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.

November 6, 2026

Profits, Prophets, Coaches, and KIngs by Jared Diamond (Minnesota Valley CC)

As usual, Minnesota Valley CC delivered excellent lunch items and provided a lovely, quiet environment for our group. We discussed many topics, mainly Tuesday's election which decimated the MAGA movement and provided a brighter promise for the future.  Once we got to the topic of our book, a one-off by Jared Diamond, our conversation was not so positive.  We thought the book offered some interesting stories, but lacked the heft and impact of Diamond's other work. There seemed to be some doubt about the basis for some of his conclusions about the role of individual "heroes" in history.  Our next book is Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit by Henry Kissinger and Eric Schmidt.  We also considered The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher. We agreed to meet for dinner at Edina's Smart Shack on January 5, with new books suggested by Roger.

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