23rd of May — next meetup of the Malmö Non-Fiction Bookclub
Hi everyone,
Let's have another “Currently Reading Fika”, a remote one again. The idea is the same as previously: give and get non-fiction reading tips based on the books you're reading now or have recently finished. But we do it online. And there's one new thing, see below.
Last time
We talked about the following books:
- How to Become a Federal Criminal: an Illustrated Handbook for the Aspiring Offender by Mike Chase
- How to talk so kids will listen & listen so kids will talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
- Zoo Quest for a Dragon (Drakjakt på Komodo) by David Attenborough
- H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
- Chief Engineer: Washington Roebling, the man who built the Brooklyn bridge_ by Erica Wagner
- Samhällsguiden: en handbok i offentlig service
- How to be a Leader by Plutarch
New thing
Shu-Chin suggested for us to read some essays by Plutarch and discuss them. They should be short enough to find the time, available enough since they're in public domain by now, and applicable enough because it's a classic. I'm gonna take the liberty to suggest the following essays from Plutarch's Moralia:
Date and time(s)
Saturday, 23rd of May.
- United Reading Fika: 10:00 (discussing Plutarch if you've read the three essays listed above)
- Currently Reading Fika: 10:30 (discussing whatever else everyone read, usually lasts more than an hour)
I hope by that time I'll finish reading “Scale: The Universal Laws of Life, Growth, and Death in Organisms, Cities, and Companies” by Geoffrey West and “Ålevangeliet” by Patrik Svensson.
The place
This will be a remote event again, because virus. https://meet.jit.si/malmononfictionbookclub is the link where it will happen. Last time we've learned that it works well but not necessarily with iPads.
Q&A
Q: what is this jitsi thing?
A: It's a group video chat, kinda like Skype or Zoom or BlueJeans, except (1) free, (2) privacy-friendly, (3) registration-free (you don't need an account).
Q: how do I use jitsi?
A: On a computer (no matter if it's a PC, a MacBook, a Linux machine, etc), just open the link in your browser. The browser will ask to access your camera and microphone — if you want people to see and/or hear you, tell the browser to allow it. That's it. On a smartphone, you'll need to install the app — just once, of course. Then you just open the same link as you would open on the computer. The app: Apple store link, Google Play Store link, F-Droid link.
Q: I've never used jitsi, how can I test that it works on my device?
A: Go to https://meet.jit.si/, start your own test meeting, and see what happens. As usual with software, it helps if everything is up to date, like your operating system (Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android...) and your browser (Safari, Chromium, Edge, Firefox...)
Q: I've never used group video chats, can someone help me out?
A: Sure. To check that the sound and the video are working as intended, join the call 15 minutes before the scheduled start, I'll be there. You can also reply to this email if you'd like to try out your setup earlier.
Q: Is there anything which is good to know before joining a group video chat?
A: Yeah, for example:
- The better your internet connection, the better the chat. Best option is an ethernet connection (that is, sticking an internet cable into your device); next best is a strong stable WiFi (e.g. being connected to a router and sitting close to it, being the only user); least favorable option is mobile internet (like 4G) in an area with bad coverage — but if it's good coverage, even 4G is more than sufficient.
- For sound, the best option is a headset (earphones combined with a microphone). The next best is the built-in mic and speakers — smartphones and laptops have those, but keep in mind that it might result in an echo (when your mic is picking up what comes out of your speakers). If that happens, mute yourself when you're not talking.
- If you're going to use a camera, think of the angle and of the background that people will see.
- Don't put the microphone too close to your face — it might pick up your breathing, and you'll probably be asked to mute yourself when you're not talking.
- Keep in mind that there's always a bit of delay between the people speaking and the others hearing them.
- If you use your smartphone, holding it in your hand the whole time might be tiresome — find or make a stand for it, so that your hands are free.
Q: what will we do?
A: A “Currently Reading Fika” consists of 3 parts:
(1) casual small-talk for the first few minutes, waiting for people to arrive
(2) a round of introductions — everyone takes turns to say “Hi, my name is...” and add whichever details they want. Some people tell their age, some people mention their job; most people tell what kind of books they read and how (paper, ebook, audiobook...)
(3) a round of book reviews — everyone takes turns to tell the group about the book(s) they've been reading. Everyone else can ask questions, comment, suggest another book to those interested in the topic, etc.
One more time: Saturday, the 23rd of May, 10:00 for Plutarch, 10:30 for the rest of the books, https://meet.jit.si/malmononfictionbookclub. If you have questions, please reply to this email, and I'll see what we can do.