Book Club
The Asian American Cultural Center Book Club offers members of the community to engage in meaningful and thoughtful literary discussions that explore various cultural, political, social, and personal issues related to Asian American experiences.
Current Book Selection:
"Acts of Faith:The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation"
by Eboo Patel
About the Book
"Acts of Faith" is Dr. Patel’s personal story of growing up in the suburbs of Chicago as a first generation American Muslim from India. In many ways it is the same American story that has been told by generations of immigrants who struggle with the competing claims of inherited, adopted and innate identities. We follow Patel as he moves from a desire to erase his heritage, angry pride, radical politics in college, to a resolution of an integrated identity. This journey ends with what he is today: The fully Muslim and fully American person.
About the Author
Dr. Eboo Patel received his undergraduate degree in sociology from our very own, University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship.
Eboo Patel is the founder and Executive Director of the Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago-based institution building the global interfaith youth movement. He was recently appointed by President Obama to the Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Initiatives, where he is working to realize the President’s priority of interfaith cooperation. He writes "The Faith Divide", a featured blog on religion for The Washington Post and has also written for the Harvard Divinity School Bulletin, the Chicago Tribune, The Clinton Journal, The Review of Faith and International Affairs, The Sunday Times of India and National Public Radio. Eboo serves on the Religious Advisory Committee of the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Committee of the Aga Khan Foundation USA.
He has spoken at the TED Conference, the Clinton Global Initiative, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum and at universities around the world. Dr. Patel is an Ashoka Fellow, part of a select group of social entrepreneurs whose ideas are changing the world.
Book Talk
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
6PM, AACC Activities Room
Free Snacks!
Who can join the Book Club?
The Book Club is open to anyone in the campus community including students, faculty and staff member. The only requirements are:
- an interest and passion for reading
- an interest in Asian American issues
- commitment to attend Book Club meetings
How do you choose the book?
This semester’s book is also the reading for One Campus, One Book program.
Where can I pick up a copy of "Acts of Faith:The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation"?
Copies of “Acts of Faith” are available for sale at the Illini Union Bookstore for only $9.10! (They also have $3 off coupons). Freshman can get a copy of the book for free!
More information about the book:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Go6mnBK5Y
http://morningchai.blogspot.com/2009/04/eboo-patel-ismailis-in-news.html
http://pluralism.org/events/interfaculty/guestbios/patel.php
http://union.illinois.edu/involvement/oboc/
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