Finding principles of Buddhism in literature and science, to make the journey a bit easier.

Discourse cheers us to companionable reflection. Such reflection neither parades polemical opinions nor does it tolerate complaisant agreement. The sail of thinking keeps trimmed hard to the wind of the matter. -- from "On the Experience of Thinking," Heidegger "Philosophy is not a theory but an activity." -- from "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus," Wittgenstein Join us soon for friendship, cooperative discourse and mental exercise, all organized around an interest in our own engagements …

ATTENTION!!!!!! This group is being transfered to a different site. If you want to join Chicago Veg*n Nerds, go here: http://www.meetup.com/vegNerds _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ We get together for various events. They can be for social, ethical, and / or intellectual purposes. We encourage all members to suggest event ideas, on the Message board. Some events we have include: 1. Potlucks 2. Socials at …

Anyone can join, whether or not you're a vegan, vegetarian, animal welfare activist, green environmentalist, intellectual, or nerd.  All you need is an interest in what we do. You can see our calendar for animal welfare / animal rights relevant events and nerdy and veg*n stuff: http://www.meetup.com/vegNerds/#calendar We get together for a variety of events. They can be for social, ethical, and / or intellectual purposes. We encourage all members to suggest event ideas, on the Message board, o …

Have you ever wanted to read the books you hear everyone talking about? Here's your chance! Anyone is welcome to this casual monthly book group. Each month, we'll have an informal discussion of that month's selection. Togther we will choose next month's book. Suggestions welcome!

Join us for public lectures in Chicago on the Gnostic Teachings, a practical, spiritual and scientific methodology for transforming suffering and acquiring personal knowledge of the divine. Gnosis is the universal wisdom at the heart of all great religions and mystical traditions, and has manifested through innumerable teachers and spiritual guides. The principal literature of discussion is the canon of Samael Aun Weor, a modern author and expositor on esoteric topics such as Gnosticism, Kabbala …

Chicago Black Literature Book Club seeks to bring together both women and men who enjoy thought-provoking black literature -- both modern and contemporary -- to partake in discussion, debate and dining!

This group started in May 2011, and we've read novels by Joyce, Malraux, Kafka, Wright, Mishima, Faulkner, Nabokov, Unamuno, Ellison, Hamsun, Woolf, Biely, Gide, and many others.  We try to have a good time discussing the books without descending to small talk, think critically without descending to pedantry, etc. Also, as the title shows, we've expanded our reading list since the group started.  We don't really want to title the group something as vague as "Chicago Literature Group," etc., and …

Have you been looking for a place to share musings on your latest novel? Would you like to meet more people in Chicago's literary community? Are you curious to hear others opine on their recent reads? Fabulous -- welcome to the Open Book Club! The Open Book Club meets monthly for casual conversation followed by discussion questions moderated by Open Books staff. All are welcome and there is no monthly commitment. Come read with us! Second Tuesday of each month at 6 pm at the Open Books store. FR …

Looking for like-minded folks who dig super-contemporary fiction and are dying to talk books! If you read newer stuff like Murakami, Junot Diaz, Jonathan Franzen, DFW, Jennifer Egan (also the best of non-fiction) I think you'll like us. Meetings are once a month in the Ukrainian Village / blue line area. Guys and ladies 25-40ish who are serious about reading and want awesome book club selections, please join!

I'm starting this group to encourage myself to read more and to meet new folks in the neighborhood. Join if: You are in your 30s You live in or around West Lakeview. You want to meet folks in the neighborhood to discuss books with and potentially become friends with as well. You like to have lively discussions. The group Meetups will be capped at around 30 people to keep it manageable.

Do you like conventions about Science Fiction? Fantasy? Gaming? Anime? Horror? Odd stuff in general? The Chicago Conventions group is designed to get people together at conventions and at certain other related events to meet and have fun. Check out the Calendar! Note posts will be created on the calendar about all of the conventions (that I know of) in the Chicago area. If you know of other conventions not listed, send a message to the organizer Leane with whatever details you have and it will g …

A book club for mystery lovers! We will read new authors as well as the classics. Explore what makes a great mystery. Socialize and have fun.

Meet local Spanish language and culture lovers for conversation, cultural exchange, and fun in Chicago! Come to a Spanish Fanaticos Meetup event and make new amigos while speaking in Spanish, learning new vocabulary, putting your grammar knowledge into practice and/or simply brushing up your Spanish skills! Some of our events include: Spanish Grammar and Literature Workshops, Social Networking Events, Happy Hours, Dinners, Coffee Time, Hikes, Picnics, Movie Nights, Dancing and more. All ages and …

Every year brings the hottest diet and latest exercise craze.  Are they the best or just the most popular? Should we eat a low-carb diet?  Buy a juicer?  How do we stick with an exercise program for months, or even years? This is no ordinary book club.  We are here to explore literature that help us better understand the fitness journey: diet, exercise, motivation, lifestyle. My name is Daniel Lona, and I'm a kettlebell instructor and nutritional coach, and now proud organizer of this unique and …

This is a book club dedicated to exploring great writings about the environment. We will discuss both the great past works and their influence on society as well as explore the pioneering notions and ideas found in the present literature.  Field trips, lectures and other activities will supplement the reading (or provide a way for our fellow Naturalist Book Lovers to get to know each other better).

This is group is located in Chicago. It is targeted towards doctoral candidates (or those who are close) with an emphasis on completing the dissertation process. We share ideas regarding methodology, drafting problem statements, establishing the significance (answering the “so what” question) of the study, developing a comprehensive literature review, and creating an effective conceptual framework. This is a focused and pragmatic group, we do not cry into our coffee or soup, our goal is to help …

We meet twice a month to discuss designated during the taping of Insight Radio.  (If you have not listened, here is the last show:  Insight Radio is looking for guests for our next show on current events.  Here are recent shows: Guest: Fran Hawthorne, Author of Ethical Chic: The Inside Story of the Companies We Think We Love. Award-winning journalist Fran Hawthorne has been a writer or editor at Fortune, BusinessWeek, Institutional Investor, Crane's and other publications. She is the author of …

The Book (Was Better) Club is for cinephiles and bookworms alike. Each month, members will select a book for which a film adaptation was (or will be) made. To keep discussions productive, caps will be placed on how many may attend a given meeting, but meet-ups will be held at least twice a month. So if you don't R.S.V.P. in time for one, just join another! Events will range from discussions (over coffee, tea, wine, or my personal favorite: FOOD) to in-home movie viewings and trips to the cinema.

This group is for people interested in getting together to read, analyze, and discuss current scientific literature about environmental health, with a particular focus on the intersection between environmental health and maternal and child health, but not exclusively. Issues such as climate change, built environment, and occupational health are all interesting and important topics we may cover. For each meeting we will all pre-read the same article from the scientific literature. One person each …

We hope to critique each other's drafts of all sorts in a mutually supportive and awesome environment. This group is invite-only to ensure that we stay tiny (hence the name). We meet about twice a month and share drafts to read a few days in advance. We're into all sorts of writing styles, from humorous to serious to abstract. Many of us are sex-positive feminists; if you're not down with that please don't apply.