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All you need to know about what's happening with Book Club
We're all busy people, and sometimes we don't get to read everything we'd like to. This month at StandOut, we're discussing 'Adapt', the book by Tim Harford. As Tim actually gave a TED talk a while back, covering some of the content from his book, we thought we'd share the video for those who are interested in the conversation, but maybe haven't had time to read. Enjoy!
And see you on Wednesday, 7.30pm at Crucible Corner.
January saw the first StandOut event. And It was a really great start. Using Richard Stengel's book about leadership and life lessons from the life of Nelson Mandela, we went on a fascinating journey of stimulating and thought-provoking conversation. Here's what Pete, one of the attendees, said about it:
I wasn’t sure to expect when I turned up to the first StandOut event – I was hoping it wouldn’t be a dry academic debate. It turned out to be great fun - a stimulating discussion with a really friendly and interesting bunch of people. Highly recommended as a way to spend a couple of hours on a Wednesday evening.
Our next meet up is happening on Wednesday 27 February, 7.30pm at Crucible Corner. This month our conversation will be triggered by Tim Harford's book ‘Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure’.
Here's the blurb about the book:
Everything we know about solving the world's problems is wrong. Out: Plans, experts and above all, leaders. In: Adapting - improvise rather than plan; fail, learn, and try again In this groundbreaking new book, Tim Harford shows how the world's most complex and important problems - including terrorism, climate change, poverty, innovation, and the financial crisis - can only be solved from the bottom up by rapid experimenting and adapting. From a spaceport in the Mojave Desert to the street battles of Iraq, from a blazing offshore drilling rig to everyday decisions in our business and personal lives, this is a handbook for surviving - and prospering - in our complex and ever-shifting world.
Unlike the January event, we won't be having any formal event signup page. People are free to simply turn up on the night. As before though, there will be a £3 charge that will - in its entirety - be donated to the work of Oasis South Africa.
See you in a few weeks!
Sam.
In our first StandOut conversation (happening in two weeks time) we're discussing Richard Stengel's book on Nelson Mandela. It explores fifteen life and leadership lessons. As a way of a taster for those of you who are still contemplating getting the book and signing up for the event, here are the fifteen lessons:
If you're worried you won't have time to read the book now, worry not! First, each of the sections are really short, making it a quick read. And second, even if you don't get to read it all (or even none of it) but would enjoy the conversation, you're still welcome to come along and join in.
See you in a couple of weeks!
Sam.
Every human being is loaded with talent and potential. Sadly, all too often, many of us struggle to fully unleash our talents on the world; we find it hard to discover our voice and stand out as the people we are capable of being.
Starting in 2013, Vox is looking to help change this. Each month, on the fourth Wednesday*, we will host a conversation around one or more of the themes of human potential, creativity, talent, and leadership that are designed to be fun and informal, and yet meaningful and inspiring. The source of the content will vary from month to month, but will typically be books related to the above themes.
This first month we'll be seeing what we can learn from the life of Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa. We'll be discussing the material from Richard Stengel's book Nelson Mandela: Portrait of an Extraordinary Man.
To participate in these monthly conversations will cost £3 each month. We are charging because, as well as investing in our own lives, we want to give something to those who have a much harder starting point than we do in looking to develop and maximise their potential. As such, all the proceeds raised each month wil be going to support the work of Oasis South Africa, a charity working in the townships of Johannesburg, helping to give young people a much better start in life.
We have also chosen to limit the number of people who can come each month to maximise the quality of the conversation and ensure the numbers are such that everyone can contribute.
The vibe for these conversations is very relaxed and informal. They're designed for anyone and everyone who wants to learn more about living life to the full and discovering their unique voice. This isn't some stuffy, academic workshop. It is more along the line of an non-fiction book club where people can come to learn, share, and discuss. We're all on a journey, figuring out what it means to be human. This is a space for you to do that with others who share the same motivations.
Buying and reading the book isn't essential to benefit from this event, but to get the most out of it, it is highly recommended.
If you have any further questions, please contact Sam Radford.
*This first month we'll be meeting on the fifth Wednesday as a one off.
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We are setting up a dedicated mailing list for those who would specifically like to receive the email updates about all StandOut events. You can subscribe to this here. And to fully stay in the loop, be sure to Like our new Facebook page.
