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For much of history, societies have violently oppressed ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities. It is no surprise that many came to believe that members of mar­ginalized groups need to take pride in their identity to resist injustice. But over the past decades, a healthy appreciation for the culture and heritage of minority groups transformed into a counterproductive obsession with group identity. This new ideology denies that members of different groups can truly understand each other and insists that the way governments treat their citizens should depend on the color of their skin. This, Yascha Mounk argues, is the identity trap. Those who battle for these ideas are often full of good intentions. But they ultimately stand in the way of the genuine equality we desperately need. Mounk built his acclaimed scholarly career on being one of the first to warn of the risks that right-wing populists pose to American democracy, a danger that now remains as serious as ever. But far from being mortal enemies, the identitarian left and the populist right actually reinforce each other; to vanquish one, he shows here, it is necessary to oppose both.

MYT best-selling author, I’m interested in how new experiences/discoveries shape people, especially as I get older, plus I got the book as a holiday gift

[SWeil] Hopefully this builds on our discussions of consciousness. The question: "What is it like to "be a xxx" is mostly dependent on embodied experience, rather than intellectual thought experiments. "The map isn't the territory" and likewise a scientific explanation (model) isn't as rich as the real world we experience.

"The Blind Spot argues for a new scientific worldview that incorporates human experience and consciousness, which they believe has been marginalized in modern science. The authors contend that recognizing the importance of "embodied experience" is crucial for addressing the current crises in our understanding of reality and civilization."

Novel about a string quartet, about love relationships among musicians. Pretty amazing book. Reached me on two levels: 1. the deep relationship to music and playing an instrument, and a peek at a professional classical musician's life; 2. the lost love aspect, how strong those feelings can be, the sadness of losing a person. Also, the deafness thing as it happens, I learned that I may be having some hearing trouble now. Some of the writing got a little too poetic for me; I didn't follow the business about whether its a white cat or white dog in Venice in some painting or on a boat; but generally I felt like he nailed the lived feeling of how you go thru your days and life happens and you can't really change it you just have to accept the joys and the suffering.

NYT top 100 book and other accolades, different physics topic than we’ve focused on before

Multiple award-winning book that I thought might appeal to the musicians and aspiring musicians in the group.

Our world is dominated by a handful of tech platforms. They provide great conveniences and entertainment, but also stand as some of the most effective instruments of wealth extraction ever invented, seizing immense amounts of money, data, and attention from all of us. An economy driven by digital platforms and AI influence offers the potential to enrich us, and also threatens to marginalize entire industries, widen the wealth gap, and foster a two-class nation. As technology evolves and our markets adapt, can society cultivate a better life for everyone? Is it possible to balance economic growth and egalitarianism, or are we too far gone?

Amazon Editor’s pick, Winner of LA Times Book Prize, a New Yorker and Smithsonian Best Book of the Year, and Longlisted for National Book Award. I am interested because I don’t know much about the Moon and feel like I should know more given it’s importance to our planet and NASA’s Artemis program.

This is the dated (2013) but interesting story of the author’s travels around the one continent of which I knew almost nothing. The author is a scientist and provides very accessible descriptions of the research that’s been conducted on the continent, as well as its natural and exploratory history.

This seems like a critical life skill and something that I worry may be eroding for me as I age and become more crotchety.

I am interested in basic principles of good local (city, county, and state gov). I’ve found some useful papers on the subject but this was one of the few books I found that looked interesting, even though it seems to have a more narrow economic focus than I was looking for.

Uncommon treatment of histories of both China and Japan. Right before death of noted Asian scholar - summary of his life research.

Recent trips to Germany got me curious.

Supposedly similar in flavor to American Nations, but covering the world.

Untold story of aerobiology, award-winning NYT columnist author, Smithsonian 10 best science book of 2025, 4.5 stars on Amazon

James Morris was a veteran who was also part of the 1953 Everest expedition. Then in the 1970s, he underwent gender reassignment surgery and became Jan. Written in 1974, so there's no political baggage.