Adult Book Study

“The Seventeen Traditions; Lessons from an American Childhood” by Ralph Nader

This adult book study will be led by Nathan Martens following Sunday morning worship services. Don’t let the author’s name scare you away. This is a different side of Ralph Nader. He discusses the traditional family values he was raised with.

“In these pages, I have tried to capture some of my family’s traditions as I recall them today. . . . Such family traditions challenge the notion that the fads, technologies, how-to manuals, and addictions of modern life have somehow taken the place of the time-tested wisdom fashioned in the crucibles of earlier generations.”

So writes Ralph Nader in the opening of this delightful and surprising book. Known for his lifetime of activism, Nader looks back in these page to his serene and enriching childhood in small-town Connecticut to reconnect with seventeen key traditions—from listening to learning, patriotism to argument, work to simple enjoyment—that he absorbed from his parents, his siblings, and his community. Warmly human, rich with sensory memories and lasting wisdom, it offers a modern-day parable of how we grow from children into responsible adults—a reminder of how family and friends can teach us how to live in a civil society.

• The Tradition of Listening
• The Tradition of the Family Table
• The Tradition of Health
• The Tradition of History
• The Tradition of Scarcity
• The Tradition of Sibling Equality
• The Tradition of Education and Argument
• The Tradition of Discipline
• The Tradition of Simple Enjoyments
• The Tradition of Reciprocity
• The Tradition of Independent Thinking
• The Tradition of Charity
• The Tradition of Work
• The Tradition of Business
• The Tradition of Patriotism
• The Tradition of Solitude
• The Tradition of Civics

Come and explore some family traditions that examine the value of gaining knowledge and learning to think, among several other things. It’s a common sense book that you’ll be able to relate to and appreciate.

*Please note: The dates for this class are tentative at this time, but will be close to the dates listed. Watch the bulletin and Carillon for changes in the dates.