Social Science   

We’ll read and discuss A Complaint Free World: Stop Complaining, Start Living by Will Bowen. The book began with a simple idea—wear a purple bracelet and move it to the other wrist each time you complain. The goal: go 21 days complaint-free. Bowen expands on this practice, explaining why we complain, how it harms us, and how to replace it with gratitude and positivity. His movement inspired millions to stop complaining, criticize less, and find greater happiness and success. Read Chapters 1–2 for the first class.

Will Hawk has been a member of OLLI for seven years and is always looking for new adventures. Will has volunteered for many OLLI committees and currently serves as Study Group Co-Chair.

As winter lingers, seasonal illnesses can challenge our well-being. The time-tested science of Ayurveda offers a natural, effective solution - your kitchen cabinet! Discover how Ayurveda uses spices as the first line of defense to boost your immunity and help protect your health. Spices are rich in minerals, antioxidants and nutrients - potent powerhouses - why we use just a small amount in cooking and wellness blends. You will learn how to create simple, wellness enhancing spice blends that help boost immunity during this transitional time of year. Leave with practical knowledge and spice recipes to help you feel your best, now and into Spring.

Curious and a lifelong learner, Laurie Dean has been practicing and teaching Yoga for over 25 years. She is also a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner with well over 3000 hours of study in both sciences, and passionate about sharing the time-tested wisdom to help others live fully and well.

We will read and discuss I, Human: AI, Automation, and the Quest to Reclaim What Makes Us Unique, by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into daily life, a psychologist explores how it is reshaping human behavior, decision-making, and social interaction. Drawing on psychology, ethics, and technology, readers are asked to consider how empathy and self-awareness can help us remain fully human in an increasingly automated world. Using insights into human behavior and relationship with technology, the book helps us cope when many of our information sources should be questioned and decisions are made for us. Please read Introduction and Chapter One for the first session.

Gerry Lapidus has led more than 70 OLLI book discussion classes. He retired as a product manager from AT&T and Lucent Technologies.

The AI era is here. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere—on headlines, and in classrooms, cars and workplaces, and in our homes. But is it truly transformative, or just over-hyped? How might it shape the way we live, work, and connect with family and friends? How may routine life change? And how soon? This six-week seminar will have a wide thematic scope: culture, education, economics, politics, ethics, existential angst and meaning of life. Each week, we will read and discuss two recent essays from leading journals such as The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Economist, HBR, and others, providing contemporary relevance to the topics being discussed. No technical background is required to enjoy this study group, but familiarity with some AI terminology like LLMs and some hands-on experience with ChatGPT or similar AI tools might be useful, though not essential. Together we might ask: What does AI mean for us as humans, and how should we respond to this moment in history? (All prep materials will be distributed in advance)

Deb Mukherjee has been leading study groups and shared interest groups for the past decade at OLLI.

The AI era is here. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere—on headlines, and in classrooms, cars and workplaces, and in our homes. But is it truly transformative, or just over-hyped? How might it shape the way we live, work, and connect with family and friends? How may routine life change? And how soon? This six-week seminar will have a wide thematic scope: culture, education, economics, politics, ethics, existential angst and meaning of life. Each week, we will read and discuss two recent essays from leading journals such as The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Economist, HBR, and others, providing contemporary relevance to the topics being discussed. No technical background is required to enjoy this study group, but familiarity with some AI terminology like LLMs and some hands-on experience with ChatGPT or similar AI tools might be useful, though not essential. Together we might ask: What does AI mean for us as humans, and how should we respond to this moment in history? (All prep materials will be distributed in advance)

Deb Mukherjee has been leading study groups and shared interest groups for the past decade at OLLI.

We will read and discuss the title book by Jonathan Haidt. At the start of the 2010s, rates of teenage mental illness took a sharp upward turn, and they have been rising ever since. Among US college students, diagnoses of depression and anxiety more than doubled between 2010 and 2018. The mental health crisis has been driven by the mass adoption of smartphones, along with the advent of social media and addictive online gaming. Children are spending less time socializing in person and more time glued to their screens. Childhood is no longer “play-based”, it’s “phone-based”. Moreover, parents have become overprotective in the offline world but do too little to protect children from online dangers. Please read Introduction and Chapter 1 for the first session.

Gerry Lapidus has led more than 70 OLLI book discussion classes. He retired as a product manager from AT&T and Lucent Technologies.

In Ayurveda, healthy digestion is essential to thriving health, yet many people experience digestive issues that compromise their good health. The complete digestion, absorption and assimilation of food nutrients creates the foundational layers of your body. As the saying goes - You are what you eat - but it is truer to say - You are what you digest! Looking through the lens of Ayurveda, we will discuss how we eat in a balanced way to keep our digestion strong and nourish body, mind and spirit.

Curious and a lifelong learner, Laurie Dean has been practicing and teaching Yoga for over 25 years. She is also a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner with well over 3000 hours of study in both sciences, and passionate about sharing the time-tested wisdom to help others live fully and well.