Our first meeting last night to discuss Jonathan Franzen's "Freedom" was a lovely success! (We even had people join us outside of LA via Skype video.) We hope you'll join us next month for a discussion of Matt Ridley's book "The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature."
You can find the book as well as reviews and other information at Amazon:
http://amzn.to/JHURedQueen
From Publishers Weekly:
"Why do we have sex? One of the main biological reasons, contends Ridley, is to combat disease. By constantly combining and recombining genes every generation, people "keep their genes one step ahead of their parasites," thereby strengthening resistance to bacteria and viruses that cause deadly diseases or epidemics. Called the "Red Queen Theory" by biologists after the chess piece in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass which runs but stays in the same place, this hypothesis is just one of the controversial ideas put forth in this witty, elegantly written inquiry. Ridley, a London-based science writer and a former editor of the Economist , argues that men are polygamous for the obvious reason that whichever gender has to spend the most time and energy creating and rearing offspring tends to avoid extra mating. Women, though far less interested in multiple partners, will commit adultery if stuck with a mediocre mate. In Ridley's not wholly convincing conclusion, even human intellect is chalked up to sex: virtuosity, individuality, inventiveness and related traits are what make people sexually attractive."
We'll have pizza and wine amongst other goodies, but feel free to bring any other snacks or beverages if you'd like.
Please RSVP here or to
ChrisAldrich@jhu.edu or 310-751-0548
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We’d like to invite you to join your fellow LA-based JHU Alumni in a new local book club/discussion group. The sketch details can be found below:
WHO: Eight to ten curious and non-judgmental people who will commit to reading one “story” book (example: Freedom by Jonathan Franzen) or one “analysis” book (example: Culture of Fear by Barry Glassner) a month and discussing them.
WHY: Intelligent discussion of interesting books we probably would read anyway. An opportunity for social interaction.
WHEN: Once a month on a weeknight, 7:30PM to approx 9:15 PM. Beginning October 2010. Snack food (pizza, etc) and drinks provided.
WHERE: Rotating hosts based on participation and availability. If you're not in the LA area, please feel free to join us via Skype video. (RSVP and request a skype account to call in.)
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, comments or would like to help host a meeting in the future.
Other upcoming local JHU events include:
11/18: Happy Hour at San Francisco Saloon
12/4: Holiday Party (
http://alumni.jhu.edu/event/shimmers)
Visit
http://alumni.jhu.edu or our local Facebook Group for details.
