We are seven handsome and charming* guys who meet at a different restaurant every month or so, having read a book in common, and discuss whatever we want--generally the assigned book, but usually many other timely topics as well. We rotate the responsibility to suggest titles, but the group has the final say. Our book club rules: 1) Anything goes, fiction or nonfiction; 2) paperbacks are preferred; and 3) staying under 300 pages is desirable (N.B., we violate this one all the time). We rate all books and restaurants on a 5-point scale.

* All other adjectives were vetoed.

May 5, 2007

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns (BBQ at Roger Brooks')

We tried another experiment this month as we met jointly with another book club (all women) that was reading the same book as our club, Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. All who participated liked the experiment, but only about half of each group could attend. Nevertheless, the discussion was lively and penetrating. We discussed the nature of leadership, the challenges of writing a joint biography, and numerous civil war issues. The book got high ratings from all attendees. We chatted over a backyard barbeque at the Brooks house.