We have created a virtual book club for W. P. Carey School of Business alumni and friends covering professional development and personal growth topics related to careers and leadership. The book club will connect through a private forum where alumni can discuss the current book as well as network with one another.

Joining the book club is completely free. You just have to get a copy of the book to enjoy. The group will read a new book every couple of months, giving you plenty of time to read and discuss — approximately six weeks of reading followed by two weeks of discussion. > Read the books that are most interesting to you! You do not have to commit to read every book.

1. Connect with fellow W. P. Carey alumni: Participating in the book club will expand your professional network to include Sun Devils across industries, generations, and geographies.
2. Advance your career: The books we read can help strengthen skill areas critical to your professional success — leadership, communication, and productivity. Moreover, the connections you make may help with career growth, or even lead to your next professional opportunity.
3. Enjoy the benefits of reading more: Business people who read at least seven business books per year earn over 230 percent more than people who read just one book per year.[1] Reading also improves your intelligence and reasoning ability, and has been linked to reducing the chance of Alzheimer’s disease.[2]

How often will books be read? What is the time commitment and what are the expectations?

We plan to read one book every two months. The selected texts will be popular business and nonfiction books, taking approximately six hours to read cover to cover. If you have between 30 and 60 minutes to read each week, you should be able to get through the books.

However, there are no strict expectations on members for this virtual community; if you are particularly busy with work, family, or other obligations and can't read one of the books, that's okay. If you can only read part of a book and contribute a little to the online discussion, that's okay too. The goal of this program is to connect W. P. Carey School of Business alumni through reading, so participate as much (or as little) as makes sense for you.

Will there be any in-person meetings of the book club?

No, the book club will be entirely online. You can participate anywhere you have internet access and at times that are convenient to you.

Is there any cost to participate?

Participation is free for W. P. Carey School of Business alumni and friends! You are responsible only for obtaining a copy of the book.

How do I get the books?

Participants can get books for free at their local library or purchase them.

How do book club discussions work?

The book club will have a moderator from PBC Guru who will manage discussions in the online forum. The moderator will pose questions to the group, share relevant articles, encourage participation, and facilitate topical conversation. This format allows for ongoing discussion and makes it easy for alumni to connect with one another through the forum.

How do I make a forum profile?

We're using a private forum to host the virtual book club so it's easy to connect with fellow Sun Devils. During our signup process, you will enter the information needed to create your free profile. Once you’ve signed up, we'll send you a link to the forum so you can begin posting at your leisure.

What are other ways I can connect with W. P. Carey alumni?

W. P. Carey offers many opportunities for engagement — learn about alumni highlights, events, and programs.

What exactly is PBC Guru and what do they have to do with the W. P. Carey School of Business book club?

Professional Book Club (PBC) Guru is a book club management company that works with businesses, alumni associations, and professional societies. W. P. Carey is teaming up with PBC to put this program in place for our alumni. Learn more about PBC Guru.Learn more about PBC Guru.

What if my question isn't answered?

Feel free to send an email to info@pbc.guru and we will be happy to help.