Greater Allegheny

PSGA Book Club announces next book: 'The Art of Noticing'

MCKEESPORT, Pa. —  Penn State Greater Allegheny's Book Club has announced its fourth book, "The Art of Noticing," by Rob Walker. The self-help book dives into 131 ways to spark creativity, find inspiration, and discover joy through mediation and exercises.   

"'The Art of Noticing' is the perfect book for all of us in our community to read together during this time when we are subject to so many distractions and disconnected from each other," said Alison Newman, information resources and services specialist at the Kelly Library. "The book is full of ideas to improve our observation skills, help us engage with the world, and reawaken our creativity."   

Limited copies of the book are available for readers from the library. For more information, visit https://catalog.libraries.psu.edu/catalog/27408823

The Book Club’s next meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 31, during common period (12:15 p.m.–1:15 p.m.) in the Ostermayer Room. It is open to all who wish to take part even if they have not read or finished the book. Masks are required and social distancing guidelines in place.

Previous Reads:

"The Good Neighbor," by Fred Rogers   

Summary: "The Good Neighbor" traces Rogers's personal, professional, and artistic life through decades of work. It includes his surprising decision to walk away from the show in 1976 to make television for adults, only to return to the neighborhood to help children face complex issues such as divorce, discipline, mistakes, anger, and competition.  

"What the Eyes Don't See," by Monar Hannah-Attisha   

Summary: From the heroic pediatrician who rallied a community and brought the fight for justice to national attention comes a powerful firsthand account of the Flint water crisis, a dramatic story of failed democracy and inspiring citizen advocacy and action.    

"Ready Player One," by Ernest Cline   

Summary: The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality game, the discovery of which would lead him to inherit the game creator's fortune.    

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," by Mark Haddon   

Summary: A bestselling modern classic that is both poignant and funny about a boy with autism who sets out to solve the murder of a neighbor's dog and discovers unexpected truths about himself and the world. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read.    

"Educated, A Memoir" by Tara Westover 

Summary: A No. 1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Boston Globe Bestseller, "Educated" is an unforgettable memoir about a young girl, who kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family, and earns a doctorate from Cambridge University. Educated was Greater Allegheny's fall 2019 Greater Reads selection, the common book identified for the first-year class.  

Last Updated February 9, 2021