In many companies, people talk about innovation.
In fewer of them, people also talk about books.
At Teoresi, both happen.
This is how Ctrl+Read was born, Teoresi’s internal book club: an informal space where colleagues meet to share readings, exchange ideas, and discuss topics that intersect technology, society, and the future.
Ctrl+Read sessions are led by Stefania Soma, known online as Petunia Ollister, a book expert and communicator recognized on social media for her work in promoting reading.
The decision to involve an external guide stems from the desire to make each session even more engaging: Petunia Ollister supports the community in selecting the readings and facilitates the discussion, helping participants explore the themes of each book from different perspectives.
Reading to understand a changing world
This is exactly the goal of the book club: to use reading as a tool to observe the present (and perhaps the future) from different angles.
The first discussions have moved between literature and technology. Among the books read by the community is Kentuki by Samanta Schweblin, a novel that explores what happens when curiosity and technology allow people to observe others’ lives remotely.
In the second session, the group discussed QualityLand by Marc-Uwe Kling, a satire set in a future governed by algorithms, where every decision is made by digital platforms.
Two different stories, but with a shared question: how much is technology changing the way we live and relate to one another?
A book club to talk about more than books
The goal of the book club is to create an informal space where people with different backgrounds can meet and exchange perspectives.
Sessions take place both in person and remotely, allowing colleagues from different locations to join the conversation. The result is a dialogue that often starts from a book but expands into broader themes: technology, ethics, society, and human relationships.
The next reading is chosen by the community
One of the key principles of the book club is that the readings are selected together.
Among the titles proposed for the next sessions are classics that explore the relationship between technology and identity, such as Neuromancer by William Gibson, Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan, and Membranes by Chi Ta-wei.
Three different books, three different ways of imagining the future.
The book club will continue like this: one story at a time, one conversation at a time, because sometimes all it takes is a book to open a discussion we never expected.