books on the topic.  While music preferences are a very personal decision, this S/DG provides an opportunity to learn more about other genres and their background, artists, and influence. Possible topics for presentation beyond those to be expanded upon from the book could be the following:  specific music genre; specific artist or group; economic impacts of music, concerts, access; popular music vs. other genres.

Common Reading:   Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres, by Kelefa Sanneh (October 2021)

 

 

17.      (PBC)   THE  PHILOSOPHICAL  BREAKFAST  CLUB

It is not often that a book can equally be categorized as philosophy or as science, but this is the case for our common reading.  The Philosophical Breakfast Club recounts the life and work of four men who met as students at Cambridge University: Charles Babbage (a mathematical genius who invented the modern computer), John Herschel (who mapped the skies of the Southern Hemisphere and contributed to the invention of photography), William Whewell (who not only invented the word “scientist,” but also founded the fields of crystallography, mathematical economics, and the science of tides), and Richard Jones (a curate who shaped the science of economics). Recognizing that they shared a love of science (as well as good food and drink), they began to meet on Sunday mornings to talk about the state of science in Britain and the world at large. Inspired by the great 17th century scientific reformer and political figure Francis Bacon - another former student at Cambridge - the Philosophical Breakfast Club plotted to bring about a new scientific revolution. To a remarkable extent, they succeeded, even in ways they never intended.

Our common reading chronicles the intellectual revolution inaugurated by these men, one that continues to mold our understanding of the world around us and of our place within it. Drawing upon the voluminous correspondence between the four men over the fifty years of their work, Laura J. Snyder shows how friendship worked to spur the men on to greater accomplishments, and how it enabled them to transform science and help create the modern world. Presentations can address the scientific discoveries and inventions of any of these men, or the men themselves, or other scientific discoveries in the same time frame.

Common Reading:   The Philosophical Breakfast Club:  Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science and Changed the World, by Laura J. Snyder (January 2012, paperback)

 

 

18.      (REV)      THE  COMMON  CAUSE:  HISTORY  OF  THE  AMERICAN REVOLUTION

For more than two centuries, historians have debated the history of the American Revolution, disputing its roots, its provenance, and above all, its meaning. These questions have intrigued the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of our common reading where he returns us to the very heart of the American founding, telling the military and political story of the war for independence from the ground up, and from all sides: British and American, loyalist and patriot, white and black.

Countering popular histories that romanticize the “Spirit of ’76,” the author demonstrates that the rebels fought under the mantle of “The Cause,” a mutable, conveniently ambiguous principle that afforded an umbrella under which different, and often conflicting, convictions and goals could coexist. Neither an American nation nor a viable government existed at the end of the war. In fact, one revolutionary legacy regarded the creation of such a nation, or any robust expression of government power, as the ultimate betrayal of The Cause. This legacy alone rendered any effective response to the twin tragedies of the founding—slavery and the Native American dilemma—problematic at best.

Possible Presentation topics include: French and Indian War, Growth of the British Empire, Continental Army, Articles of Confederation, Continental Congress, important characters such as King George III, George Washington, Nathaniel Greene.

Common Reading:    The Cause:  The American Revolution and Its Discontents, 1773-1783, by Joseph J. Ellis (September 2021)

 

19.      (ROB)       RISE  OF  THE  ROBOTS

Like most people, you may assume that the millions of jobs now being lost to artificial intelligence will ultimately be replaced by jobs in newly-evolving industries. After all, employment survived the mechanization of the agricultural and manufacturing economies. If so, consider taking an S/DG that probes that assumption. The text for this course is Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future, by Martin Ford (284 pages, Basic Books, 2015). Ford argues that the productivity gained by the accelerating pace of technology will leave many workers without enough income to support an economy dependent on consumption. Ford offers the guaranteed income concept as a potential solution. But it is not clear how we can afford a big safety net when fewer humans are making enough money to afford the goods so efficiently produced by robots. The many possible presentation/discussion topics for this course include AI’s current and future impact on employment in various sectors including healthcare, education, law, journalism, accounting, music, science, architecture, construction, and even technology itself, not to mention manufacturing. Other presentation topics range from historical perspectives from past eras of change and the arguments voiced by the many economists and futurists who vigorously disagree with Ford.  

Common Reading:   Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future, by Martin Ford (Basic Books, May 2015)

 

 

20.      (SEE)      THE  REINVENTION  OF  SEEING 

On a summer day in 1674, in the small Dutch city of Delft, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek - a cloth salesman, local bureaucrat, and self-taught natural philosopher - gazed through a tiny lens set into a brass holder and discovered a never-before imagined world of microscopic life. At the same time, in a nearby attic, the painter Johannes Vermeer was using another optical device, a camera obscura, to experiment with light and create the most luminous pictures ever beheld.

“See for yourself!” was the clarion call of the 1600s. Scientists peered at nature through microscopes and telescopes, making the discoveries in astronomy, physics, chemistry, and anatomy that ignited the Scientific Revolution. Artists investigated nature with lenses, mirrors, and camera obscuras, creating extraordinarily detailed paintings of flowers and insects, and scenes filled with realistic effects of light, shadow, and color. By extending the reach of sight, the new optical instruments prompted the realization that there is more than meets the eye. But they also raised questions about how we see and what it means to see. In answering these questions, scientists and artists in Delft changed how we perceive the world.

Straddling the worlds of art and science, our common reading was named “A Best Art Book of the Year” by Christies and “A Best Read of the Year” by New Scientist in 2015.  Presentations could be on inventions such as microscopes, telescopes, or cameras, or on other artists and scientists of the time, or on Delft itself.

Common Reading:   Eye of the Beholder:  Johannes Vermeer, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, and the Reinvention of Seeing, by Laura J. Snyder (March 2015)

 

21.      (SLP)      WHY  WE  SLEEP 

Even as laymen, we all know that sleep is essential for a broad list of our most important human functions, including our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions, and that a good night’s sleep recalibrates our emotions, restocks our immune system, fine-tunes our metabolism, and regulates our appetite.

However, it has been only recently that science began to make leaps in the understanding of sleep, including the questions of why we sleep and why we suffer such devastating health consequences when it is absent or impaired.

Dr. Matthew Walker is one of the world’s experts on the fast-moving science of sleep, including in his status as professor of neuroscience and psychology at UC Berkeley and as the Director of UC’s Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab.

In our common reading, Dr. Walker provides a revolutionary exploration of sleep, examining how sleep affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being. Charting the most cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and marshalling his decades of research and clinical practice, Dr. Walker explains how we can optimize sleep to improve learning, mood and energy levels, regulate hormones, prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes, slow the effects of aging, and increase longevity.

Possible topics for presentation include: the evolution of the science of sleep throughout history; metaphorical and other uses of the theme of sleep in literature and/or language; techniques for improving sleep; sleep practices across the world and over time.

Common Reading:   Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, by Dr. Matthew Walker (Scribner; Illustrated edition; June 19, 2018)

 

22.      (SON)    SHAKESPEARE'S  SONNETS

Not only is Shakespeare one of our greatest dramatist, he is also one of our best poets. In this class we will focus on enjoying the exploration of Shakespeare’s profound sensibilities by delving into all of Shakespeare's 154 sonnets. This is not a cram course, but it will be a joyful discovery that Shakespeare's sonnets are as meaningful and important as any of his plays. For the presentations and discussions, we will divide the sonnets by the number in the class; each sonnet is fourteen lines. Using a hypothetical of fifteen people per class, it would mean that each person would be responsible for approximately ten sonnets. The fun part of the class will be that each presenter must first, research what each sonnet is believed to have meant to Shakespeare. Second, the presenter then tells the class what personal meaning or interpretation he/she derived from each of his/her list of sonnets. 

Common Reading:   The Illustrated Sonnets of William Shakespeare: With 154 Full-Page Illustrations (February 2011, paperback)

 

23.      (SUP)        SCOTUS:  THE  MOST  DANGEROUS  BRANCH 

Never before has the Supreme Court been more central in American life. It is now the nine justices who too often decide the biggest issues of our time—from abortion and same-sex marriage to gun control, campaign finance, and voting rights. Historically it has always been among the most revered institutions of American society. It represents legality, integrity, and America stability. Yet in recent times, politics have eroded the reputation of the court, and its moral position has lessened even as its importance has become ever more apparent. This S/DG takes a look at SCOTUS throughout American history, including the documents that it interprets, the people who make its decisions, and the impact of those decisions on American life. The law is often considered meticulous and dull, but the history of SCOTUS is full of mystery, drama, and excitement. Figures of vast importance stride through the dusty pages of court history, and the decisions they made continue to set the parameters of national life. Americans often claim their rights as citizens, while not fully appreciating the court that provides for and limits them.

Research and presentations from members can supplement the core reading by looking at the issues before the court today, the backgrounds of the jurists, and the directives that govern the current activities and make-up of the court.

Common Reading:   The Most Dangerous Branch:  Inside the Supreme Court in the Age of Trump, by David Kaplan (October 2019, paperback)

 

24.      (THS)      UNCOMMON  TYPE:  SHORT  STORIES  BY  TOM  HANKS

A collection of seventeen wonderful short stories showing that two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks is as talented a writer as he is an actor.  The common theme is a typewriter -- involved in each story as a minor moment or a primary character.

A gentle Eastern European immigrant arrives in New York City after his family and his life have been torn apart by his country's civil war. A man who loves to bowl rolls a perfect game--and then another and then another and then many more in a row until he winds up ESPN's newest celebrity, and he must decide if the combination of perfection and celebrity has ruined the thing he loves. An eccentric billionaire and his faithful executive assistant venture into America looking for acquisitions and discover a down and out motel, romance, and a bit of real life. These are just some of the tales Tom Hanks tells in this first collection of his short stories. They are surprising, intelligent, heartwarming, and, for the millions and millions of Tom Hanks fans, an absolute must-have!

Presentations can be about Tom Hanks, about the short stories themselves, about writing, or about multiple careers.

Common Reading:   Uncommon Type: Some Stories, by Tom Hanks (October 2017)

 

25.      (WOW)      WOMEN  IN  THE  OLD  WEST

Between 1840 and 1910, there was rapid expansion into the American West.  Hundreds of thousands of men and women traveled into new territories to build a life.  This migration required hard work to just survive and women had to be a strategic part of the effort, compelling them to compromise their eastern sensibilities and take on equal responsibilities along with their husbands.  This led to an overlapping social shift giving women more freedom in legal, economic, and political rights including being able to vote in state elections as early as 1869 in Wyoming.

This S/DG will use the book New Women in the Old West: From Settlers to Suffragists, an Untold American Story by Winifred Gallagher for discussions about the riveting history of the little-known pioneering women--the White, Black, and Asian settlers, and the Native Americans and Hispanics they displaced--who played monumental roles in one of America's most transformative periods as they faced daily challenges, advocated for their rights, and transformed the country in the process.

Possible presentations could explore efforts by women of the West who became active in establishing schools, churches, coed colleges, and philanthropies; comparisons to the lives and expectations of women in the East at the time; aspects of daily life and travel; and expansion of items from the reading material.

Common Reading:   New Women in the Old West: From Settlers to Suffragists, an Untold American Story, by Winifred Gallagher (July 2021)