Big Little Man: In Search of My Asian Self is part memoir and part sociological investigation of the bizarre social standing of Asian men in America. Alex Tizon addresses all the stereotypes society applies to Asians in general and to Asian men in particular (Asian women are objects of desire, Asian men are perceived as genderless nerds). What he discovers in the writing of the book opens up a larger conversation about shame—as a student in the 1980s, Tizon responded to racism with self-loathing—and about the way welearn to live with ourselves. This reading represents a real opportunity for meaningful conversation. (Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th Ave, elliottbaybook.com, 7 pm, free)