PCMC Book Club

Sometimes it helps to be motivated to read the books we really do want to read. Use the PCMC Book Club as your excuse to pick up stimulating, useful books that will help you work smarter and better, then come for lively discussions and networking with colleagues.

Spring 2018 Book Club Recommendations!

Do you know a book that would be a great pick for our Spring book club?  Are you interested in facilitating a conversation about the book?  Complete our Book Club Recommendation form.  We will be collecting suggestions through December 5th, then making a decision and announcing the book shortly thereafter.  Book club meeting will take place in mid-late February.  

Past Book Clubs

Spring 2017

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For Life by Twyla Tharp

cover of The Creative Habit by Twyla TharpBook Club Brown Bag Lunch Discussion:
Date/Time: Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 12noon-1:30p
Location: Walter Library 101
Facilitated by: Diane Kleinman, University Services
More information on this book
“One of the world’s leading creative artists, choreographers, and creator of the smash-hit Broadway show, Movin’ Out, shares her secrets for developing and honing your creative talents—at once prescriptive and inspirational, a book to stand alongside The Artist’s Way and Bird by Bird.
All it takes to make creativity a part of your life is the willingness to make it a habit. It is the product of preparation and effort, and is within reach of everyone. Whether you are a painter, musician, businessperson, or simply an individual yearning to put your creativity to use, The Creative Habit provides you with thirty-two practical exercises based on the lessons Twyla Tharp has learned in her remarkable thirty-five-year career.”

Fall 2017 Book Club

Our Iceberg is Melting: Changing & Succeeding Under Any Circumstances

by John Kotter & Holger Rathgeber

Book Cover: Our Iceberg is MeltingBook Club Brown Bag Lunch Presentation & Discussion
Date/Time:  Wednesday, October 18th - 11:30a - 1p
Location:  Walter Library, room 101
Facilitated by:  Sonya Sustacek, Project Manager/Business Analyst, OIT
More information about the book
"Our Iceberg Is Melting is a simple fable about doing well in an ever-changing world. Based on the award-winning work of Harvard’s John Kotter, it is a story that has been used to help thousands of people and organizations.
The fable is about a penguin colony in Antarctica. A group of beautiful emperor pen­guins live as they have for many years. Then one curious bird discovers a potentially devastating problem threatening their home—and pretty much no one listens to him.
The characters in the story, Fred, Alice, Louis, Buddy, the Professor, and NoNo, are like people we recognize—even ourselves. Their tale is one of resistance to change and heroic action, seemingly intractable obstacles and the most clever tactics for dealing with those obstacles. It’s a story that is occurring in different forms all around us today—but the penguins handle the very real challenges a great deal better than most of us.
Our Iceberg Is Melting is based on pioneer­ing work that shows how Eight Steps produce needed change in any sort of group. It’s a story that can be enjoyed by anyone while at the same time providing invaluable guidance for a world that just keeps moving faster and faster."

If you want to facilitate a book club, contact pcmc@umn.edu

Missed a few book clubs?  Catch up on your reading!

Have suggestions for a new book?  Would you like to help out with future book clubs?  Submit a Suggestion Here.

Or check out the PCMC Recommended Reading List page for more book suggestions from our members.