Mountain View Book Club

Kepler’s | Books Inc.
Non-Fiction. 304 pages. Hardcover. 2021.
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee, NYT Best Book, Amazon Best Seller.

An exploration of addiction and how modern society fuels compulsive behaviors. “Eye-opening” - NPR. “Insightful” - NYT .

From the publisher:
In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke explores the shocking modern landscape of compulsive overconsumption, where our need for quick dopamine hits—from drugs and food to smartphones and shopping—creates a profound imbalance in our brain’s reward circuitry. Through compelling patient stories and scientific insight, Lembke draws on decades of experience to explain why seeking pleasure and avoiding pain ultimately leads to pain, and what we can do to restore balance. Equal parts informative and compassionate, this book shows how embracing pain can be the gateway to recovery, connection, and contentment in a world of overwhelming abundance.

**Venue**: Red Rock has kindly given us this rental space for free. Please consider making a purchase to support them. Thanks!

Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream by Megan Greenwell
Kepler's | Books Inc
Non‑Fiction · 320 pages · Hardcover · 2025.
Vivid storytelling that exposes how private equity devastates communities through powerful personal narratives.
“How clichéd abstractions like ‘consolidation’ and ‘efficiency’ have given cover to real betrayals.” – New York Times.
“Deeply reported, briskly paced and highly disturbing” – Associated Press
“Textured, not one‑note tales of woe … with potent effect.” – The New York Times
From the publisher:
Acclaimed journalist Megan Greenwell delves into the murky world of private equity through the lives of four ordinary Americans upended by leveraged buyouts. Featuring a Toys “R” Us supervisor, a rural Wyoming doctor, a local journalist, and a housing advocate, Bad Company brings to light the human cost of financial extraction—job loss, service cuts, and community destabilization. Greenwell’s narrative is informed by her own experience at Deadspin, and her reporting is both urgent and empathetic, revealing how profit-driven investments hollow out institutions while generating immense wealth for the few. Despite the bleakness, Greenwell finds hope: those affected are organizing, resisting, and reclaiming the American dream. The book presents not only a damning exposé but also a roadmap for grassroots reform and resilience.
**Venue**: Red Rock has kindly given us this rental space for free. Please consider making a purchase to support them. Thanks!

This month we will experiment with discussing two short novels:
1) Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix
Kepler's | Books Inc
Fiction · 192 pages · Paperback · 2024.
Prix Goncourt Finalist. Le Monde Best Book. New York Times Notable Book.
A philosophical novel based on a true event in which a French coast guard justifies her inaction in a migrant boat tragedy.
“Thoughtful” – Le Monde. “Profound” – New York Times.
"A gut‑punch of a novel that asks: could we all do better?” – International Booker Prize judges

Small Boat is a stark, haunting meditation on moral responsibility and institutional indifference. Inspired by the real-life November 2021 tragedy in which a migrant-filled dinghy capsized in the English Channel—resulting in 27 deaths—the novel unfolds through the perspective of the French coast guard radio operator who fielded the desperate calls for help.

2) Minor Detail by Adania Shibli
Kepler's | Books Inc
Fiction · 144 pages · Paperback · 2020.
National Book Award Longlist (Translated Literature Finalist) · New York Times Notable Book · PEN Translation Prize.
A compelling exploration of violence and memory across two timelines in Palestine. “Cuts to the heart of the Palestinian experience” – New York Times. “A searing, beautiful novel” – Publisher’s Weekly.

Minor Detail unfolds in two haunting halves, meticulously woven to reflect on historical trauma and its enduring resonance; a philosophical and existential inquiry into memory, history, and erasure

**Venue**: Red Rock has kindly given us this rental space for free. Please consider making a purchase to support them. Thanks!

The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn't, What Shouldn't Make You Happy, but Does. By Sonja Lyubomirsky
Kepler's | Books Inc
Non‑Fiction · 336 pages · Paperback · 2014.
Amazon Best Book of the Month (Psychology & Social Sciences). Critically praised by The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus Reviews.
This book uncovers common misconceptions about happiness, revealing what truly influences lasting well‑being. “Provocative and fresh” – Publishers Weekly. “Informative and engaging” – Kirkus Reviews.
From the publisher:
Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness, turns her research-based eye toward the “myths” we hold about happiness—beliefs that milestones like marriage, wealth, parenthood, or career success will forever secure our joy, or that adversity will surely devastate us. Lyubomirsky argues these black‑and‑white expectations distort our emotional responses and prevent us from recognizing opportunity in the messy middle of life.

**Venue**: Red Rock has kindly given us this rental space for free. Please consider making a purchase to support them. Thanks!