Bookgroup of the Month
Every month we feature a different bookgroup. We'd like to hear from other bookgroups. Please email us at info@bookgroup.info and tell us
about your bookgroup. Please fill in the questionnaire. If we choose it we'll send you a book voucher for £10.
Radical Book Group (RadBog), Brighton and Hove
Who are you?
The Radical Book Group (RadBog) is a Brighton based group that reads radical books!
How did you get started?
Likeminded friends with a common interest in environmental issues, progressive politics, food, permaculture, spirituality, psychology etc. We thought it would be a good idea to have a book group that reads and discusses books that aren't novels / fiction (although we've got nothing against reading some fiction!)
How long have you been going?
Since spring 2010
Where and how often do you meet?
We meet every 6 weeks at each other's houses in rotation over a pot luck of veggie food. We are currently discussing if meeting in a local pub works better for everyone.
What sort of books do you read?
Broadly, books of innovative, challenging or inspired ideas that are aimed at making the world a better place. The emphasis is on ecology, politics, green-economics, activist and engaged-spiritual books, new stuff and old classics. Examples of books we've read considered classics would be E. F. Schumacher's 'Small is Beautiful' or Henry David Thoreau 'Walden'. More modern reads would be David Montgomery 'Dirt: The Erosion of Civilisations' or Charles Eisentstein 'The Ascent of Humanity'. We try and remain broadminded enough to grapple with ideas that are outside our comfort zone.
Which books have provoked the best discussion?
Christopher Hill 'World Turned Upside Down: Radical Ideas During the English Revolution', a very academic dense book, and Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett's 'The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better' a zeitgeist book about income inequality.
What was your worst read?
Richard Louv's 'Last Child in the Woods', a book about the need for children to connect with nature. All sensible ideas but we felt like we'd heard it all before.
Anything else?
New members are always welcome if they are interested in exploring these kind of ideas. We've lost people along the way when they didn't feel like others were interested in the books they wanted to read, and then picked up new people. C'est la vie. We try and cater to a diversity of interests amongst members and make fair decisions on book choices but it's a tricky balance!
Code?
UTVV
