Pages of the Past, A Nonfiction Bookclub

We are thrilled to announce our December book club pick featuring the profound and beautifully written "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This book not only explores our relationship with nature through the lenses of science and indigenous wisdom but also provides deep insights into the history of indigenous peoples and their sustainable practices.

About the Book:

As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In "Braiding Sweetgrass," Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings are we capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learning to give our own gifts in return.

Why Join Us?

• Engage in thoughtful discussions about the themes of gratitude, reciprocity, and ecological harmony.
• Learn how the book provides insights into history through indigenous knowledge, traditions, and perspectives, offering lessons on sustainable living and land stewardship.
• Explore the impact of colonization on indigenous peoples and their lands, and how the revival of indigenous languages is integral to cultural identity and historical continuity.
• Enjoy a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere where book enthusiasts can connect and inspire one another.

We look forward to an enriching conversation and the opportunity to delve into the wisdom, beauty, and historical insights of "Braiding Sweetgrass" together.

Happy Reading!

In our November 2024 book club, we read about how lobbyists and their propaganda can impact our behavior. Pulling on a thread from that book, I invite you to explore “Pure, White, and Deadly: How Sugar Is Killing Us, and What We Can Do to Stop It.”

Decades ago, in this pioneering book, renowned physician and biochemist John Yudkin sounded the alarm that sugar was bad for our health— and he was ignored by the majority of the medical profession and dismissed by the food industry.

• In 2013 (the latest print of this book which was first published in the ‘70s) one in three American adults was overweight.
• There was an epidemic of obese six-month-olds around the globe.
• We already consumed more sugar in two weeks than we used to consume in a year.

Using everyday language and a range of scientific evidence, Dr. Yudkin explores the ins and outs of sugar. Brought up-to-date by childhood-obesity expert Robert H. Lustig, MD, (in 2012/13) “Pure, White, and Deadly” is essential reading for anyone concerned about their health, and the health of modern society.

Let’s make it even more fun by bringing our favorite recipes that do not include added sugar. Keep in mind that coconut sugar, beet sugar, honey, maple syrup, date syrup, etc. are all forms of added sugar. So lets bring our recipes that are delicious but only sweetened through the inclusion of a whole food (with its own fiber, e.g. whole tomatoes, blueberries, carrots, beets, apples and not their distilled components in the form of juice or syrups) or perhaps delicious food that is not sweet at all. I can’t wait to learn from you!

(Please note: I am not a proponent of cutting any food group from the diet. Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins are important components of the diet. Added sugar, however, is not. Also, all views expressed are my own and do not represent the views of my employer.)

The Planet Word museum offers a variety of interactive exhibits, including a karaoke room, a word wall, and a library, that explore the history of language and the power of words.

Let’s explore the history of language together!

In "A Foreign Affairs Best Book of 2023” — “The Rise and Fall of the East” — MIT professor Yasheng Huang examines China's historical balance between stability, diversity, and prosperity, highlighting how current leadership threatens this delicate equilibrium. From the ancient civil service exam to the modern Chinese Communist Party's personnel management system, autocracies have wielded tools to enforce uniformity but at the cost of stifled creativity. Huang illustrates how China's most prosperous periods occurred when scale (bureaucratic size) was balanced with scope (idea diversity), emphasizing the importance of this balance for sustained dynamism.