PAWAC Reads! Book Club
Four times a year, members of the programming committee select a title for the PAWAC Reads Book Club. The books could be fiction or non-fiction but all will have an international element. Each selection includes a discussion just ahead of the selection of the next title. Whether you attend the discussions or just read along at home, we hope this book club broadens your horizons. Don't forget you can help raise funds for PAWAC by ordering books via www.amazonsmile.com and selecting Peoria Area World Affairs Council. The 2019 meeting dates are: January 27, April 28, July 28, and October 27 (the last Sunday of the month) from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Peoria Public Library - North Branch.
Current Selection
PAWAC Reads! Book Club
October 27, 2019 Selection
The Shanghai Free Taxi by Frank Langfitt
NPR correspondent Frank Langfitt wanted to know more about life in the real China. With increasing government control over peoples’ lives, it becomes more difficult to get people to speak up for fear of ‘big brother’ He thought about taxi drivers; people in taxis are often good sources of life on the streets. But he was unable to obtain a taxi license. What better way than to transport people for free in your own vehicle in return for interviews during and after the ride. This is a memoir of his experiences during this experiment.
Langfitt mixes political commentary, memorable characters, and travel writing to produce a picture of life in the new China. Local issues include inequality, loss of individual freedoms, and difficulty keeping up in a rapidly changing society. The Shanghai Free Taxi uncovers a country with immense political, social, and economic change. The writing is insightful, shows a unique viewpoint, and is well written.
Support PAWAC by purchasing your book through Amazon Smiles. Use this link, or search for Peoria Area World Affairs Council as your charity to support when you make purchases on Amazon!
October 27, 2019 Selection
The Shanghai Free Taxi by Frank Langfitt
NPR correspondent Frank Langfitt wanted to know more about life in the real China. With increasing government control over peoples’ lives, it becomes more difficult to get people to speak up for fear of ‘big brother’ He thought about taxi drivers; people in taxis are often good sources of life on the streets. But he was unable to obtain a taxi license. What better way than to transport people for free in your own vehicle in return for interviews during and after the ride. This is a memoir of his experiences during this experiment.
Langfitt mixes political commentary, memorable characters, and travel writing to produce a picture of life in the new China. Local issues include inequality, loss of individual freedoms, and difficulty keeping up in a rapidly changing society. The Shanghai Free Taxi uncovers a country with immense political, social, and economic change. The writing is insightful, shows a unique viewpoint, and is well written.
Support PAWAC by purchasing your book through Amazon Smiles. Use this link, or search for Peoria Area World Affairs Council as your charity to support when you make purchases on Amazon!
In the PAWAC Library
The Spy and the Traitor
by Ben Macintyre
Like War: The Weaponization of Social Media
by Peter W. Singer and Emerson Brooking
Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Epidemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It
by Gina Kolata
War on Peace by Ronan Farrow
Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedom by Condoleezza Rice
How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
Outpost: A Diplomat at Work by Christopher Hill
Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy; Ernest Hemingway’s Secret Adventures, 1935-1961 by Nicholas Reynolds
Russia Focus Titles -
Putin’s Kleptocracy by Karen Dawisha; Should We Fear Russia by Dimitri Trenin; Russia, What Everyone Needs to Know by Timothy Colton
Thank You For Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Thriving in the Age of Acceleration by Thomas Friedman
A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre.
by Ben Macintyre
Like War: The Weaponization of Social Media
by Peter W. Singer and Emerson Brooking
Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Epidemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It
by Gina Kolata
War on Peace by Ronan Farrow
Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedom by Condoleezza Rice
How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
Outpost: A Diplomat at Work by Christopher Hill
Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy; Ernest Hemingway’s Secret Adventures, 1935-1961 by Nicholas Reynolds
Russia Focus Titles -
Putin’s Kleptocracy by Karen Dawisha; Should We Fear Russia by Dimitri Trenin; Russia, What Everyone Needs to Know by Timothy Colton
Thank You For Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Thriving in the Age of Acceleration by Thomas Friedman
A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre.
On the Bookshelf
Have you ever wondered what international-themed books PAWAC members are reading? Look no further than the list below. This list is not an endorsement of the books on behalf of PAWAC. It represents the suggestions of members. If you have a suggestion, email it to director@pawac.org for consideration by the PAWAC Reads and Programming Committee.
The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstam
The Euro: How a Common Currency Threatens the Future of Europe by Joseph Stiglitz
Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice by Bill Browder
Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty
Hitler's American Model: The United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law by James Whitman
What We Owe: Truths, Myths, and Lies about Public Debt by Carlo Cottarelli
Gorbachev: His Life and Times by William Taubman
The Alchemy of Air by Thomas Hager
Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose by Joe Biden
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
The Euro: How a Common Currency Threatens the Future of Europe by Joseph Stiglitz
Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice by Bill Browder
Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty
Hitler's American Model: The United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law by James Whitman
What We Owe: Truths, Myths, and Lies about Public Debt by Carlo Cottarelli
Gorbachev: His Life and Times by William Taubman
The Alchemy of Air by Thomas Hager
Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose by Joe Biden
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Peoria Area World Affairs Council | 1501 W. Bradley Avenue, Peoria, IL 61625
(309) 677-2454 (phone) | (309) 677-3256 (fax)
director@pawac.org
Photos copyright Joe Couri/Kristin McHugh/Kristin McHugh for The Stanley Foundation
(309) 677-2454 (phone) | (309) 677-3256 (fax)
director@pawac.org
Photos copyright Joe Couri/Kristin McHugh/Kristin McHugh for The Stanley Foundation
In affiliation with the World Affairs Councils of America
https://www.worldaffairscouncils.org/
https://www.worldaffairscouncils.org/