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Gandhi's Life In His Own Words
by Krishna KripalaniMy uniform experience has convinced me that there is no other God than Truth. And if every page of these chapters does not proclaim to the reader that the only means for the realization of Truth is ahimsa, I shall deem all my labour in writing these chapters to have been in vain. And, even though my efforts in this behalf may prove fruitless, let the readers know that the vehicle, not the great principle, is at fault.— M. K. Gandhi
Gandhijinu Jivan — Emnaj Shabdoma
by Krishna Kruplaniહું મારા ઘરની આસપાસ દીવાલ ચણી લેવા તથા મારી બારીઓ બંધ કરી દેવા નથી માગતો. મારા ઘરની આસપાસ સઘળા દેશોની સંસ્કૃતિના પવનની લહેરીઓ છૂટથી વાતી રહે એમ હું ઇચ્છું છું. પણ પવનની એવી કોઈ લહરી દ્વારા જમીનથી અધ્ધર થઈ જવાનો હું ઇનકાર કરું છું. સાહિત્યમાં રસ ધરાવતાં આપણાં તરુણ સ્ત્રીપુરુષો અંગ્રેજી ભાષા તેમ જ બીજી વિશ્વભાષાઓ પેટ ભરીને શીખે એમ હું ઇચ્છું છું. અને પછી તેઓ જગદીશચંદ્ર બોઝ, પ્રફુલ્લચંદ્ર રોય અને કવિવર રવીન્દ્રનાથ ટાગોરની પેઠે પોતાના અભ્યાસનો લાભ હિંદને તથા દુનિયાને આપે એવી તેમની પાસેથી અપેક્ષા રાખું. પરંતુ એક પણ હિંદવાસી પોતાની માતૃભાષાને ભૂલે, તેની અવગણના કરે કે તેનાથી શરમાય અથવા પોતાની માતૃભાષામાં પોતે વિચાર કરી શકતો નથી કે પોતાના વિચારો સારામાં સારી રીતે દર્શાવી શકતો નથી એમ તેને લાગે, એમ હું ઇચ્છતો નથી. મારો ધર્મ ચોકાપંથી નથી. — ગાંધીજી
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj: छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज
by Krishnarao Arjun Keluskarगुरुवर्य कृष्णराव अर्जुन केळूसकर गेल्या शतकातील एक महान चरित्रकार आहेत. छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराजांचे मराठीतील पहिले विस्तृत चरित्र त्यांनी लिहिले. विख्यात चरित्रकार डॉ. धनंजय कीर लिहितात, 'केळूसकरकृत शिवचरित्राएवढे समग्र व सविस्तर चरित्र आजपर्यंत कोणीही लिहिले नाही. तसेच गौतमबुद्ध आणि संत तुकाराम यांचे पहिले चरित्रकारही केळूसकरच आहेत.' राजकीय ऋषी मामा परमानंद, न्यायमूर्ती माधवराव रानडे, महाराजा सयाजीराव गायकवाड यांनी गुरुवर्य केळूसकरांच्या लेखणी व विचारांची प्रशंसा केली. ते धर्मशास्त्र, अर्थशास्त्र, शिक्षणशास्त्र, इतिहास आणि तत्त्वज्ञान या विषयांवर ग्रंथ लिहिणारे प्रकांड पंडित होते. पण बहुजनसमाजाच्या लेखकाच्या वाट्याला येणारी फरपट केळूसकरांच्या वाट्याला आली. महाराष्ट्राच्या वाङमयमहर्षीची उपेक्षाच झाली. छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराजांचे साधार प्रदीर्घ चरित्र लिहिताना केळूसकरांनी ऐतिहासिक सत्याच्या आधारे विवेकशील मांडणी केली आहे. भारतभूमीला यवनसत्तेपासून मुक्त करण्याचा सत्संकल्प केलेल्या या महाप्रतापशाली वीराने सर्व जाती-धर्मांच्या मदतीने, मुत्सद्दीपणा व गनिमी कावा या कौशल्याने हिंदवी स्वराज्य उभारिले. कल्पक प्रशासनाच्या आधारे जनसामान्यांचा कैवार आणि गुणवंतांचा आदर करत शत्रू पक्षांवर मात केली. मराठ्यांचे नाव जगाच्या इतिहासात अजरामर करून ठेवलेल्या छत्रपती शिवरायांचे मराठीतील हे चरित्र एक उत्तम उदाहरण आहे. केळूसकर गुरुजींचा हा ग्रंथ म्हणजे केवळ शिवाजी राजांचा चरित्रग्रंथ नसून त्यात इतिहास, भूगोल, समाजव्यवस्था, राज्यव्यवस्था, अर्थकारण, नेतृत्व, चारित्र्य, मानवी संबंध अशा अनेक विषयांची तपशीलवार मांडणी आहे. हा युगपुरुष महाराष्ट्रदेशी अवतरला हे इथल्या रयतेचे भाग्य! आज राष्ट्रउभारणीसाठी देशातल्या प्रत्येक तरुणाने छत्रपतींच्या व्यूहनीतीचा साकल्याने विचार व अंगीकार करणे क्रमप्राप्त आहे.
Yavarum Sodara (All Men are Brothers)
by Krishyna Kripalani R. VenkatarajuluMahatma Gandhi, father of nation of India sacrificed his life for his country. This book is a selection from Gandhiji’s Writings.
Affection: An Erotic Memoir
by Krissy KneenKrissy Kneen loves sex . . . and she's not afraid to talk about it. In this sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant, and sometimes terrifying memoir, she traces the arc of her sexual life - from her childhood in a sexless household to the myriad sexual encounters of her young and adult life to the present, in which she is a married (and monogamous) 40-year-old woman. Raised by a group of protective and eccentric women who expressly forbade any and every sign of sexuality, Krissy - an unusually sensual young girl - discovered early on that illicit pleasures are the best kind. Affection follows the path of Kneen's life journey, from the compulsive sexual self-exploration of her childhood to her experiences as a young woman for whom the world is a sexual playground. Underlying the jaw-dropping details of her many sexual escapades is Kneen's examination of how her sense of self shapes and is shaped by those experiences, and of her struggle to satisfy her own needs in the face of a limiting, and often judgmental, society. Affection is a frank, often erotic look at one woman's sexuality as she grows and changes in a world that continues to see only the young and the beautiful amongst us as sexual beings - and a chronicle of her refusal to conform to that misconception.
Of Grunge and Government: Let's Fix This Broken Democracy!
by Krist NovoselicThe Nirvana bassist &“offers specific platforms for electoral reform . . . as well as charming anecdotes about rock &‘n&’ roll as a pursuit of happiness&” (Sarah Vowell, The New York Times Book Review). A memoir of both music and politics, Of Grunge and Government tells Krist Novoselic&’s story of how during his years with Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, the band made a point of playing benefits—the Rock for Choice show, a concert for gay rights, a fundraising gig for the Balkan Women&’s Aid Fund—and how in the ensuing years he has dedicated himself to being a good citizen and participating in American democracy. In this book he shares stories about making music and making a statement—as well as inspiring ideas for anyone who wants to advance progressive causes, to become a more active part of the community, and to make sure our votes count and our voices are heard.
Mani/Pedi: A True-Life Rags to Riches Story
by Krista Beth DriverShe left everything behind and risked not only her life, but also the lives of her two small children to escape from Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon. In the middle of the night, Charlie—along with her husband, two toddlers and two young sisters—joined 100 other people on a tiny boat and fled their home country. The journey was long and dangerous, but after almost two years in refugee camps, the family finally made it to America. After emigrating, as many Vietnamese refugee women did, Charlie began working in the booming nail industry. When her path crossed with Olivett, an African American woman, they became business partners—and built an empire together. After only a few years in the US, Charlie was a millionaire and living the American dream. Her tale is one of tragedy and triumph—a true rags to riches story that will amaze and inspire readers from all walks of life.
A Tender Struggle: Story of a Marriage
by Krista Bremer“A story about love, marriage, compromise, parenthood and the difference between the life one imagined and reality.”* Fifteen years ago, Krista Bremer, a California-bred feminist, surfer, and aspiring journalist, met Ismail Suayah, sincere, passionate, kind, yet from a very different world. One of eight siblings born in an impoverished fishing village in Libya, Ismail was raised a Muslim--and his faith informed his life. When Krista and Ismail made the decision to become a family, she embarked on a journey she never could have imagined, an accidental jihad: a quest for spiritual and intellectual growth that would open her mind and, more important, her heart. “A bold piece of writing (and thinking) by an incredibly brave woman.” —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of The Signature of All Things “A moving, lyrical memoir.”—Kirkus Reviews “Candid and rich.” —Good Housekeeping “Unrelenting candor and gorgeous prose.” —BookPage “Krista Bremer has a very good story.” —The New York Times Book Review “A beautiful account of [Krista’s] jihad, or struggle, to find peace within herself and within her marriage.” —The Kansas City Star “Lucid, heartfelt, and profoundly humane . . . Navigates the boundaries of religion and politics to arrive at the universal experience of love.” —G. Willow Wilson, author of Alif the Unseen “This is a memoir worth reading.” —*Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest To Track Down The Last Remaining Lesbian Bars In America
by Krista BurtonA former Rookie contributor and creator of the popular blog Effing Dykes investigates the disappearance of America&’s lesbian bars by visiting the last few in existence.Lesbian bars have always been treasured safe spaces for their customers, providing not only a good time but a shelter from societal alienation and outright persecution. In 1987, there were 206 of them in America. Today, only a couple dozen remain. How and why did this happen? What has been lost—or possibly gained—by such a decline? What transpires when marginalized communities become more accepted and mainstream? In Moby Dyke, Krista Burton attempts to answer these questions firsthand, venturing on an epic cross-country pilgrimage to the last few remaining dyke bars. Her pilgrimage includes taking in her first drag show since the onset of the pandemic at The Back Door in Bloomington, Indiana; competing in dildo races at Houston&’s Pearl Bar; and, despite her deep-seated hatred of karaoke, joining a group serenade at Nashville&’s Lipstick Lounge and enjoying the dreaded pastime for the first time in her life. While Burton sets out on the excursion to assess the current state of lesbian bars, she also winds up examining her own personal journey, from coming out to her Mormon parents to recently marrying her husband, a trans man whose presence on the trip underscores the important conversation about who precisely is welcome in certain queer spaces—and how they and their occupants continue to evolve. Moby Dyke is an insightful and hilarious travelogue that celebrates the kind of community that can only be found in windowless rooms soundtracked by Britney Spears-heavy playlists and illuminated by overhead holiday lights no matter the time of year.
Body 2.0: Finding My Edge Through Loss and Mastectomy
by Krista Hammerbacher HaapalaTo honor her mother's deathbed advice to head off breast cancer to &“be there&” for her boys, Krista Hammerbacher Haapala chose to trade healthy breasts for longevity and peace of mind. In Body 2.0, Haapala chronicles the personal research, medical process, bodily changes, and the emotional toll involved in the more than two-year odyssey of what she referred to as her &“Body 2.0 vision quest.&” Through it all, Haapala shares her insights for living awake during even the darkest times, and captures the raw ebbs and flows she and her family experience in the face of her wrenching decision. She takes on body image, the sexualization of breast cancer, motherhood, and maternal relationships, as well as how to sustain an intimate, loving partnership. An unflinching, irreverent take on preventative double mastectomy, Body 2.0 is a guide to reframing adversity, finding inspiration, and shaping your own life.
Indestructible: The Hidden Gifts of Trauma
by Krista NerestantWelcome to Krista Nerestant’s journey from the other side of the globe—the islands of the Philippines—to the United States of America. Indestructible is where she shares the hidden gifts of trauma that have empowered her to not only survive but also thrive in a life most would have given up on. Krista was a traumatized overachiever bound by the cultural and societal limitations of her home country. But coming out as a spiritual medium exposed the many resources she had in her arsenal, inspiring her to embark on a healing journey. In Indestructible, she shares how she learned to extract life-healing lessons while overcoming a violent past, with the hope of inspiring and teaching survivors to approach personal wounds as a gateway to unleashing their self-actualization. Her story will stimulate you mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually—but most of all, it will lead you to start your own journey of self-discovery and uncover your very own hidden gifts of trauma.
Almost Anywhere: Road Trip Ruminations on Love, Nature, National Parks, and Nonsense
by Krista SchlyerWhat do you do when your world ends? At twenty-eight years old, Krista Schlyer sold almost everything she owned and packed the rest of it in a station wagon bound for the American wild. Her two best friends joined her--one a grumpy, grieving introvert, the other a feisty dog--and together they sought out every national park, historic site, forest, and wilderness they could get to before their money ran out or their minds gave in. The journey began as a desperate escape from urban isolation, heartbreak, and despair, but became an adventure beyond imagining. Chronicling their colorful escapade, Almost Anywhere explores the courage, cowardice, and heroics that live in all of us, as well as the life of nature and the nature of life. This eloquent and accessible memoir is at once an immersion in the pain of losing someone particularly close and especially young and a healing journey of a broken life given over to the whimsy and humor of living on the road.
DIY Rules for a WTF World: How to Speak Up, Get Creative, and Change the World
by Krista SuhFrom the creator of the Pussyhat Project comes a manifesto for every woman to create her own distinct and original path to joy, success, and impact.On January 21, 2017, millions of protestors took part in the Women's March, and many of them created a "sea of pink" when they wore knitted pink "pussyhats" in record numbers. The pussyhat swiftly found its place on the cover of TIME and the New Yorker, and it ultimately came to symbolize resistance culture. Creator of the Pussyhat Project, Krista Suh, took an idea and built a worldwide movement and symbol in just two months. But like so many women, Krista spent years letting her fears stop her from learning to live by her own rules. Now in DIY RULES FOR A WTF WORLD, Krista Suh shares the tools, tips, experiences, "rules," and knitting patterns she uses to get creative, get bold, and change the world. From learning how to use your own intuition to decide which rules are right for you to finding your inner-courage to speak up fearlessly; from finding what your passions are (this might surprise you!) to dealing with the squelchers out there, DIY RULES FOR THE WTF WORLD not only inspires you to demolish the patriarchy, but also enables you to create your own rules for living, and even a movement of your own, all with gusto, purpose, and joy.
The Girl in the Yellow Poncho: A Memoir
by Kristal Brent ZookAt five years old, Kristal Brent Zook sat on the steps of a Venice Beach, California, motel trying to make sense of her white father’s abandonment, which left her feeling unworthy of a man’s love and of white protection. Raised by her working-class African American mother and grandmother, Zook was taught not to count on anyone, especially men. Men leave. Men disappoint. In adulthood she became a feminist, activist, and “race woman” journalist in New York City. Despite her professional success, something was missing. Coming to terms with her identity was a constant challenge.The Girl in the Yellow Poncho is Zook’s coming-of-age tale about what it means to be biracial in America. Throughout, she grapples with in-betweenness while also facing childhood sexual assault, economic insecurity, and multigenerational alcoholism and substance abuse on both the Black and white sides of her family. Her story is one of strong Black women—herself, her cousin, her mother, and her grandmother—and the generational cycles of oppression and survival that seemingly defined their lives.Setting out on an inner journey that takes her across oceans and continents, Zook tells the story of a little girl who never gives up on love, even long after it seems to have been destroyed. In the end she triumphs, reconciling with her father and mother to create the family of her dreams through forgiveness and sheer force of will. A testament to the power of settling into one’s authentic identity, this book tells a story of a daughter’s lifelong yearning, a mother’s rediscovery of lost love, and the profound power of atonement and faith to heal a broken family.
Australia's Few and the Battle of Britain
by Kristen AlexanderDuring the summer and autumn of 1940, the Germans launched their Luftwaffe campaign to gain superiority over the RAF, especially Fighter Command. They were not successful, and this defeat marked a turning point in the Allies' favour. This is the story of eight Australian fighter pilots engaged in the Battle of Britain, the first major battle of World War II (or any war) fought entirely in the air. Jack Kennedy, Stuart Walch, Dick Glyde, Ken Holland, Pat Hughes, Bill Millington, John Crossman and Des Sheen only one of them came home.A story we take for granted, here told afresh with insight and empathy.Professor Peter Stanley, UNSW CanberraIn telling the stories of some of the Australians who flew in the Battle of Britain, Kristen Alexander has combined academic rigour with compelling personal detail. She has demonstrated that the unknowns of the Battle are as fascinating as those who gained celebrity status. This is a book for those who know much about what happened in 1940 and those who don't.... Geoff Simpson, Trustee, Battle of Britain Memorial TrustThe lives of eight Australian fighter pilots, from backyard to cockpit and beyond, lovingly and expertly told.... Andy Wright, Aircrew Book Review
The Edge of Her Feathers: A Memoir
by Kristen Alexandra DavisShe dreams of driving across the bridges. She&’d never been afraid before; but now, in the dreams, strange, magical happenings unfold. One night, at the Golden Gate, the span carries her underwater, where she discovers long lost friends, all sitting at a beautiful table at the bottom of the Bay; only it was long ago, and everyone is in Victorian dress.In another dream, the Bridge does not yet exist. Where the beautiful city would appear, there are only sandstone cliffs and desert; and she is just spirit, flying above the water.But in most of the dreams she is driving. Her eyelids become heavy, she can&’t see the road. struggles desperately to keep control of the car, but can feel herself falling, slipping towards the floor, the car breaking over the railing, carrying her with it under the water. The dreams recur so often that she becomes afraid of heights, of driving over the railing into the waves. Then just as suddenly the dreams stop. Years pass, until the day she hears that he&’s jumped, when they return.In this memoir we accompany the author on her search to unearth the magical and terrifying childhood she has all but buried.
Bonjour Kale: A Memoir of Paris, Love, and Recipes
by Kristen BeddardA memoir of love, life, and recipes from the woman who brought kale to the City of Light The story of how one expat woman left her beloved behind when she moved to France-her beloved kale, that is. Unable to find le chou kale anywhere upon moving to the City of Light with her new husband, and despite not really speaking French, Kristen Beddard launched a crusade to single-handedly bring kale to the country of croissants and cheese. Infused with Kristen's recipes and some from French chefs, big and small (including Michelin star chef Alain Passard) Bonjour Kale is a humorous, heartfelt memoir of how Kristen, kale, and France collide.
Wake-Up Call: The Political Education of a 9/11 Widow
by Kristen BreitweiserKristen Breitweiser was a happy young mother and housewife leading a privileged life. Then, on the morning of September 11th, 2001, the phone rang. It was her husband, Ron, calling from his office in the second tower."Sweets, I'm ok. I'm ok. Don't worry. It's not my building," he said.Kristen didn't know what he was saying. He told her to turn on the television. He continued."I see them. They're right there. Right across from me. And they're jumping. My God, they're jumping."The call ended abruptly and Kristen watched with horror as the second tower exploded. A huge, brilliant, red fireball. In that frozen instant, she felt in her heart that he had been killed.This is the deeply personal, often shocking and ultimately inspirational story of a woman left to pick up the pieces of a life shattered by terrorism. With no husband by her side or father for her child, Kristen had to find the strength within herself to embark on a journey that would lead first to the creation of the 9/11 Commission and then to her role as one of the country's most outspoken activists and critics of the current administration.
Wake-up Call
by Kristen BreitweiserBreitweiser, one of the nation's leading 9/11 activists, was a Republican and a suburban mother and housewife until her husband was killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks. The attack galvanized Breitweiser politically, and, along with three other 9/11 widows, she fought for the creation of the 9/11 Commission in the face of strong opposition from President Bush and many other top government officials. In this account, she describes her recovery from the nightmare of the attacks, and discusses cover-ups revealed during her campaign for the 9/11 Commission.
Adventures of a Deaf-Mute and Other Short Pieces
by Kristen C. Harmon William B. SwettIn Adventures of a Deaf-Mute, Deaf New Englander William B. Swett recounts his adventures in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the late 1860s. Given to us in short, energetic episodes, Swett tells daring stories of narrow escapes from death and other perilous experiences during his time as a handyman and guide at the Profile House, a hotel named for the nearby Old Man of the Mountain rock formation. A popular destination, the hotel attracted myriad guests, and Swett’s tales of rugged endurance are accompanied by keen observations of the people he meets. Confident in his identity as a Deaf “mute,” he notes with wry humor the varied perceptions of deafness that he encounters. As a signing Deaf person from a prominent multigenerational Deaf family, he counters negative stereotypes with generosity and a smart wit. He takes pride in his physical abilities, which he showcases through various stunts and arduous treks in the wilderness. However, Swett’s writing also reveals a deep awareness of the fragility and precariousness of life. This is a portrait of a man testing his physical and emotional limits, written from the vantage point of someone who is no longer a young man but is still very much in the prime of his life. This collection also includes “Mr. Swett and His Diorama,” an article from 1859 in which Swett describes his miniature recreation of the Battle of Lexington, as well as Manual Alphabets, a pamphlet published in 1875 on the history of manual alphabets that includes short biographies of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc, two pioneers of Deaf education in the United States. The work is accompanied by a new introduction that offers a reflection on Swett’s life and the time in which he lived.
The Occupied Garden: A Family Memoir of War-Torn Holland
by Kristen Den Hartog Tracy KasaboskiA moving, revealing memoir about a man and his young family during the Nazi occupation of Holland, as told by his granddaughters, one a beloved novelist.At once a memoir and a social history of a time, The Occupied Garden is the story of a good but poor man, a market gardener, and his fiercely devout wife, raising their young family in Holland during the Nazi occupation. Pieced together by the couple's granddaughters, who combed through historical research, family lore, and insights from a neighbour's wartime diary, the story chronicles how the couple struggled to keep their children from starving, but could not keep them from harm, and reveals the strife and hardship endured not just by them, but by a nation. These experiences, kept from subsequent generations of the family, were almost lost until, long after their deaths, the path of the couple through the war and on to Canada was uncovered. A personal and intimate account within the larger context of a terrorized nation, this is also a story of the bonds and strains among family, told with the haunting, evocative prose for which Kristen den Hartog is known. From the Hardcover edition.
Emily Greene Balch: The Long Road to Internationalism
by Kristen E. GwinnA well-known American academic and cofounder of Boston's first settlement house, Emily Greene Balch was an important Progressive Era reformer and advocate for world peace. Balch served as a professor of economics and sociology at Wellesley College for twenty years until her opposition to World War I resulted with the board of trustees to refusing to renew her contract. Afterwards, Balch continued to emphasize the importance of international institutions for preventing and reconciling conflicts. She was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1946 for her efforts in cofounding and leading the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). In tracing Balch's work at Wellesley, for the WILPF, and for other peace movements, Kristen E. Gwinn draws on a rich collection of primary sources such as letters, lectures, a draft of Balch's autobiography, and proceedings of the WILPF and other organizations in which Balch held leadership roles. Gwinn illuminates Balch's ideas on negotiated peace, internationalism, global citizenship, and diversity while providing pointed insight into her multifaceted career, philosophy, and temperament. Detailing Balch's academic research on Slavic immigration and her arguments for greater cultural and monetary cohesion in Europe, Gwinn shows how Balch's scholarship and teaching reflected her philosophical development. This first scholarly biography of Balch helps contextualize her activism while taking into consideration changes in American attitudes toward war and female intellectuals in the early twentieth century.
Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons From Five Revolutionary Women
by Kristen GhodseeThe overlooked revolutionary women of Eastern Europe and their contribution to socialist feminist history, from the author of Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism.Through a series of lively and accessible biographical essays, Red Valkyries explores the history of socialist feminism by examining the revolutionary careers of five prominent socialist women active in the 19th and 20th centuries. • Alexandra Kollontai, the aristocratic Bolshevik • Nadezhda Krupskaya, the radical pedagogue • Inessa Armand, the polyamorous firebrand • Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the deadly sniper • Elena Lagadinova, the partisan turned scientist turned global women's rights activistNone of these women were &“perfect&” leftists. Their lives were filled with inner conflicts, contradictions, and sometimes outrageous privilege, but they still managed to move forward their own political projects through perseverance and dedication to their cause.Always walking a fine line between the need for class solidarity and the desire to force their sometimes callous male colleagues to take women&’s issues seriously, these five women fought for social change with important lessons for feminist activists today. In brief conversational chapters Ghodsee tells the story of the personal challenges faced by earlier generations of socialist and communist women and renders the big ideas of socialist feminism accessible to those newly inspired by the emancipatory politics of left feminist movements around the globe.
The Devil's Half Acre: The Untold Story of How One Woman Liberated the South's Most Notorious Slave Jail
by Kristen GreenThe inspiring true story of an enslaved woman who liberated an infamous slave jail and transformed it into one of the nation&’s first HBCUs In The Devil&’s Half Acre, New York Times bestselling author Kristen Green draws on years of research to tell the extraordinary and little-known story of young Mary Lumpkin, an enslaved woman who blazed a path of liberation for thousands. She was forced to have the children of a brutal slave trader and live on the premises of his slave jail, known as the &“Devil&’s Half Acre.&” When she inherited the jail after the death of her slaveholder, she transformed it into &“God&’s Half Acre,&” a school where Black men could fulfill their dreams. It still exists today as Virginia Union University, one of America&’s first Historically Black Colleges and Universities. A sweeping narrative of a life in the margins of the American slave trade, The Devil&’s Half Acre brings Mary Lumpkin into the light. This is the story of the resilience of a woman on the path to freedom, her historic contributions, and her enduring legacy.
Permission to Screw Up: How I Learned to Lead by Doing (Almost) Everything Wrong
by Simon Sinek Kristen HadeedThe inspiring, unlikely, laugh-out-loud story of how one woman learned to lead–and how she ultimately succeeded, not despite her many mistakes, but because of them. This is the story of how Kristen Hadeed built Student Maid, a cleaning company where people are happy, loyal, productive, and empowered, even while they’re mopping floors and scrubbing toilets. It’s the story of how she went from being an almost comically inept leader to a sought-after CEO who teaches others how to lead. Hadeed unintentionally launched Student Maid while attending college ten years ago. Since then, Student Maid has employed hundreds of students and is widely recognized for its industry-leading retention rate and its culture of trust and accountability. But Kristen and her company were no overnight sensation. In fact, they were almost nothing at all. Along the way, Kristen got it wrong almost as often as she got it right. Giving out hugs instead of feedback, fixing errors instead of enforcing accountability, and hosting parties instead of cultivating meaningful relationships were just a few of her many mistakes. But Kristen’s willingness to admit and learn from those mistakes helped her give her people the chance to learn from their own screwups too. Permission to Screw Up dismisses the idea that leaders and organizations should try to be perfect. It encourages people of all ages to go for it and learn to lead by acting, rather than waiting or thinking. Through a brutally honest and often hilarious account of her own struggles, Kristen encourages us to embrace our failures and proves that we’ll be better leaders when we do.