BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//6.5.2//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:62@executivebookreview.com DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260715T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260715T190000 DTSTAMP:20260427T201957Z URL:https://executivebookreview.com/events/wine-and-cheese-how-to-know-a-p erson/ SUMMARY:Wine and Cheese: How to Know a Person DESCRIPTION:How to Know a Person\nby David Brooks\nPresented by: Pat Whitty \n\nHow to Know a Person by David Brooks is a practical and heartfelt expl oration of one of the most essential — and most neglected — human skil ls: the ability to truly see and understand another person. Brooks argues that our capacity to connect with others is in crisis\, and that this defi cit underlies broader social problems including political polarization\, m ental health struggles\, and an epidemic of loneliness.\nAt the heart of t he book is a deceptively simple premise: there is one skill that lies at t he heart of any healthy person\, family\, school\, community\, or society — the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen\, value d\, heard\, and understood. And yet all around us are people who feel invi sible and misunderstood.\nTo address this\, Brooks distinguishes between t wo types of people: "diminishers\," who make others feel unseen or reduced \, and "illuminators\," who see people in all their fullness. Becoming an illuminator\, he argues\, is not a personality trait but a learnable craft — one built through intentional habits of attention\, curiosity\, and c onversation.\nA central theme is the power of asking better questions. Bro oks has "come to think of questioning as a moral practice\," and he offers concrete guidance on how to invite people into meaningful dialogue rather than superficial exchange. He also recommends active listening techniques — paraphrasing\, maintaining eye contact\, and using nonverbal cues — to signal genuine engagement and help others feel comfortable sharing the ir perspectives.\nBrooks draws on psychology\, neuroscience\, philosophy\, and personal experience throughout\, including a candid account of suppor ting a close friend through severe depression. Through that experience\, h e learned that supporting someone in pain doesn't mean trying to fix or ch eer them up — it means acknowledging the reality of their situation and staying present\, making clear you haven't given up on them.\nThe act of s eeing another person\, Brooks ultimately argues\, is profoundly creative — and when we look at someone with genuine attention\, we not only see s omething larger in them\, but something larger in ourselves. The book is a compelling reminder that deep human connection is both an art and a disci pline\, and one very much worth cultivating.\n\nWHEN:\n\nWednesday\, July 15\, 2026\nMeet and Greet: 5:30 PM - 5:45 PM (US Central Time)\n\nPresenta tion: 5:45 PM - 7:00 PM (US Central Time)\n\nMeet Life Long Learners and O pen Discussion:\n7:00 PM - 7:30 PM (US Central Time)\n\nWHERE (either):\n\ nIn Person \nCHRISTUS Heritage Hall\, The Village at Incarnate Word\nBraod way at Burr Road\nSan Antonio\, TX 78209\n\nor VIA ZOOM\nPresentation:\n5: 45 PM - 7:00 PM (US Central Time)\n**You must register to receive the Zoom Link**\n\nYou do not need to have read the book to attend the event.\n\nI f you would like to invite other colleagues to join this conference\, have them visit the website at www.ExecutiveBookReview.com to find out more ab out this and future events. CATEGORIES:Wine And Cheese LOCATION:CHRISTUS Heritage Hall\, The Village at Incarnate Word\, 4307 Broa dway\, San Antonio\, Texas\, 78209\, United States X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=4307 Broadway\, San Antonio \, Texas\, 78209\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=CHRISTUS Herit age Hall\, The Village at Incarnate Word:geo:0,0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR