Why the book club is more than a fad

This article makes for fascinating reading, even though the answer to its inherent question, "So what is behind this cultural phenomenon? It is clear that reading groups are about more than reading" is obvious to me.

Reading, as we all know, tends to be a solitary pursuit, whereas we humans in general tend to be social. What better method to achieve my prized connectedness than to combine the two? Of course, participants of these reading groups might have ulterior motives: meet other people, meet a significant other, have a good time, have adult conversations, etc. "But there is clearly something about our current social and cultural circumstances that has made this book club explosion happen now. It is partly, perhaps, about the desire to forge personal links in a fractured world."

I do not belong to a reading group, but drat, I sure wish I did!