We have received reports from authors of someone claiming to be “Dan B.” from Hartford Area Humanists who arranges a book discussion and then asks the author for a fee. The Humanist Association of Connecticut and Hartford Area Humanists never asks authors to pay to have their book discussed.
Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
Humanism and Its Aspirations
Upcoming Events
Monthly Meeting - Bioethics
Monday, September 21, 2026, 6:30PM
Join us for an engaging discussion on the frontiers of medicine and society with Stephen Latham, JD, PhD, Director Emeritus of the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics. From the moral dilemmas sparked by emerging biotechnology to the legal realities shaping modern healthcare, bioethics tackles some of the most urgent questions we face today.
A former healthcare attorney and past ethics director for the AMA, Latham has spent decades helping hospitals, researchers, and policymakers navigate complex ethical terrain. Whether you follow health policy or simply care about how clinical decisions impact human lives, his perspective offers a fascinating window into issues where human values meet scientific progress.
We meet for coffee and conversation at 6:30 P.M. followed by the main presentation at 7:00 P.M.
Northern Social Dinner
Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 7:00PM
We’ll be meeting again in Wallingford at Pacific Buffet & Grill (https://pacificbuffetandgrill.com/). Come join us for…
Board Meeting
Sunday, September 27, 2026, 7:00PM
All members of the Humanist Association of Connecticut are welcome to attend. If you have something to bring to the board or wish …
Online event
Humanist Explorations
Saturday, October 3, 2026, 2:30PM
This is our monthly Humanist Explorations meeting. We meet at 700 Hartford Turnpike in Hamden for a presentation followed by a…
Social Dinner
Monday, October 5, 2026, 7:00PM
Join us at Thai Stories for our monthly Social Dinner, and discuss a wide range of topics with like-minded people. (We’re…
Book Discussions
"The People, No" by Thomas Frank
Saturday, October 24, 2026, 2:30PM
Our book for October is The People, No: A Brief History of Anti-Populism by American political analyst and historian Thomas Frank.
[Note: Discussion is the 4th Saturday of October rather than the 3rd.]
From Amazon: [I]n The People, No Thomas Frank…show[s] us that everything we think we know about populism is wrong. Today “populism” is seen as a frightening thing, a term pundits use to describe the racist philosophy of Donald Trump and European extremists. But this is a mistake.
The real story of populism is an account of enlightenment and liberation; it is the story of American democracy itself, of its ever-widening promise of a decent life for all. Taking us from the tumultuous 1890s, when the radical left-wing Populist Party – the biggest mass movement in American history – fought Gilded Age plutocrats to the reformers’ great triumphs under Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman, Frank reminds us how much we owe to the populist ethos. Frank also shows that elitist groups have reliably detested populism, lashing out at working-class concerns. The anti-populist vituperations by the Washington centrists of today are only the latest expression.
“Brilliant…grand…an urgent plea to liberals and radicals alike to embrace a left populism and universalism – or keep on losing.” – Jacobin
"Job: A Comedy of Justice" by Robert Heinlein
Saturday, November 21, 2026, 2:30PM
Our book for November is Job: A Comedy of Justice by science fiction author Robert Heinlein.
From Wikipedia:
Job: A Comedy of…
"Bad Company" by Megan Greenwell
Saturday, December 19, 2026, 2:30PM
Our book for December is Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream by journalist Megan Greenwell.
From…
Our Calendar
Be sure to sign up for our e-mail list to get advance notification of events.
You can RSVP for most HAC events via meetup.com.
Newsletter
We no longer publish a regular newsletter as many of our monthly events are organized at short notice.
Titles selected for our book discussions can be found in most local libraries or ordered from bookstores such as Barnes and Noble.
HAC is a chapter of the American Humanist Association and a UU Humanists local group.