What are good book club discussion questions for The Rise And Fall Of The Artificial State?

Spoiler-free questions to get the conversation going: Before we open the book, what's one piece of technology you feel real affection for, and one you secretly wish would go away?; Where did you do most of your reading for this book, and did reading about screens and machines make you want to put your phone in another room?; Lepore writes about how technology has shaped human community. What's a gathering, ritual, or place in your life that makes you feel most connected to other people, and has technology made it stronger or weaker?; Was there a moment in the book that made you feel protective of something, like a tradition, a habit, or a way of being together, that you hadn't really thought about losing?; Democracy can feel huge and far away. When have you felt like part of a community deciding something together, even something small like a neighborhood or school decision? How did it feel?.

What food and drinks should I serve at a The Rise And Fall Of The Artificial State book club?

Food: Shared potluck baked mac and cheese, Homemade no-knead bread with salted butter and honey, and New England apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. Drinks: Mulled apple cider with cinnamon sticks, Maple bourbon hot toddy, and Spiced mulled red wine.

Cozy night

The Rise And Fall Of The Artificial StateBook club questions, food & host guide

Jill Lepore

#3 New York Times Nonfiction Bestseller 1 week on the list

A cozy book club night for The Rise And Fall Of The Artificial State by Jill Lepore. Includes 8 spoiler-free discussion questions, food and drink pairings, a playlist, and a host guide, ready to print and share.

A thoughtful, friendly club that likes nonfiction and wants to talk about big ideas by swapping personal stories, not debating

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Jill Lepore, the historian behind "These Truths," looks at how technology and artificial intelligence have changed democracy and the way people live together. It's a big subject, but it becomes an easy one to talk about with a blanket and a mug in hand, because it keeps coming back to one question: how do we stay connected to each other?

Why it works for clubs

Everyone has lived through the tech changes it describes, so everyone has a story to share
It asks gentle but real questions about trust, belonging, and community
Lepore's storytelling makes history feel personal and human
It naturally starts conversations about what we want to protect and keep

Themes & mood

Human connection Democracy and community Technology and us Reflective Hopeful questions

Reading level

Moderate

Warm-up questions

1 Before we open the book, what's one piece of technology you feel real affection for, and one you secretly wish would go away?
2 Where did you do most of your reading for this book, and did reading about screens and machines make you want to put your phone in another room?

Digging in

1 Lepore writes about how technology has shaped human community. What's a gathering, ritual, or place in your life that makes you feel most connected to other people, and has technology made it stronger or weaker?
2 Was there a moment in the book that made you feel protective of something, like a tradition, a habit, or a way of being together, that you hadn't really thought about losing?
3 Democracy can feel huge and far away. When have you felt like part of a community deciding something together, even something small like a neighborhood or school decision? How did it feel?
4 Did any part of the book leave you feeling hopeful or comforted? What was it about that section that gave you some reassurance?

Going deep

1 After reading the whole book, has your sense of what makes something feel "real" or "human" to you changed? Is there a person, conversation, or experience that came to mind as you thought about it?
2 Lepore takes a long view of history. If a younger person in your life asked what you most want them to hold onto as technology keeps changing, what would you tell them, and did the book shape your answer?

On the table

Shared potluck baked mac and cheese

A nod to the town-meeting, bring-a-dish spirit of self-government and community. It's a handmade comfort food that everyone digs into from the same pan.

Homemade no-knead bread with salted butter and honey

Something made slowly by human hands, the opposite of the automated world the book looks at. It also fills the room with a warm smell.

New England apple crisp with vanilla ice cream

A cozy tribute to Lepore's Massachusetts roots and the old American history she writes about. Easy to make ahead and warm to serve.

To sip

Mulled apple cider with cinnamon sticks No alcohol

A classic warm New England drink that simmers on the stove and makes the house smell like autumn.

Maple bourbon hot toddy

A gently indulgent nightcap with a nod to old American traditions, good for slow, reflective conversation.

Spiced mulled red wine

A shareable pot of warmth for the table, like an old-fashioned tavern where neighbors once gathered to talk about the news of the day.

Warm acoustic folk and soul about people, community, and staying human while the world changes

Tap a track to play it. Full songs play when you're signed into Spotify.

You're invited

Come Be Human With Us

Join us for warm cider, homemade bread, and easy conversation about Jill Lepore's "The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State." Bring your slippers and your stories. Phones are optional.

Trivia

1

Jill Lepore is a professor at which university?

Answer: Harvard University
2

For which magazine has Lepore long been a staff writer?

Answer: The New Yorker
3

What is the title of Lepore's best-selling one-volume history of the United States, published in 2018?

Answer: These Truths: A History of the United States
4

Lepore wrote a book about the surprising origins of which famous comic book superheroine?

Answer: Wonder Woman (The Secret History of Wonder Woman)
5

Her book "Book of Ages" tells the life story of the sister of which Founding Father?

Answer: Benjamin Franklin (his sister Jane Franklin)
6

Lepore's book "If Then" is about a 1960s company that tried to predict human behavior using computers. What was the company called?

Answer: The Simulmatics Corporation
7

What is the name of Lepore's history podcast?

Answer: The Last Archive