ABOUT

Most of us are consuming information faster than ever, but how much time do we actually spend digesting what we read, talking it through with other people, and applying it to our own work and lives?

I'm Leslie Venetz, author of the USA Today bestseller Profit Generating Pipeline, and that question is why I started Business Book Club. There's a huge difference between knowledge and wisdom, and cramming as many books into our heads as we can at a superficial level doesn't lead to expertise, because expertise comes from understanding how what we learn applies to our own lives and then actually applying it.

I created this club to hold myself accountable to that standard and to give other folks who want the same thing a place to do it together.

I usually read 50+ fiction books a year, and I love fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction, literary fiction, and mysteries, so this club is also how I make sure nonfiction gets real time in my reading life and keep expanding what I know in many directions.

What started on LinkedIn in 2021 has grown into a community of nearly 200 curious readers in our Slack channel. Membership is free and gives you access to the Slack channel as well as the monthly live Zoom call which is a smaller, more intimate discussion.

If this sounds like what you've been looking for, we'd love to have you join us. Visit www.patreon.com/businessbookclub to join.

who we are

While it's a business book club, our discussions get very personal, which is why creating a safe, inclusive space is so important to us. We don't tolerate abusive language, and we make sure everyone has a chance to share without any one person dominating the conversation or interrupting. Because we platform historically underrepresented voices, our membership reflects different genders, sexual orientations, and races.

How it works

We meet on Zoom on the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. ET for 60 minutes. Before each session, I share 4-5 discussion questions in Slack, and during the session everyone is invited to share their thoughts.

What we read

We read nonfiction about how we think, work, lead, and grow. Our TBR list moves between research-driven books from psychologists, economists, and business school professors, reporting from journalists who dig into how we focus and where technology is taking us, and personal, story-driven books from executives, entrepreneurs, and creatives who share what they learned building their careers. 

We gravitate toward books about decision-making and behavior, focus and the way we spend our time, communication and speaking up for ourselves and others, ambition and building a career on our own terms, bias and belonging, and creativity and finding meaning in our work. 

Many of us have also scrolled through "top books" lists on social media that only included white men, even though there are so many incredible books written by women and authors of color, and making those books easier to find and read is the other reason this club exists.

At least 50% of our reading list each year comes from historically underrepresented authors, which means we often read books by women and BIPOC authors. Members suggest books each year, and those suggestions help decide what we read the following year. 

Some of our past reads

• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

• Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

• Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

• Mindset by Carol Dweck

• Radical Candor by Kim Scott

• Hidden Potential by Adam Grant

• Deep Work by Cal Newport

• The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

• Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins

• Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty

• Professional Troublemaker by Luvvie Ajayi Jones

• Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke

• Range by David Epstein

• Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt

• The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

• Say More About That by Amber Cabral

FAQ

How do I join the Slack and Zoom?
When you join on Patreon, you'll be invited to our Slack community and receive a monthly calendar invite from Hello@LesliesBookClub.com with the Zoom details.

How do I find out what we're reading next?
The upcoming book is always shared in Slack.

Do I have to finish the book?
No. Many of our members read every book, and just as many finish one book a quarter and still join every month because the community matters to them as much as the reading does.

Where do the donations go?

I run Business Book Club like a not-for-profit. Donations support a new fund that helps new members buy their first book if the cost of a book is what's keeping them from joining, and for anyone who would rather borrow than buy, I'll share resources on how to get a library card. At the end of each year, I donate a portion of the proceeds to a literacy-related 501(c)(3), and in past years I've donated to the Prison Book Program. When members do buy books, I recommend Bookshop.org, and through that we've helped raise money for local, independent bookstores.

If you're in a position to give, any amount you choose goes toward the first-book fund and the year-end donation, and if you're not, we'd still love to have you in the conversation.

Can I just listen?
Yes, listening is always welcome.