The Book Club
The secular book club, or reading discussion group, is a long-standing American tradition, dating back to the late 18th century. Earlier versions of reading groups were generally religious oriented. Today, 88% of participants in private book clubs are women, almost two thirds of whom have advanced degrees. Women today account for 80% of all fiction sales. There are many forms of book clubs. Publishers of popular books sometimes will include a discussion guide, printed in the book itself. There are national reading groups, touting specific books recommended by celebrities, such as Oprah or Reese Witherspoon. There…