Book Clubbin' at Home

It has been a number of years since I have actively participated in an "honest-to-goodness" book club. Occasionally at work, I'll register to join a collegial circle during which time we "study" or discuss pedagogical books, but these are not necessarily titles I'd choose to read on my own, and, come to think of it, most all my my friends at school who are actively participate in book clubs are women.

This month, I will be book clubbin' at home, so to speak, by following along online with others who are reading The Meditator's Workbook on the Tricycle Community. I actually "cheated" a tiny bit by acquiring ( and beginning ) the book a little in advance, which is probably a good thing as I missed the official "start" by a day (since when did a "5" begin looking like a "3," as in August 3?).

If course, my initial excitement is being slightly tempered. After reading the first chapter I am a little less motivated to continue reading. As someone who is new to meditation (and Buddhism) this manual is decidedly bereft of the spiritual and more of a "pop-psychology" vibe to it.

I'll hang in there, though, as (if experience has shown me anything while talking books and taking courses), it is often the participants (in this case online) and the information and experiences they bring to the "monitor," rather than the selected titles, that make these types of interactions valuable. You can have a good "book talk" even with a poor book... not that I'm totally ready to label this title as one and am confident that there will be valuable insight to garner from reading the book.

Additionally, one of the attractive aspects of Buddhism is its inclusive nature, so though this book on the surface is a little more Oprah-y (and less "classical") there will surely be something of "use" for me in it.