Nonfiction Club

56 Up
Starting in 1964, the UP Series has interviewed 14 children from diverse backgrounds from all over England, asking them about their lives and their dreams for the future. Every seven years, renowned director Michael Apted has been back to talk to them, examining the progression of their lives.

From cab driver Tony to schoolmates Jackie, Lynn and Susan and the enigmatic Neil, as they turn 56 more life-changing decisions and surprising developments are revealed.

A towering achievement in the annals of cinema, The UP Series is, according to critic Roger Ebert, "an inspired, almost noble use of the film medium. Apted penetrates to the central mystery of life."

56 Up is available on Kanopy and Hoopla through the Columbus Metropolitan Library. This is the film we'll discuss, but please feel free to check out the other films in the series as well.

How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question
by Michael Schur

The creator of The Good Place and the co-creator of Parks and Recreation offers a guide to living an ethical life, drawing on 2,500 years of deep thinking from around the world.

Most people think of themselves as “good,” but it’s not always easy to determine what’s “good” or “bad”—especially in a world filled with complicated choices and pitfalls and booby traps and bad advice. Fortunately, many smart philosophers have been pondering this conundrum for millennia and they have guidance for us. With bright wit and deep insight, How to Be Perfect explains concepts like deontology, utilitarianism, existentialism, ubuntu, and more so we can sound cool at parties and become better people.