What we’re about
We are a serious but fun group of bibliophiles and read everything from current events and public policy to history, science, and literature and the occasional play, graphic novel, or collection of poems.
Our membership includes individuals of all ages and from a variety of careers and cultural backgrounds. Everyone is welcome to join and we do not promote a particular political or social position and welcome all points of view.
We've got two rules: please read the book before attending a meeting. And please don't RSVP to attend and then no-show. Best,
Andy
apstrike@gmail.com
Upcoming events (3)
See all- B&B Meeting: Douglas Adams -- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy2500 Q St NW, Washington, DC$3.00
Everyone, please join us on Monday, May 13 at 7 p.m. to discuss The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 299 pp by Douglas Adams.
Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker’s Guide (“A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have”) and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox—the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod’s girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.
Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? Why do we spend so much time between wearing digital watches? For all the answers stick your thumb to the stars. And don't forget to bring a towel!
Our meetings have a $3 fee, purely to offset the cost of Meetup. This can be paid via Venmo, Paypal, or in cash.
- B&B Meeting: Margaret Atwood -- The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope & Odysseus2500 Q St NW, Washington, DC$3.00
Everyone, please join us on Monday, June 10 at 7 p.m. to discuss The Penelopiad | 216 pp by Margaret Atwood.
In The Penelopiad, a feminist retelling of the Greek myth, Penelope reminisces on the events of the Odyssey, life in Hades, Odysseus, Helen of Troy, and her relationships with her parents. A Greek chorus of the twelve maids, who Odysseus believed were disloyal and whom Telemachus hanged, interrupt Penelope's narrative to express their view on events. The novella's central themes include the effects of story-telling perspectives, double standards between the sexes and the classes, and the fairness of justice.
Our meetings have a $3 fee, purely to offset the cost of Meetup. This can be paid via Venmo, Paypal, or in cash.
- B&B Meeting: Allen Dulles -- The Craft of Intelligence2500 Q St NW, Washington, DC$3.00
Everyone, please join us on Monday, August 5 at 7 p.m. to discuss The Craft of Intelligence: America's Legendary Spy Master on the Fundamentals of Intelligence Gathering for a Free World | 365 pp by Allen Dulles.
If the experts could point to any single book as a starting point for understanding the subject of intelligence from the late twentieth century to today, that single book would be Allen W. Dulles's The Craft of Intelligence. This classic of spycraft is based on Allen Dulles's incomparable experience as a diplomat, international lawyer, and America's premier intelligence officer. Dulles was a high-ranking officer of the CIA's predecessor--the Office of Strategic Services--and was present at the inception of the CIA, where he served eight of his ten years there as director. Here he sums up what he learned about intelligence from nearly a half-century of experience in foreign affairs. In World War II his OSS agents penetrated the German Foreign Office, worked with the anti-Nazi underground resistance, and established contacts that brought about the Nazi military surrender in North Italy. Under his direction the CIA developed both a dedicated corps of specialists and a whole range of new intelligence devices, from the U-2 high-altitude photographic plane to minute electronic listening and transmitting equipment. Dulles reveals much about how intelligence is collected and processed, and how the resulting estimates contribute to the formation of national policy. He discusses methods of surveillance, and the usefulness of defectors from hostile nations. His knowledge of Soviet espionage techniques is unrivaled, and he explains how the Soviet State Security Service recruited operatives and planted "illegals'' in foreign countries. He spells out not only the techniques of modern espionage but also the philosophy and role of intelligence in a free society threatened by global conspiracies. Dulles also addresses the Bay of Pigs incident, denying that the 1961 invasion was based on a CIA estimate that a popular Cuban uprising would ensue. This account is enlivened with a wealth of personal anecdotes. It is a book for readers who seek wider understanding of the contribution of intelligence to our national security.
Our meetings have a $3 fee, purely to offset the cost of Meetup. This can be paid via Venmo, Paypal, or in cash.
