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Thursdays are Book Club day

Tsh — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:00:26 +0000

Today is Book Club day, where it’s the final day we’re discussing In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan.

This week we’re on Part IV – Not Too Much: How to Eat. I loved this final part of the book because it gives such concrete, do-able advice, and it leaves us with encouragement that eating well can be done.

The forums are open, so please join the discussion! We’ll be discussing this part of Part IV all week, so hop over there and share your thoughts, even if you haven’t yet finished this section.

I hope those of you reading have gleaned some insight and inspiration for feeding your family. I’ve loved this book, and it’s been a great compendium to last year’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Please share your final thoughts about In Defense of Food over in the forums.

We’ll then take a break from the Book Club as I go on maternity leave, and then we’ll visit the topic of when and how to start again. Book clubs are a community effort, so if I’m the only one willing to throw out questions and get some conversations started, it’s a lot of pressure on me to make it work. If you’re truly interested in being part of the Club, I need to know from you that you’re willing to take initiative. Thanks, friends.

Head here for information on how the Book Club works. If you’ve never participated, you only need to sign in the forums and jump in!

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Thursdays are Book Club day is a post from Simple Mom

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Gearing up for the next Book Club selection: In Defense of Food

Tsh — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 06:00:32 +0000

In a week and a half — May 6, to be exact — the Book Club is starting up again. Our next selection? Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.

If you care about your health, if you want to feed your family well, or if you love to eat, then you must read this book.

Last year we read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, and it shook the table on which many of us eat, completely changing our dietary habits. We also had some of the best conversations in the Club we had all year. I anticipate this book doing the same, and I can’t wait to get started.

In Defense of Food explores the way we eat today, and how we should eat differently. Pollan’s simple mantra — “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants” sounds easy enough, but in his dissection of each statement, he turns the light on why eating well is not as simple as it should be.

But it’s not discouraging. It’s encouraging. His voice is one of reason, of simplicity, of logic, and it makes you smack your forehead with agreement. In short, it’s a great book.

Now, it’s different than AVM of last year. That was a memoir, written by a novelist. This is an exposé, written by a journalist. So get ready to hit the ground running when you open the front page.

Here are some thoughts regarding this book, taken from a review on his site:

“Food. There’s plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it?

“Because most of what we’re consuming today is not food, and how we’re consuming it — in the car, in front of the TV, and increasingly alone — is not really eating. Instead of food, we’re consuming “edible foodlike substances” — no longer the products of nature but of food science. … In the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become.

“But if real food — the sort of food our great grandmothers would recognize as food — stands in need of defense, from whom does it need defending? From the food industry on one side and nutritional science on the other. Both stand to gain much from widespread confusion about what to eat, a question that for most of human history people have been able to answer without expert help. …Thirty years of official nutritional advice has only made us sicker and fatter while ruining countless numbers of meals.”

Join Us

Care to join the Book Club? Great! There’s nothing you need to do. Just start reading, and show up for discussions online. Head here for all the details you need.

So reserve your copy of In Defense of Food at your local library, pick it up at a used bookstore, or order it off Amazon asap. And remember, if you use the Amazon links mentioned here, you’ll help support the Book Club and other SLM endeavors.

Are you going to read In Defense of Food with us? What are you looking forward to the Book Club discussing over these next few weeks?

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Plan to Eat - meal planning made simple.
The Justice Conference - Justice hangs by a thread.
Lil' Soak - Sewing hope with handmade goods.
Treed - A simple, flexible, effective project planning tool.

Gearing up for the next Book Club selection: In Defense of Food is a post from Simple Mom

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Simple Living Book Club forums are ready to roll

Tsh — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:03:25 +0000

If you haven’t yet noticed, the Book Club forums are up and ready! So if you’re joining us for the first discussion this Thursday, go ahead and register so that you can participate.

Here are the Book Club details. I look forward to chatting with you all soon!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Plan to Eat - meal planning made simple.
The Justice Conference - Justice hangs by a thread.
Lil' Soak - Sewing hope with handmade goods.
Treed - A simple, flexible, effective project planning tool.

Simple Living Book Club forums are ready to roll is a post from Simple Mom

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Reminder: the Book Club starts in One Week!

Tsh — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:40:42 +0000

Just a reminder that our first selection for the 2010 Simple Living Book Club starts one week from today. The book is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, by Steven Covey.

In a few days I’ll open up the forums again, and you can register if you haven’t yet. I’ll have to approve each one of you, just to keep the spambots away, so I’m sorry about the inconvenience.

As a reminder, the Book Club will meet again on Thursdays. This means, however, that you can join in any time throughout the week; we will just start a new section on each Thursday. Most discussion will also happen on Thursdays, but the topics pertinent to that section will remain open all throughout the reading.

The rest of the Book Club selections

Here are the books we’ll read the rest of the year. Dates are still to be determined, but I thought it would help to announce them in plenty of time, in case you came across one of the books at a good deal.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, by Steven Covey (Thursdays, Jan 28 – Mar 22)
How Children Learn, by John Holt
In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan
More Than Enough, by Dave Ramsey

So reserve your copy of 7 Habits at your local library, buy it at a bookstore, order it off Amazon, or even do what I’m doing — listen to it from Audible (and just so you know, if you use the Amazon and Audible links presented here, you’ll help with the upkeep of the blog and the Book Club).

For the first week of 7 Habits (next Thursday, January 28), we’ll discuss the “personal message,” the forward, and the introduction. Then we’ll discuss a habit per week, with a final week of concluding remarks.

And again, you don’t have to sign up for the Book Club — just order the book and join in the forums when they’re ready!

I look forward to reading with you.

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Plan to Eat - meal planning made simple.
The Justice Conference - Justice hangs by a thread.
Lil' Soak - Sewing hope with handmade goods.
Treed - A simple, flexible, effective project planning tool.

Reminder: the Book Club starts in One Week! is a post from Simple Mom

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2010 Simple Living Book Club: the details

Tsh — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:30:16 +0000

Just a reminder that our first selection for the 2010 Simple Living Book Club starts in just over two weeks. The book is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, by Steven Covey.

Thanks for all your feedback the other week. After hearing your ideas and suggestions, here are a few more details for the Book Club:

• We will meet again on Thursdays. This means, however, that you can join in any time throughout the week; we will just start a new section on each Thursday. Most discussion will also happen on Thursdays, but the topics pertinent to that section will remain open all throughout the reading.

• I will open up the forums again, and that will be our Book Club’s platform. I’ll have to create a slightly tighter registration form, just to fight against the ton of spam that was on the forums last year. Sorry in advance about that. But be patient; if you’re a human and not a robot, you’ll be approved.

The rest of the Book Club selections

Without further adieu, here are the books we’ll read the rest of the year. Dates are still to be determined, but I thought it would help to announce them in plenty of time, in case you came across one of the books at a good deal.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, by Steven Covey (Thursdays, Jan 28 – Mar 22)
How Children Learn, by John Holt
In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan
More Than Enough, by Dave Ramsey

I wanted a well-rounded group of non-fiction that would appeal to most of Simple Mom’s readers. Aside from our first book, which has a general family and relationships topic, the rest of the selections cover kids and parenting/education, food and whole living, and personal finance and responsibility.

I’m excited! I hope you are, too.

For the first week of 7 Habits, we’ll discuss the “personal message,” the forward, and the introduction. Then we’ll discuss a habit per week, with a final week of concluding remarks.

And again, you don’t have to sign up for the Book Club — just order the book and join in the forums when they’re ready!

I look forward to reading with you.

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Plan to Eat - meal planning made simple.
The Justice Conference - Justice hangs by a thread.
Lil' Soak - Sewing hope with handmade goods.
Treed - A simple, flexible, effective project planning tool.

2010 Simple Living Book Club: the details is a post from Simple Mom

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The 2010 Simple Living Book Club

Tsh — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:35:45 +0000

In late 2008, when we created the book club, I had no idea that I would sign a book writing contract with a publisher in early 2009, and in that contract would be a tight writing deadline with my manuscript due at the year’s end.

This is why the club stopped for the remainder of the year after August. But we still read some wonderful books — Your Money or Your Life; Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; Last Child in the Woods; and For Women Only all spurred some great discussion and personally gave me fresh insight into my home life.

So — I think several of you would like to start it up again, and I know I would. So for 2010, here are the plans for the book club.

• We will tentatively plan on four books for the year; one per season. I don’t have the reading dates finalized, but we can set those when it’s closer to time for each season.

• All the chosen books will still have the general theme of simplifying your life, encouraging excellence, and improving your relationships. Specific topics are wide open.

• In light of a rather exciting network launch that will happen in February 2010, I’d like the book’s themes to incorporate some of the topics we’ll tackle as a family of blogs — life at home, money management, green living, cooking and eating, homeschooling or education, parenting, or any other topic related to family life.

• This year’s club will simply be called the Simple Living Book Club.

The First Book

We’ll start the year with the book we didn’t get to read in 2009 — The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, by Steven Covey. It’s 390 pages, and we can fairly easily cover this book in nine to ten weeks.

We’ll start the club the week of January 25, about a month from now. There’s no “official” way to join — just get the book! Order it now, pick it up at your local bookstore, or reserve it at your library (by ordering it on Amazon through these links, you’re helping run this blog and book club). Then start reading.

Here’s a snippet from the book’s description on Amazon:

From the author of the #1 bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey’s new bestseller offers precious lessons in creating and sustaining a strong family culture in a turbulent world. No family is free from challenges. But a strong family embodies a problem-solving culture in which parents and children act interdependently, appropriately, and positively. It is a culture that enables all family members to experience the joy, satisfaction, and integrity of living their principles day by day.

In his first major work since The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey presents a practical and philosophical guide to solving the problems, large and small, mundane and extraordinary – that confront all families at one time or another.

With clarity and common sense, Covey demonstrates how the basic principles of the original book are the key to building strong families and strong communities. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families is an invaluable guidebook to the welfare of families everywhere.

Stephen R. Covey is recognized by Time magazine as one of North America’s twenty-five most influential people. He is chairman of the Franklin Covey Company.

Book Club Guidelines

• Anyone and everyone is welcome to join in the reading and discussion! There’s no registration, application, or sign up. All you have to is get the book and start reading, then join our discussion on the assigned day.

• Come to the discussion having already read the assigned reading portions for that week. But that said, even if you haven’t finished, you can still join and contribute to the discussion all week long.

• Specific day of the week and platform of the club (forum, blog post, Twitter) is still to be determined.

• If you’d like to post this badge on your blog to let your readers know about the club, here’s the code to copy and paste:

What I’d Like From You

If you think you’d like to participate at some point this year, here’s what I’d like to hear from you in the comments section:

1. What day of the week is best for you? In 2009, we started the new discussions on Thursdays, but they continued all throughout the week.

2. What format would you prefer? Did you like the forums, if you participated last year? Or do you think another medium might be more conducive to our time together?

3. Do you have any suggestions for other books in 2010? I have ideas, but I definitely want to hear yours as well.

Thanks, everyone! I had a great time in our club last year reading some fabulous books, so I hope you all want to start it again this year.

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Plan to Eat - meal planning made simple.
The Justice Conference - Justice hangs by a thread.
Lil' Soak - Sewing hope with handmade goods.
Treed - A simple, flexible, effective project planning tool.

The 2010 Simple Living Book Club is a post from Simple Mom

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Thursdays are Book Club day

Tsh — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:01:50 +0000

Today is Book Club day, and it’s already the last day for For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men. Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us! We’ll be discussing chapters 8 and 9 all week, so whenever you’re ready, grab your book, answer the posted questions, and share your own. Chapter 8 is my favorite of the entire book — it was definitely eye-opening for me.

An Important Announcement

It kills me to do this, but I’m going to put the Book Club on hiatus after this week. We’re basically going to skip the next book, and pick things back up on November 5 for our last selection of the year, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families, by Steven Covey. This book will be a great way to end 2009 and to get us motivated for a new year with a recommitment to our families.

I was looking forward to our next read, but with tight book writing deadlines with my editor, putting the club on hold is my way of simplifying my life and keeping my family from going insane. I’m sure you all understand. Book writing is a finite season, and I need to focus more energy on writing than reading for the moment.

I truly apologize for those of you who’ve already purchased or read the next book, It’s All Too Much. It’s an excellent book, so I’m sure you’ll still find inspiration from it.

I’m looking forward to our discussion! I’ll see you today in the forums.

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Plan to Eat - meal planning made simple.
The Justice Conference - Justice hangs by a thread.
Lil' Soak - Sewing hope with handmade goods.
Treed - A simple, flexible, effective project planning tool.

Thursdays are Book Club day is a post from Simple Mom

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No Book Club Today

Tsh — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:01:08 +0000

Well, actually, the Book Club is always open. But I won’t be on there today, as I’m in the air headed for Blissdom this weekend. I’ll be back the following Thursday, ready to discuss chapter five of Your Money Or Your Life.

Use this “break” as a chance to catch up on your reading, add to the discussion of previous chapters, and work on some of the tasks required of YMOYL. There wasn’t a lot of chat last week, most likely due to the Book Club being overshadowed by the Week of Giveaways. But chapter four is the crux of the entire book, so please share your thoughts, if you like.

Also, while it certainly helps to read the book, the questions presented in the Club provide fodder for thought from anyone. So even if you haven’t read the book, feel free to add to the discussion.

On another note – Crystal at Biblical Womanhood is leading her readers through weekly assignments from my ebook, Spring Cleaning For Normal People. If you need group accountability, please join her at her site! I’m enjoying reading everyone’s personal experiences.

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Plan to Eat - meal planning made simple.
The Justice Conference - Justice hangs by a thread.
Lil' Soak - Sewing hope with handmade goods.
Treed - A simple, flexible, effective project planning tool.

No Book Club Today is a post from Simple Mom

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