Bobcat Reads: Custodians of Wonder
Bobcat Reads will be discussing Custodians of Wonder by Eliot Stein from May 22, 2026, through July 15, 2026.
In the next Bobcat Reads selection, Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive, author Eliot Stein takes readers on a global journey of intellectual discovery, meeting 10 individuals who are preserving the world’s rarest cultural traditions. From a 27th-generation West African griot to the last Inca bridge master in Peru, Stein celebrates the “ardor and devotion” of those maintaining site-specific expertise in an era of globalization. Dive in with fellow alumni as we explore these stories of responsible stewardship and the remarkable people keeping an almost lost world alive.
Join our vibrant online Bobcat community to discuss and dissect our latest selection. With a two-month reading window for each book, you’ll have plenty of time to savor the story and join the conversation. Dive into your summer reading with us!
- Bobcat Reads is for everyone. If you would like to participate but find the cost of the book prohibitive, please email us at alumni@bates.edu.
- An easy and fun way to connect and network with other alumni.
- Deepen your knowledge and explore new topics with fellow Bobcats.
Did you know?
- We are kicking off our sixth year of the Bobcat Reads alumni book club!
- More than 400 alumni have signed up to participate in the Bobcat Reads alumni book club!
- Alumni participants span 41 different majors.
- Alumni of all ages—Class Years 1948-2024—have signed up.