Book Club for Personal Development + World Betterment

1. At each book club meeting, 2 books (1 on personal development, and 1 on world betterment) are briefly presented by the presenters, and the group discusses how to apply that knowledge to our lives and our world.
   
2. Each member only needs to read and present at most 1 book every 8 weeks -- yet if you attend the club once a month you will have the opportunity to learn from 24 books each year that relate to personal development and/or a better world.
3. One of the unique aspects of this book club is that each member reads different books (books that speak most to her/him) and present what they read to the group. It keeps the club interesting!

1. Describe briefly your interest in personal development as well as world betterment--what are some topics, ideas, paths, or practices that interest you?
2. What do you do for a living?
3. Can you commit to reading and presenting on 1 book (on personal development and/or world betterment) every 8 weeks?
4. If you'd like, list a couple of books regarding personal development and/or bettering the world that you'd like the group to present & discuss.
5. Note: we are looking for members who care about both "personal development" and "world betterment" topics.

• "The book club is everything I had hoped for and more: knowledge, intellectual stimulation, community, shared wisdom, and comraderie. Not only is it a place to learn, it's a place to grow. Since leaving graduate school I have missed this kind of environment, and I am grateful to have this space where real discourse is possible."
  ~ Joanie
• "This is a group that brings together all the things I look for in a weekend — inspiration, wisdom, advice, references, and opportunities to build new and stronger friendships. For all these qualities to come together is so rare in any group that I’ve ever been in — and for this one it just seems to happen naturally. I’m always looking forward to next time!"
  ~ Alex
• "It is really heartening to see there are other successful professionals who, despite the daily competitive grind, are committed to social change. The people in the group had wonderful ideas and the energy they brought to the meeting renews my faith in the human spirit."
  ~ Hassan
• "The book club exceeded my expectations. The other members were friendly and inviting; George was warm and well prepared and the conversation was interesting and fun. I was interested in all of the books that were brought to the table and I liked the initial questions we used to introduce ourselves. I felt at home right away and I’m really looking forward to attending the next meeting."
  ~Suzie

* Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (David Allen) * Love is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends (by Tim Sanders) * The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal (by Jim Loehr, Tony Schwartz) * Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Carol Dweck) * Be Heard Now: Tap into Your Inner Speaker and Communicate with Ease (Lee Glickstein) * What Color Is Your Parachute: A Practical Manual for Job-hunters And Career-Changers * The Integral Vision (Ken Wilber) * Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) * Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui (Karen Kingston) * Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha (Tara Brach) * How to Be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving (David Richo) * Change Your Questions, Change Your Life (Marilee Adams)

* Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization (by Lester Brown) * Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow (Chip Conley) - a book about building business cultures that nurture the greatest human potential. * After Capitalism: Prout's Vision for a New World (Betto, Maheshvarananda) * Visionary Business: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Success (Marc Allen) * The Triple Bottom Line: How Today's Best-Run Companies Are Achieving Economic, Social and Environmental Success (Andrew Savitz) * Creating a World Without Poverty (Muhammad Yunus)

Best of Bay Area.com Dining Out & Wine Tasting Group

Organized by the founder of http://wwwBestOfBayArea.com, we're a group interested in Dining Out and Wine Tasting. Come to a local Dining Out or Wine Tasting Meetup with fellow foodies, gourmets or those that like to enjoy a glass of wine. Discover new restaurants, enjoy fantastic wine and make satisfying conversation with friendly dinner or wine drinking companions.

VIN DU VIN Wine Tasting Cruise – Sausalito, Ca
Sunday, September 21, 2008 at 5:00PM

This is not a hosted event, however I thought it sounded interesting and like a lot of fun!

Vin Du Vin Wine Tasting Cruise on the San Francisco Bay

Enjoy a cruise in San Francisco Bay for 3 hours (a 3 hour tour). Vin Du Vin cruises is accepting 125 passengers. First deck is a lounge and dining, second deck is the promenade and tasting area.

Our Premier Cruise is one where wineries bring out the Best of the Best and enjoy many varieties of wines. Each winery will bring up to 4 varietals where each person will receive a sample and some educational materials on wine tasting.

Wineries: California wineries serving top red and white wine varietals from Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Temecula and Orange counties.

At the event you can order wine but the order will be fullfilled at the winery and shipped to your home in 2 days time.

Time: 5 PM - 8 PM (need to be at boarding Dock by 4:30PM).

Location: 310 Harbor Dr Sausalito, CA 94965-1416
Menu: Rack of Lamb with port reduction fig sauce, Honey Glazed ham, Spinach Lasagna (Vegetarian), Greek salad, Fruits, Various cheese from around the world, flourless C...

Price: $135.00

See the full event details, including location, at http://diningout.meetup.com/316/calendar/8698735/.

Check out what members are saying about Best of Bay Area.com Dining Out & Wine Tasting Group:

"Wonderful group of folks. I would love to hang out with them again!" - Anonymous Member

"Interesting and friendly people." - Anonymous Member

"looking forward to the next meet up :)" - Anonymous Member

Every ride starts with a7:30 a.m. open A.A. breakfast meeting at the Alano Club in San Francisco, followed immediatly at 9:00 a.m. with the ride. Breakfast is six bucks and  the meeting lasts an hour. The route is pre-planned with a leader and a sweeper, so just print a map from our home page and enjoy the ride. Faster riders are free to go on ahead; wave as you pass us and we'll assume you know the way. You don't ride so fast? Don't worry. Ride at a pace you're comfortable with and rest easy knowing the sweep is happily bringing up the rear so no one gets left behind. We typically ride 200 to 250 miles a day and stop every 90 miles or so to refuel, stretch our legs and shoot the breeze. There's a midday stop for lunch (we avoid fast food joints in favor of sit-down restaurants), and we're usually home by dusk. Don't want to stick around all day? No problem. Cut out any time. Just let us know you're leaving so we don't think you're lost.

Are women welcome? Of course.  EVERYONE is welcome, and we encourage anyone who wants to ride sober to join us. We've got several women in the group, and they're some of our best riders.    Do you guys ride Ducs-in-a-row?                               No. Ducs-in-a-row is when everyone rides in formation at the same speed all day. We save that for the Shriners. There's always a leader and a sweeper in our group, but everyone else is free to ride at their own pace.   Group riding makes me kinda nervous. It's common for newcomers to be nervous about riding with strangers. As Bill CCs It is dedicated to safety, and we follow tried-and-true group riding techniques. We ride in staggered formation on the highway and single file on the twisty bits. We're mindful of other riders and don't crowd anyone.   I ride a (insert style of bike here), and most of you guys ride (insert different style of bike here). Will I fit in? Absolutely. If it's got two wheels and a motor, c'mon out. Everyone is welcome, regardless of what they ride or what size engine it has. Take a look at some of the pictures on our site. You'll see every type of motorcycle you can imagine, including a Honda Reflex 250 scooter (that's it in the photo below). We haven't had anyone show up on a trike, but if you've got one, c'mon out and play with us.
How fast do you ride? Will I be able to keep up? Or are you all slowpokes who'll keep me waiting at every intersection?  This is another common question, and often a big concern among new riders. We've got some fast riders. We've got some slow riders. Most are somewhere in between. Everyone rides at his or her own pace, and NO ONE is left behind. Every ride has a designated sweeper who happily brings up the rear, and we've found that even the slowest riders are rarely more than 5 minutes behind the leader. We move along at a steady pace, regroup whenever there's a change in the route and make regular stops for gas. You won't get left behind, and no one's gonna think you're too slow.   What sort of experience should I have?  We'd prefer that you have at least a year's experience and a couple of hundred miles on your bike. Please don't show up the day after you buy a new motorcycle; it's better if you've taken some time to get used to it before riding in a group. You should have a thorough understanding of riding basics -  cornering, controlled stops, riding on rough roads and handing a motorcycle in all weather conditions.   What happens if I break down?   Everyone should make sure his or her bike is in solid condition before riding, which means making sure your tires are properly inflated and have good tread, your brakes are in working order, your chain is clean and lubed, you've got enough oil and there's nothing obviously wrong with your ride. Do at least that much and your chance of breaking down is greatly diminished. Everyone also should have the tool kit that came with the motorcycle when it was new, plus an assortment of zipties, a tire patch kit and a cell phone. We've got enough experienced riders in the group that we can probably get you going if it's a minor problem. If it's something we can't fix, we'll make sure you and your bike get home safely.     What happens if I crash?   We're not going to lie to you - we've had riders go down. It's rare, and serious crashes are rarer still, but it has happened. In the event someone goes down, the entire group stops. If the rider is OK and the bike rideable, we'll continue on our way. If the bike is too damaged to ride, at least one or two people will stay with the rider and his or her bike to make sure they get home safely. In a worst case scenario where a rider is seriously injured, at least one or two people will wait for police and/or paramedics to arrive, then accompany the rider to the hospital while another member of the group tends to the motorcycle. We've got a handy "vehicle release form" (download it here) that you can use to designate a "guardian" for your motorcycle so the CHP does not impound it. We recommend you carry one in your tank bag. We want to stress that accidents are very rare, but we want newcomers to know we have a protocol for dealing with them.
What should I bring? Money: Breakfast at the meeting is $6 if you want it, and you'll need money (or a debit / credit card) for gas, snacks and lunch. Lunch generally runs $10-12 per person. Make sure you've got cash for any bridge tolls. Gear: A helmet, gloves, boots and a jacket are suggested. Please print out a map from the home page or plug the route into your GPS. It's helpful, but not required, to have a tank bag with a map pocket. Check the weather forecast - every ride on the schedule has a link to the day's weather forecast - and make sure you bring appropriate gear. Attitude: Bring a good attitude, and a dedication to safety. If you're rude or reckless, you WILL be asked to leave. Motorcycle: As mentioned earlier, please make sure your bike is in good mechanical condition, your tires are properly inflated and your gas tank is full. Can I suggest a route? By all means. We're always looking for new roads and destinations. If you've got something in mind, let us know and we'll work with you to make it happen. You guys ride on the first and third Sunday of the month. What about months with five Sundays? We usually schedule an overnight ride on those occasions, and three-day trips on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. Check the schedule on the home page for more info.