Curiosity as a Force for Connection

The book cover has an arrow spiraling from the word "Seek" down to the circled world, "Curiosity," indicating a connection between the two. There is also an image of a globe off to the right of the title.

Required Reading: Texts for Change
Mon, Nov 10 | 7 – 8:30 pm
online
Reading: Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World by Scott Shigeoka
For adults. Registration required.
This quarterly book club of the HCLS Equity Resource Center & Collection is designed for people who are curious and committed to equity. The club explores three nonfiction books each year plus a summer fiction title. Together, we’ll engage with texts that challenge assumptions, introduce new frameworks, and spark deeper reflection about equity. This isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about reading with intention, sitting with complexity, and learning together in community.

Author Scott Shigeoka sits on a sofa with his head propped on his closed hand, laughing at the camera. There's a plant and a window behind hime.

Meet the Author: Scott Shigeoka

Mon, Nov 17 | 6:30 – 7:30 pm
HCLS Miller Branch
For adults. Registration encouraged.

On a road trip across the United States, Scott Shigeoka spent a year traveling to small towns, political rallies, and churches. He encountered people whose beliefs and backgrounds differed greatly from his own. He did so to practice curiosity.

Rather than leading with assumptions or judgment, he asked questions, listened to stories, and shared his own experiences. In a space where he seemed (at first) to have little in common with those around him, he discovered points of connection. That is the nature of curiosity: it has the power to bring people together, turn differences into bridges of understanding, and create moments of meaningful connection.
An internationally recognized curiosity expert, Scott joins us for an evening dedicated to discovering how curiosity can transform the way we relate to each other—and ourselves. Speaking about his book Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World, he shares stories from his travels, introduces practical, research-based strategies for deepening curiosity, and guides participants through exercises.

Scott Shigeoka is a Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. His work blends science, storytelling, and lived experience to help people strengthen relationships, foster understanding, and build well-being. His popular TED Talk received a standing ovation, and he has been featured on the Today Show, PBS, the Harvard Business Review, and The New York Times.

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