Book Discussion - Weds December 18th - 7pm Central Market - First 160 pages of THE PRICE OF INEQUALITY by Stiglitz plus see new list of titles !

[Alice Aman]

Hi everyone:

We are starting a new book for discussion next week, December 18th
at 7pm at Houston Central Market community room. Kathy will be leading
us as we talk about the first 160 pages of the book titled THE PRICE
OF INEQUALITY: HOW TODAY'S DIVIDED SOCIETY ENDANGERS OUR FUTURE by
Joseph Stiglitz.

==Discussion of book will be split to cover upcoming 3 months ===

December 18, 2013 THE PRICE OF INEQUALITY: HOW TODAY'S DIVIDED SOCIETY
ENDANGERS OUR FUTURE by Joseph Stiglitz [publ 2013] 560 pages
Author is an American economist, professor at Columbia University,
winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (2001) and
numerous other prestigious positions. Stiglitz is one of the most
frequently cited economists in the world and in 2011 he was named by
Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
From the book jacket: "In The Price of Inequality Stiglitz lays out a
comprehensive agenda to create a more dynamic economy and fairer and
more equal society" --Kathy leading discussions.

Dec 18 THE PRICE OF INEQUALITY by Josephy Stiglitz
Assignment: Preface(s) and Chapter 1-3 (approx 160 pages)

Jan 15 THE PRICE OF INEQUALITY by Josephy Stiglitz (cont'd)
Assignment: Chapter 4-6 (approx 130 pages)

Feb 19 THE PRICE OF INEQUALITY by Josephy Stiglitz (cont'd)
Assignment: Chapters 7-10 (approx 131 pages) FINISH

======================================================

Regarding what was going to be an election, based on a fairly small
list of book suggestions, I'm making an executive discussion to go
with what I've received at this point, especially since I think list
is quite remarkable and will make some interesting readings and
discussions.

Starting in March we will begin discussion of titles below. I won't
have dates for the discussions until after I can talk to the
discussion leaders which hopefully will be very soon. So these titles
are not listed on the websites yet.

Upcoming new book list that includes 4 titles will cover 9 months. See below .
AND if you're buying from Amazon, don't forget to go to
http://www.houstongreatbooks.net and click on the Amazon icon so your
book purchases will be credited to the Houston Great Books Council
(contribution is at NO cost to you). Other web site icons also
available. Check it out!

1.) THE UNWINDING: An Inner History of the New America by George
Packer [publ 2013] 430 pages
2013 National Book Award Winner
Focuses on the ways that America changed in the years 1978-2012. The
book achieves this mainly by tracing the lives of various individuals
from different backgrounds through the years. Interspersed are capsule
biographies of influential figures of the time such as Colin Powell,
Elizabeth Warren, Jay-Z and Raymond Carver.
--Deborah leading the discussion

2.) WILD SWANS:Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang. [pub 2003] 538 pages
Bestselling classic in thirty languages, with more than ten million
copies sold. The story of three generations in twentieth-century
China, it is an engrossing record of Mao's impact on China, an unusual
window on the female experience in the modern world, and an inspiring
tale of courage.
--Kathy leading the discussion

3.) THE REPUBLIC OF SUFFERING: Death and the American Civil War by
Drew Gilpin Faust [pub 2009] 346 pages
Pulitzer Prize and American Book Award finalists. Author is President
of Harvard Univ.
Book documents the social, religious, and psychological coping
mechanisms adopted by Civil War America. More than a book about the
Civil War, it's also a meditation on the meaning of war and the human
need to somehow infuse meaning into an enterprise that often seems so
bleakly wasteful and tragically brutal.
--Anne leading the discussion

4.) REIGN OF ERROR: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the
Danger to America's Public Schools by Diane Ravitch [pub 2013] 325
pages
Author is a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education.
Questions addressed: 1--Is American education in crisis? 2--Is
American education failing and declining? 3--What is the evidence for
the reforms now being promoted by the federal government and adopted
in many states? 4--What should we do to improve our schools and the
lives of children?"
--Deborah leading the discussion
==============================

Hope to see you next week.

--Alice

http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/HoustonNonfiction/
http://www.houstongreatbooks.net/nonfiction.html