The Open Minds Book Club invites thoughtful participation from GVSU students, faculty and staff, Hauenstein Center members, and community members. Kahler Sweeney, program manager of the Common Ground Initiative, and Brian Bowdle, associate professor of psychology, will host discussions on books that seek to understand and serve the needs of our democratic society.
Join us for our April 2023 Open Minds Book Club!
The Hauenstein Center is excited to offer a free copy of the book to the first twenty individuals to register!
During a time racked by war and environmental catastrophe, George Orr discovers his dreams alter reality. George is compelled to receive treatment from Dr. William Haber, an ambitious sleep psychiatrist who quickly grasps the immense power George holds. After becoming adept at manipulating George’s dreams to reshape the world, Haber seeks the same power for himself. George—with some surprising help—must resist Haber’s attempts, which threaten to destroy reality itself.
A classic of the science fiction genre, The Lathe of Heaven is prescient in its exploration of the moral risks when overwhelming power is coupled with techno-utopianism.
The Open Minds Book Club invites thoughtful participation from GVSU students, faculty and staff, Hauenstein Center members, and community members. Kahler Sweeney, program manager of the Common Ground Initiative, and Brian Bowdle, associate professor of psychology, will host discussions on books that seek to understand and serve the needs of our democratic society.
Join us as we discuss the core themes of the April pick, The Lathe of Heaven, by Ursula K. Le Guin. This Open Minds Book Club meeting will be on Wednesday, April 5th, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Richard M. DeVos Center’s Meijer Regency Room located on the GVSU Pew Campus.
Please order or request your copy of the book by March 24th to allow time for shipping and to enjoy the reading before the discussion.
Past Titles
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 - The White Mosque by Sofia Samatar
Wednesday, November 30, 2022 - War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning by Chris Hedges
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 - Liberalism and its Discontents, by Francis Fukuyama
Thursday, April 14, 2022 — Suspicious Minds by Robert Brotherton
Wednesday, January 27, 2022 — No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
Wednesday, September 8, 2021 — Mistrust: Why Losing Faith in Institutions Provides the Tools to Transform Them by Ethan Zuckerman
Thursday, June 24, 2021 — Self Portrait in Black and White by Thomas Chatterton Williams
Friday, March 12, 2021 — Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech by Keith E. Whittington
Goals of the Open Minds Book Club
Initiating the kinds of conversations necessary for fostering an informed citizenry and wise leadership
Bridging cultural, ideological, and generational divides through civil discourse
Growing a shared sense of belonging in our West Michigan community