Why I’m Relaunching My Book Club
I’m very excited to announce the return of my monthly book club. As some of you may remember, I originally tried to run a book club on YouTube but didn’t feel like it was the right platform for what I wanted to do.
Posting reviews on YouTube felt very one-directional and lacked the interactivity I wanted it to have. It also felt like a huge expenditure of energy that was not sustainable or financially viable.
But because paying subscribers allow me to invest more into creating, I’ve decided to incorporate the book club as part of my Substack offering — with elements for both paying and free subscribers.
Each month, I’ll send out a recommendation of a new book to everyone on my mailing list. Additionally, paying subscribers will also get a link to join a private zoom meeting where we will discuss the book together at the end of the month.
This summer, I’m giving all subscribers a sneak peek into the benefits of paid subscriptions to give you a taste of what I’ll be offering moving forward.
If you find this content useful, please consider supporting this publication by upgrading to a paid subscription to help me continue providing this service for the larger community.
Which brings me to the topic of this month’s book club pick…
“In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong” by Amin Maalouf
I came across this book years ago and it really helped me shape my understanding of what it means to be a global citizen in a time of intense division.
Given the extreme polarization of the current moment, I thought it would be a good time to revisit this book and use it as a starting point for a group discussion.
Amin Maalouf is a Lebanese journalist and novelist who fled his native country during the civil war in the mid-70s. In this book, he examines the concept of identities in a global era - specifically, how narrow, tribal identities can become impediments to world peace and greater tolerance.
It’s a little gem of a book that packs a ton of wisdom and uncommon perspectives into a mere 157 pages. I’m excited for us to dive into this book and discuss it further.
Pick up your copy here and add the following link to your calendar to join the discussion. You can also comment below to share your thoughts on this month’s book choice and suggest what we should read next.
Happy reading!
Saludos from Mexico City,
Marko
July Book Club Meeting Information:
Book: In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong by Amin Maalouf
Date: Monday, July 25th
Time: 5 PM Mexico City Time (3PM PST / 6PM EST)
Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/91517602618?pwd=dlNnRkhiRUd4WDd0dG1zN2R2YWlkdz09
More about Amin Maalouf:
Amin Maalouf was born in Lebanon on February 25, 1949, into a family of teachers. After studying economics and sociology, he worked as a reporter, covering many events around the world, such as the fall of the Ethiopian monarchy in September 1974 and the last battle of Saigon in the spring of 1975.
When the war broke out in his native country, he left for France with his wife and their three sons. He resumed his journalist activities, most notably at Jeune Afrique, where he became editor-in-chief and editorialist.
From 1984, he devoted himself to writing, publishing novels, essays, opera librettos. In 1993, he won the Prix Goncourt for The Rock de Tanios, in 1998 the European prize for the essay Les Identités meurtrières, and in 2010 Spanish the Prince of Asturias award for Literature for all of his work. In 2007-2008, at the invitation of the European Commission, he chaired a think tank on multilingualism, which published a report entitled A salutary challenge: How the multiplicity of languages could consolidate Europe. He was also elected to the Académie française to fill sit the Claude Lévi-Strauss chair on June 23, 2011.
The Marko Book Club is BACK