Let's Read Alone Together a Chat With the Co-Founder of Silent Book Club

Under the Influence with Jo Piazza

Jo Piazza, Influence Inc.

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, Parenting, Personal Journals, Technology

4.3 • 833 Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2026

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

There's nothing I love more than quietly reading. I love it alone. I love it in groups. But I especially love doing it in public, with the rest of the world buzzing around me, all absorbed in their own little worlds. What if the antidote to burnout, loneliness, and the attention economy was… sitting in a room with strangers and reading quietly? This week, I’m talking to Guinevere de la Mare, the co-founder of Silent Book Club, a global movement that started with one exhausted mom who just wanted to read a single uninterrupted chapter and somehow turned into thousands of chapters in more than 60 countries. We chat about why reading in public started to feel weirdly indulgent, how phones became the more “acceptable” way to check out, and why focusing on a book will actually bring us back to ourselves. There’s also detours into late-stage capitalism, wealth inequality, and why women keep finding themselves fixing broken systems on their own. Raises hand. Me, me, me. Check out everything Silent Book Club here. Discover their reading retreats here. Join our newsletter community here. ORDER The Parisian Heist here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Inspired by jet engine silences.
0:03.0	The Dyson Hushjet Purify powerfully purifies the entire room, quietly.
0:10.0	Capturing pollen, allergens and pet dander, removing odours and harmful gases such as NO2, day and night.
0:28.5	Uschette, powerful compact purification, that's quiet.
0:36.5	Isn't life grande, and making it better just got easier with Starbucks new protein cold foam?
0:38.6	A little something, something to take your favourite drinks up a notch with 15 grams of extra protein. Turn your usual iced caramel latte into a smooth
0:46.3	iced caramel protein latte. Add a delicious swirl on top of your drink, just like that.
0:53.4	Protein never tasted so good with Starbucks new protein cold foam.
0:57.0	Subject to availability while stocks last.
1:00.0	Hear that, it's your big McDonald's hunger calling.
1:03.0	And that's not just any kind of hunger, it's the kind that calls for the big arch.
1:07.0	Stack with juicy beef, cheddar cheese, and that big arch sauce.
1:12.9	Oh, and don't forget those crispy onions.
1:13.8	Hungry?
1:14.8	You are now.
1:18.6	Serve from 11am, subject to availability.
1:20.1	Price and participation may vary.
1:29.1	Hey all, Joe here, and you are listening to Under the Influence.
1:34.9	Before we get into today's episode, a quick reminder to get your orders in for the Parisian heist. Yes, no, I know, I know, but it is like the best girl math of all time. You order it now,
1:42.9	you forget about it, and then it's a gift to yourself
1:45.8	in July. So just take a little breather, put me on pause, put in your order, text a friend,
1:51.8	and tell them to order too. And then keep listening to this amazing episode, which I am so
	...

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