The Read It & Meet Evanston Book Club: Politics Is for Power

We are excited to announce the launch of our Read It & Meet Evanston Book Club! Each meeting will be led by a guest host, a different leader or personality from the Evanston community, who will choose the book to be discussed and will lead the conversation. The goal is to gather a book-loving community to meet people behind the scenes or in the spotlight by engaging in thoughtful conversation about a meaningful work of literature or nonfiction. Attendance will require purchasing the book from our store and three free books will be made available to attendees who may not be able to purchase a book. Participants will be expected to have read the book in advance! These meetings are not intended to be lectures about the books, but rather discussions by people who’ve done some homework!

We’re kicking off the book club on July 17 with Mayor Daniel Biss, who has selected the book Politics Is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action, and Make Real Change, by Eitan Hersh.

Do you consider yourself politically engaged? Probably, yes! But are you, really? The uncomfortable truth is that most of us have good intentions. We vote (sometimes) and occasionally sign a petition or attend a rally. But we mainly "engage" by consuming politics as if it's entertainment or a hobby. Instead, in Politics is for Power, political scientist and data analyst Eitan Hersh argues that we should be spending the same number of hours building political organizations, implementing a long-term vision for our local communities, and getting to know our neighbors, whose votes will be needed for solving hard problems.

“We live in a time of heightened political awareness, intense anxiety, and seemingly constant agitation,” Mayor Biss wrote, explaining why he chose Hersh’s book for discussion. “But is all this activity moving us toward real change, or is it just giving us something to do? This discussion of Hersh's cleared-eyed and engaging analysis of what we can actually do to make a difference will empower everyone concerned about the world we live in.”

About the ticket levels:

Book club admission plus 1 copy of the book: $20

Admission + Scholarship book donation (helps make free copies available for some attendees): $25

Scholarship admission (free to register, 3 attendees will be selected at random from this list 10 days before the date of the book club meeting and the book will be available for them to pick up at the store. Winners must agree to attend the meeting.): Free

The first meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 17th, from 6:00 - 7:00 PM.

Host or Publisher Bookends & Beginnings