Our Monday Nonfiction Book Club meets online via Zoom. Membership is limited to 20; in case of over-enrollment, prospective participants will be placed on a wait-list. Books will be proposed and selected at the September meeting. Once complete, the selection list for the 2024–25 year will be posted on the VISTAS website.
Each discussion is led by a different group member, who comes in with suggested questions (which we are all free to supplement).
Some books recently read include: The Premonition: A Pandemic Story (Michael Lewis); The Women’s Hour: The Great War to Win the Vote (Elaine Weiss); Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao’s Revolution (Helen Zia).

Presented by Dr. Joel Rothman
Humans are poised at the threshold of remarkable changes in their relationship with time, sparked by extraordinary advances in the science of aging and the discovery that it can be dramatically slowed and even reversed. These advances mean that in the near future, human health might be dramatically improved not by individually treating many different age-driven maladies, including cardiovascular and neuro­degenerative diseases as well as cancer, but instead by treating only one: aging.
Even more startling, research has revealed that it is possible to reverse many aspects of age-related decline. These discoveries are leading to the development of interven­tions in the progression of aging, many of which are currently being tested in humans.

Dr. Rothman is a Distinguished Professor at UCSB who inaugurated and directs the Center for Aging and Longevity Studies at the university. He has been engaged in longevity-related research for 32 years at three universities: UCSB, the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the University of Auckland.

A generous grant made to Vistas Lifelong Learning by Amy Margerum Berg in honor of her mother, long­time Vistas member Barbara Margerum, has enabled us to establish this Distinguished Speaker Program, an annual lecture that will be made available to Vistas members and to the general public at no cost to those who attend. Pre-registration is required for all attendees.

Border Wars: From Mayhem to Mindfulness

Wednesday: November 20, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price $30

Presented by Nicholas Stein
Nicholas Stein, the former showrunner of the National Geographic hit TV series “Border Wars,” has a remarkable journey to share. From capturing the heroic work of law enforcement personnel at the U.S.–Mexican border to later offering the tools of mindfulness and meditation to those same officers and agents he’d been embedded with, Stein’s story is timely, captivating, and informative. While producing “Border Wars” from 2009 to 2012, Stein and his crews gained unparalleled access to frontline units of law enforcement agencies, such as Border Patrol, ICE, DEA, and sheriff’s and police departments. From jumping from helicopters to track down armed smugglers to pulling drowned immigrants from the Rio Grande River, this work left Stein depleted and burnt out. Seeking relief after the series wrapped, he turned to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, a secular contemplative system. As a professional mindfulness teacher, he’s shared his hard-won understanding with those same agents and officers he embedded with at U.S. Customs and Border Protection while making “Border Wars.” This presentation tells this story using images and footage from his hit series and employs instructive visual teaching tools to share effective mindfulness techniques with the audience.

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The Thursday Nonfiction Book Club meets in person at a private residence. It is full and not accepting new members at this time.

Post-Election Analysis: Why Did the Winner Win?

Thursday: November 14, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Ted Anagnoson
In almost every presidential election cycle, the word “unprecedented” is invoked. But in 2024 it seems more appropriate than in any other election year in recent memory. As this is being written, the presidential race has just been jolted by the abrupt withdrawal of President Biden from the presidential race and the ascension of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee. And we have the further complication of a third-party candidate, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., as well as the recent assassination attempt on former President Trump. In this course, we will use maps and charts to analyze the results of the presidential, congressional, statewide, and major local elections. Both journalists and political scientists will have had time to offer their major conclusions after the race, and we’ll try to explain why the election went the way it did.

The Supreme Court 2023–24: Blockbuster Decisions with Enormous Implications

Two Wednesdays: September 19 and 26, 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Stan Roden
The 2023–24 Supreme Court term was one of the most consequential in recent memory. This class will explore two bedrock principles of American jurisprudence: stare decisis, meaning “to stand by things decided,” and judicial ethics. Cases to be explored: Criminal law immunity for former presidents (6–3); power of federal agencies vs. federal courts (6–3); agency funding (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) (7–2); restrictions on homelessness (6–3); use of administrative courts, i.e., SEC (6–3); obstruction charges for Jan. 6 rioters/insurrectionists (6–3); cross-state air pollution (5–4); racial gerrymandering (6–3); gun rights (8–1), bump stocks (6–3), and NRA (9–0); social media companies’ First Amendment rights (9–0); abortion pills (9–0); opioid settlement (5–4); and others. Additionally, this class will explore the issues of “judge shopping,” “court packing,” and SCOTUS term limits.

Your Remarkable Immune System

*NEW DATE* Monday, November 11, 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Bruce Phillips
The human immune system is extraordinary. It has been estimated that the human body contains more microbes on and in it than human cells. Of course, not all microorganisms are disease causing; some even benefit us. But many could kill us if not for the protection afforded by our immune system. How does it work? How does it know which cells belong to you and which represent foreign invaders In this class, we will discuss: (i) the components of our immune system, (ii) how it distinguishes self from non-self, (iii) how it combats foreign disease agents, (iv) what happens when it turns on itself (autoimmunity), and (v) how immunologists are trying, with some success, to utilize our own immune system to treat cancers.

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Second Friday of each month, September through June, 10 a.m. – 12 noon
First Fall 2024 meeting: September 13
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS members only: $25 for the year; enrollment limited to 12

Mysteries! Spies! Detectives! Private Eyes! If you want to add a little intrigue to your reading list, this is the book club for you! VISTAS is pleased to announce the formation of our newest book club, dedicated to the popular genre of mysteries, spy/counterspy novels, and thrillers. Mysteries are the oldest form of literature within this arena, going back to the 19th century with the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Wilkie Collins. Spy novels began growing in popularity starting around the era of World War I, and thrillers as we know them today began to come into their own shortly after the end of World War II with books by Mickey Spillane and others.
At our first meeting, we will become acquainted with fellow group members, review the types of novels we’ll be reading, and discuss our first selection, The Key to Rebecca, by Ken Follett. Group members also will receive a complimentary copy of the book The Brass Ring, by local author Lance Mason. Dr. Mason will attend our second session, on Oct. 11, and will lead the discussion of his book. Time permitting, we’ll also dive into our next novel, The Foreign Correspondent, by Alan Furst. Starting with the third class, two books will be discussed at each session. Enrollment for this book club is limited; in case of over-enrollment, a wait-list will be created.

The Supreme Court 2023–24: Blockbuster Decisions with Enormous Implications

Two Wednesdays: September 19 and 26, 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Stan Roden
The 2023–24 Supreme Court term was one of the most consequential in recent memory. This class will explore two bedrock principles of American jurisprudence: stare decisis, meaning “to stand by things decided,” and judicial ethics. Cases to be explored: Criminal law immunity for former presidents (6–3); power of federal agencies vs. federal courts (6–3); agency funding (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) (7–2); restrictions on homelessness (6–3); use of administrative courts, i.e., SEC (6–3); obstruction charges for Jan. 6 rioters/insurrectionists (6–3); cross-state air pollution (5–4); racial gerrymandering (6–3); gun rights (8–1), bump stocks (6–3), and NRA (9–0); social media companies’ First Amendment rights (9–0); abortion pills (9–0); opioid settlement (5–4); and others. Additionally, this class will explore the issues of “judge shopping,” “court packing,” and SCOTUS term limits.

Birds: Keys to Flight

Monday: November 4, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Steve Johnson
Birds have brought joy and wonder to humans for thousands of years. What makes them so special? They have the same general body structure and senses and internal organs as humans, yet they can fly and we can’t. This is because nearly everything about bird physiology and anatomy has been optimized through evolution to permit flight. Birds have fine-tuned their bones and muscles, breathing, digestion and metabolism, body temperature, and reproduction so that they can take to the air. This class will focus on all the fascinating differences between birds and humans that allow them to delight us. It will include short video clips and show-and-tell specimens. Come to this class to learn what goes on beneath the feathers—it’s surprising and amazing!

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The Power of Justice

Wednesday: October 30, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price $30

Presented by Jason Dominguez
Just what is “justice” anyway? Traditional concepts of justice include fairness, equality, and rights. Who defines these conceits and who enforces them? And who guards the guardians? We will take a look at social, economic, and legal justice and seek answers for important conceptual questions. Does the Supreme Court represent blind justice, given the gifts it receives? Does Democracy meet the call for justice with abuse of the minority by the majority, gerrymandering, and other anti-representative features? Does ranked-choice voting lead to greater justice? We’ll examine real-world examples where traditional justice may be seen as failing, such as righting the wrongs of colonialism and restoring the self-determination of people.

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Our Monday Nonfiction Book Club meets online via Zoom. Membership is limited to 20; in case of over-enrollment, prospective participants will be placed on a wait-list. Books will be proposed and selected at the September meeting. Once complete, the selection list for the 2024–25 year will be posted on the VISTAS website.
Each discussion is led by a different group member, who comes in with suggested questions (which we are all free to supplement).
Some books recently read include: The Premonition: A Pandemic Story (Michael Lewis); The Women’s Hour: The Great War to Win the Vote (Elaine Weiss); Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao’s Revolution (Helen Zia).
The book selected for our October 28 meeting is: An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Our selection for November is The Everything War: Amazon's Ruthless Quest to Own the World and Remake Corporate Power, by Dana Mattioli.

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Seeing Rock Art through the Eyes of the Elders

Thursday: October 24, 10 a.m. – 12 noon
This class will be presented online via Zoom. Those enrolled will receive a link via email before the presentation.
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by David Lee
There are still a few places on earth where traditional peoples use rock art images to aid in inter-generational instruction and in ceremonies. Wardaman Country in northern Australia is one such place. This lecture will present information gathered during ten field-seasons working with Wardaman Elder Yidumduma Bill Harney. The ceremonial traditions of indigenous groups in northern Australia are concerned primarily with lessons first learned during the “Dreamtime” when the world was created (still an-ongoing process). The songs, stories, laws, and ceremonies of the present are informed by that ancient past and are meant (in large part) to help teach children about their connection to the lands of their ancestors. To the Wardaman people, time and space, act and actor are all part of the woven fabric of existence. The lessons of the Dreaming serve to inform both the reality of the present and their hopes for the future.

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The FBI—Past, Present, and Future

Wednesday: October 23, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price $30

Presented by Tom Parker
While the FBI is considered one of the world’s premier investigative agencies and has had a century of successfully fulfilling its criminal investigative and national security missions, it has been criticized in recent years for its handling of several difficult cases. These include the Waco, Ruby Ridge, and Wounded Knee sieges; the Oklahoma City bombing investigation; the Robert Hanssen spy case; and the alleged improper use of confidential informants and wiretaps. Some members of Congress and presidential administrations have called for increased oversight and reform or, perhaps, dismantling of the FBI and transferring its domestic and international security functions to another agency. This presentation will provide an overview of the history of the FBI from the perspective only an insider could have and will simultaneously explore some of those calls for change in the present and future responsibilities of the FBI.

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Opera Italian Style

Tuesday: October 22, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Bob Weinman
With its rich history of captivating music and emotionally charged storytelling, Italian opera remains a cornerstone of opera houses to this day. For the upcoming season, Opera Santa Barbara will be presenting a terrific lineup of three popular Italian operas. First up is Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, the classic tale of jealousy and murder in a Commedia dell’Arte troupe. Next is The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart’s masterpiece of seduction and mistaken identities. And last is Donizetti’s Daughter of the Regiment, a bel canto comedy full of gorgeous melodies and vocal fireworks. This talk is bound to be both informative and entertaining. And you can expect a few surprises!

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Comparative Study of the World’s Major Religions

Mondays: October 7, 14, and 21, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Presented by Pastor Chuck Burwell
Have you ever wondered how the world’s great religions came into being and how they compare with each other? Come join us as we look back in time to discover answers to these questions. There are beliefs and values that are common to many of the religions—and of course there are some major differences as well. This study will look at the origins and provide a brief history of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. We will also look at how the belief systems of these religions overlap in some areas and are quite divergent in others.

Washington Is Hollywood for Ugly People
From Movie Sets to the White House: Highlights from a Reporter’s 44-Year Career

Wednesdays: October 9 and 16, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Martin Kasindorf
From the perspective of a wide-ranging career writing for California newspapers, Newsweek, USA Today, Newsday, and the New York Times Magazine, Martin will introduce VISTAS members to the personalities and historic events he covered, contrasting the political and media environments of print journalism’s 1960s heyday with today’s internet-era trends and tensions. Highlights include interviews with nine presidents, from Truman to Trump; Northern Ireland’s violent Troubles; 13 national conventions; campaign travel with John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy (Marty was there at his assassination), Jerry Brown, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, and other candidates; six years of White House life and worldwide Air Force One travel with George H. W. Bush and Clinton; the trials of Sirhan Sirhan, Charles Manson, Patricia Hearst, and other defendants; the quirks of Hollywood stars and directors, from John Wayne and Groucho to Brando, Spielberg, and Jane Fonda.

Comparative Study of the World’s Major Religions

Mondays: October 7, 14, and 21, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Presented by Pastor Chuck Burwell
Have you ever wondered how the world’s great religions came into being and how they compare with each other? Come join us as we look back in time to discover answers to these questions. There are beliefs and values that are common to many of the religions—and of course there are some major differences as well. This study will look at the origins and provide a brief history of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. We will also look at how the belief systems of these religions overlap in some areas and are quite divergent in others.

Second Friday of each month, September through June, 10 a.m. – 12 noon
First Fall 2024 meeting: September 13
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS members only: $25 for the year; enrollment limited to 12

Mysteries! Spies! Detectives! Private Eyes! If you want to add a little intrigue to your reading list, this is the book club for you! VISTAS is pleased to announce the formation of our newest book club, dedicated to the popular genre of mysteries, spy/counterspy novels, and thrillers. Mysteries are the oldest form of literature within this arena, going back to the 19th century with the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Wilkie Collins. Spy novels began growing in popularity starting around the era of World War I, and thrillers as we know them today began to come into their own shortly after the end of World War II with books by Mickey Spillane and others.
At our first meeting, we will become acquainted with fellow group members, review the types of novels we’ll be reading, and discuss our first selection, The Key to Rebecca, by Ken Follett. Group members also will receive a complimentary copy of the book The Brass Ring, by local author Lance Mason. Dr. Mason will attend our second session, on Oct. 11, and will lead the discussion of his book. Time permitting, we’ll also dive into our next novel, The Foreign Correspondent, by Alan Furst. Starting with the third class, two books will be discussed at each session. Enrollment for this book club is limited; in case of over-enrollment, a wait-list will be created.

The Thursday Nonfiction Book Club meets in person at a private residence. It is full and not accepting new members at this time.

Washington Is Hollywood for Ugly People
From Movie Sets to the White House: Highlights from a Reporter’s 44-Year Career

Wednesdays: October 9 and 16, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Martin Kasindorf
From the perspective of a wide-ranging career writing for California newspapers, Newsweek, USA Today, Newsday, and the New York Times Magazine, Martin will introduce VISTAS members to the personalities and historic events he covered, contrasting the political and media environments of print journalism’s 1960s heyday with today’s internet-era trends and tensions. Highlights include interviews with nine presidents, from Truman to Trump; Northern Ireland’s violent Troubles; 13 national conventions; campaign travel with John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy (Marty was there at his assassination), Jerry Brown, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, and other candidates; six years of White House life and worldwide Air Force One travel with George H. W. Bush and Clinton; the trials of Sirhan Sirhan, Charles Manson, Patricia Hearst, and other defendants; the quirks of Hollywood stars and directors, from John Wayne and Groucho to Brando, Spielberg, and Jane Fonda.

Comparative Study of the World’s Major Religions

Mondays: October 7, 14, and 21, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Presented by Pastor Chuck Burwell
Have you ever wondered how the world’s great religions came into being and how they compare with each other? Come join us as we look back in time to discover answers to these questions. There are beliefs and values that are common to many of the religions—and of course there are some major differences as well. This study will look at the origins and provide a brief history of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. We will also look at how the belief systems of these religions overlap in some areas and are quite divergent in others.

French Art of the 19th Century: A Window into the Past

Friday: October 4, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Lori Windsor Mohr
Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree’s recent bequest to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art includes thirty-one 19th-century French paintings by such luminaries as Gustave Corbet, Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, and Paul Signac, as well as Barbizon artists including Theodore Rousseau, Charles Daubigny, and Charles Jacque. These paintings give us a window into the past to see how artists responded to the massive cultural changes that transformed everyday life, issues still relevant today—exploding population growth in cities, over-production of consumer goods, deforestation, and our impact on the planet. In this talk we will look at these paintings from inside and outside the frame—what the artists were telling us, and more importantly, what they left out, to see what art and life were all about in 19th century France.

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Pundits, Polls, and Politics: The 2024 Election

Wednesday: October 2, 10 a.m. – 12 noon
This class will be presented online via Zoom. Those enrolled will receive a link via email before the presentation.
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Douglas Stowell
The 2024 election is here! How can we make the most informed choices? In this class, we will: (1) review POTUS “Approval” history (1945–2020), (2) explore how better voter polls are done, (3) discuss major ’24 election issues, and (4) identify party positions. We’ll review the current polls and do some in-class survey exercises such as a typical Corporate Assessment Model (CAM) on the choice for POTUS. CAM is a tool used to rank the issues AND the candidates. We will wrap up by doing a class electoral vote prediction, state-by-state. Just 1 in 20 voters actually decide an election—so let’s be better prepared voters and be part of the “1”! A cell-phone and some familiarity with QR codes is helpful, but not required. This is a non-partisan discussion!

Uncovering the Propositions on the Fall 2024 Ballot

Mondays: September 16 and 23, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Ted Anagnoson
This fall voters are confronted with 10 thorny propositions on the ballot, five from the legislature and five from various interest groups. We will explain the ins and outs of each, focusing on what groups proposed each and who the supporters and opposition are, and we will “follow the money” a la Watergate to see who is paying. In addition, we will focus on how a proposition gets ON the ballot and how propositions get taken OFF the ballot; this year we had unique instances of both. Join us for an interesting discussion of some parts of the political process that are otherwise invisible (and learn why you should never—ever—sign a petition outside a supermarket)! In addition, we will briefly cover some of the more interesting propositions at the local level, including restricting a battery storage facility in Morro Bay, a huge reorganization of LA County government, and whether non-citizens should vote in Santa Ana, among others.

10 a.m. – 12 noon
Third Thursday each month, Sept. 2024 – July 2025
First Fall 2024 meeting: September 19, 2024
Bethany Congregational Church, 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara

The VISTAS Fiction Book Group meets monthly for in-depth, highly satisfying discussions of a variety of types of fiction. Titles are selected and presented by individual members of the group. All group members are responsible for contributing questions and observations to the discussion. Books we read this past year include The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy), The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Muriel Barbery), Circe (Madeline Miller), The Housekeeper Professor (Yoko Ogawa), The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga), Lady Tan’s Circle of Women (Lisa See), and Horse (Geraldine Brooks).

The book selected for our September 19, 2024 meeting is West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. Our October selection is The Tortilla Curtain, by T. C. Boyle.

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Uncovering the Propositions on the Fall 2024 Ballot

Mondays: September 16 and 23, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Ted Anagnoson
This fall voters are confronted with 10 thorny propositions on the ballot, five from the legislature and five from various interest groups. We will explain the ins and outs of each, focusing on what groups proposed each and who the supporters and opposition are, and we will “follow the money” a la Watergate to see who is paying. In addition, we will focus on how a proposition gets ON the ballot and how propositions get taken OFF the ballot; this year we had unique instances of both. Join us for an interesting discussion of some parts of the political process that are otherwise invisible (and learn why you should never—ever—sign a petition outside a supermarket)! In addition, we will briefly cover some of the more interesting propositions at the local level, including restricting a battery storage facility in Morro Bay, a huge reorganization of LA County government, and whether non-citizens should vote in Santa Ana, among others.

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