The Dayton Book Guys: How a Group of Men Bonded Through Books

This is the story of twenty-five men, all from in and around Dayton, Ohio, who for more than two decades met monthly over food and drink to discuss nearly 200 books. Initially in their late-middle years, they transitioned into their later years, sharing professional and personal passages, and evolving into a tight band of brothers. Originally ten white men of European descent, the group eventually included two African Americans, a Chinese American and a Palestinian American. One member was a Canadian citizen, others lived in Israel and Germany. All professionals, the group included a Roman Catholic priest, two Protestant ministers, several attorneys, a judge, journalists, psychotherapists, medical doctors, a conflict resolution consultant, educators and businessmen.In a move that transformed the group, they took it on the road, holding semi-annual retreats in northern Michigan and southeast Ohio. The weekend retreats, geographically removed from families and jobs, enhanced the men's bonds with each other and changed the group dynamic. It meant discussions moved from just during food and drink to every waking moment, sitting around a living room, on a deck overlooking Lake Michigan or hiking through a state park in Ohio's Hocking Hills.The Dayton Book Guys is about the books they read, fiction and non-fiction from all genres, the discussions they had about the books and much more, the settings in which they shared their lives and the close bond that came to define them as a group. Mostly, it is a very personal tale about twenty-five men and their journey together over two decades and, ultimately, their love for each other.