At the Bungee Book Club, we love books and discussing big ideas. The BBC (not to be confused with the other BBC!) started in 2009 at USAID. For over a decade, we have come together quarterly to discuss books and share cutting-edge ideas that challenge the way we think, work, and live. BBC members (a.k.a. Bungees, BBCniks, Bungeestas) are primarily staff–current or former–of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), but anyone can join. The only prerequisites are a love of reading and an open mind.
Our Goal
True to our motto, “Where you come to stretch your mind,” we discuss books to promote a learning culture that values creativity,innovation, productivity, inclusion, and keeping up with the many changes brought by new science and technology.
Our Process
Behind the scenes, a small group of volunteers read and discuss numerous book titles before selecting one that meets these criteria: Influences and inspires us to think and act differently in our work, communities, and lives. Be exceptionally well-written and engaging, because life is too short for books that bore. Be outside of the field of international development because we aim to cross-fertilize and refresh the assumptions we bring to our work. But there may be some exceptions.
Peruse the books we’ve read on The BBC Book List & Resources. Here, you’ll find a vast array of book reviews, author interviews, and TEDTalks for each book.
Check out the FAQs to learn more.
Book discussions are currently held virtually quarterly 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET. We look forward to meeting you at our next book discussion. Happy reading!