message from Rossi

In keeping with my preferred literature style pre book club; (fun books have grown on me quickly) it is a non fiction book. It made a huge impact on me and I think what this guy is doing for children in Pakistan and Afghanistan, building schools for girls, is so amazing and critical to the fight against terrorism. I am eager to learn more about the roots of terrorism, the conditions of these countries and the war we are fighting. Aside from learning about this really unique guy building schools, I also feel like I have a deeper understanding of these things. I believe his work is so important, I cut him a decent size check immediately after finishing the book, Mia Avery's class (and hopefully school) will do a fund raiser for these kids and I am splitting 25% of my profits of my photography business between his schools and Camp Horizon. A really cool thing is all the supplies for building and running the schools are only purchased locally, so their economy is stimulated as well. One penny buys a pencil and fifty dollars is enough for a teacher's salary for the entire year. It is not a page turner and the writing is not particularly good. However, in the midst of this fight against terrorism and as we enjoy the benefits of American society, the story and the perspective and knowledge it brings is too important to pass up. So inspiring and cool what one person can do... Rossi

Three Cups of Tea - Amy Rossi Gall January 2009 Book #8

Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace -- One School at a Time
Greg Mortenson (See All Contributors)
Paperback, 349 pages
Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated January 30, 2007

Description: The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Talibanas backyard.

Anyone who despairs of the individualas power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistanas treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schoolsaespecially for girlsathat offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortensonas quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, "Three Cups of Tea" combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.

About the Author: Greg Mortenson is the director of the Central Asia Institute. A resident of Montana, he spends several months of the year in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

2008 BOOK CLUB

2008 Book Club Year Review

Superlatives..

Best Bookie (having read every book)
Amy Kenyon Jones

Perfect Attendance (always in attendance no matter how late):

Jennifer Malin, J.C. Loader

Most Improved Player (coming out strong at the end of 2008!):

Dana McWhirter

Saturday night was super fun! As you can see you had to be there to get recognized... LOL! And, since it was Denise was the Birthday Girl we all had a reason to celebrate!

I think we all need to bust out our calendars and decide when we are going to meet again. We probably need to weigh in on what nights are best for us these days b/c circumstances may have changed. I think doing mid January would be great. We had down the 9th but that seems too soon. Maybe January 15, 16, or 17? or 22, 23, or 24. It's Rossi's month so I'll let her take it from here.

Start 2009 off right and go get the January book! We have Dana down to pick the February book! YIPEE!

The Stranger Beside Me - freaking!

I'm pretty sure every woman in America should read this book. Wow, I'm almost finished and I feel like I will be so much more aware of my surroundings now. Really good book. Can't wait till Saturday!

Book Club/Denise's Birthday

SATURDAY DECEMBER 13th at the Loader/Wohl Club

7:00pm Book Club Christmas Party

9:00pm go out for Denise's Birthday Party (Channelside?) Remember, it's her 21st birthday!

So, it's here! The holiday season! Time to eat drink and be merry! Let's meet at the house for some spirits and snacks then head out to rock Channelside! (or whatever we want to do). Please please feel free to spend the night at my pad. We will most likely take cabs there and back.

Let me know if you are in!

Have a lovely day!

Here are some discussion points for the book we are reading:

• Explain why you think Ted Bundy's victims had so much in common?
• Did he seek out these young women intentionally or were their similarities just coincidental?
• Discuss the concept of trust. Did Ted grow up believing he could trust people?
• Why did he think his victims would trust him? Why did they?
• A serial killer is different from a murderer. Discuss the differences and similarities between the two.
• During Ted Bundy's incarceration he communicated with other serial killers such as David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam killer. What do you think was written in the letters to each other?
• What is your opinion of capital punishment?

Book Club Fun!

BOOK CLUB – HOW TO LEAD DISCUSSION

Need to lead a discussion on a best seller with your book club or class?
Want tips on how to promote a lively conversation in your book club?
Whether you are an outgoing extrovert or the shy one in the group, you can lead your book club in an engaging conversation by following these few simple steps. Complete steps 1 - 3 before meeting. Steps 4 - 9 tell you what to do during your book club or class.


1. Read the book - This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets.

2. Write down important page numbers - If there are parts of the book that made an impact on you or that you think may come up in discussion, write down the page numbers so that you can access the passages easily while preparing and leading the book club discussion.

3. Come up with eight to ten questions about the book - Check out our ready-to-go book club discussion questions on best sellers. Print them out and you are done with this step. Want to come up with your own questions? Check out the tips for writing book club discussion questions below.

4. Let others answer first - When you are asking questions, you want to facilitate discussion, not come off as a teacher. By letting others in the book club answer first, you will promote conversation and help everyone feel like their opinions matter.

5. Make connections between comments - If someone gives an answer to question 2 that connects well with question 5, don't feel obligated to ask questions 3 and 4 before moving to 5. You are the leader and you can go in whatever order you want. Even if you go in order, try to find a link between an answer and the next question. By connecting people's comments to the questions, you'll help build momentum in the conversation.

6. Occasionally direct questions toward quiet people - You don't want to put anyone on the spot, but you want everyone to know their opinions are valued. If you have a few talkative people who always jump right in, directing a question to a specific person may help draw out the quieter people (and let the loud people know it is time to give someone else a turn).

7. Rein in tangents - Book clubs are popular not only because people like to read, but also because they are great social outlets. A little off topic conversation is fine, but you also want to respect the fact that people have read the book and expect to talk about it. As the facilitator, it is your job to recognize tangents and bring the discussion back to the book.


8. Don't feel obligated to get through all the questions - The best questions sometimes lead to intense conversations. That's a good thing! The questions are there as a guide. While you will want to get through at least three or four questions, it will probably be rare that you finish all ten. Respect people's time by wrapping up the discussion when the meeting time is over rather than pushing on until you finish everything you planned.

9. Wrap up the discussion - One good way to wrap up a conversation and help people summarize their opinions of the book is to ask each person to rate the book on a scale of one to five.


Tips:
When writing your own book club discussion questions, avoid questions that are too general, like "What did you think of the book?" Also avoid questions that have yes or no answers. You want to ask questions that are open ended and help people talk about themes and how the book relates to deeper issues.

Do not make dismissive statements toward other people's comments. Even if you disagree, take the conversation back to the book rather than saying "That's ridiculous," etc. Making people feel embarrassed or defensive is a sure way to shut down the conversation.