Sea Dogs from CSAIL seadogs@csail.mit.edu Literature Reading Group Thursdays, 7 PM - 10 PM 3rd Week of the Month Home * Book * About

Participating * Joining * Hosting

One person is designated the host of the book group on a rotating basis. The host selects the book for the book group and is in charge of leading the book discussion. The host also procures the location of the meeting (usually their house) and provides a main dish. Having a few extra bottles of wine on hand is not a bad idea, either.

The host communicates the following information to the group (seadogs@ai.mit.edu) before or at the previous month's meeting:

• Book title and author
• A paragraph introducing the book
• Food theme for potluck, related to book
• Meeting location

If you want the information posted on the Web site before sending the announcement, email the above information first to Jaime (teevan@mit.edu).

Selecting a book:

The books selected should be interesting to discuss, have well-developed characters, compelling themes, complex issues and conflict. The key to selecting a good book is to select a book from the middle ground -- not too complicated, long, or heavy that it is impossible to get through, and not too light and fluffy that there is nothing to it.

Variety in the book choice is recommended. Fiction and non-fiction. Variety in writing styles. Male and female authors. Classic books and new literature. Different topics.

Discussing the book:

Leading the book discussion is not an onerous task. It merely involves, once everyone has arrived, getting the discussion going. It is helpful to arrive with some good discussion questions. It's best not to give opinions or quote reviews too early in the discussion, as that can stifle other opinions.