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Our Common Wealth: The Hidden Economy That Makes Everythig Else Work
by Jonathan RoweA huge part of our economy is invisible, invaluable, and under siege. This is &“the commons,&” a term that denotes everything we share. Some parts of the commons are gifts of nature: the air and oceans, the web of species, wilderness, and watersheds. Others are the product of human creativity and endeavor: sidewalks and public spaces, the Internet, our languages, cultures, and technologies. Jonathan Rowe illuminates the scale and value of the commons, its symbiotic relationship with the rest of our economy, its importance to our personal and planetary well-being, and how it is threatened by privatization and neglect. He unifies many seemingly disparate struggles—against pollution, excessive development, corporate marketing to children, and more—with the force of this powerful idea. And he calls for new institutions that create a durable balance between the commons and the profit-seeking side of our economy.
Talking at Trena's: Everyday Conversations at an African American Tavern
by Reuben A. MayTalking at Trena's is an ethnography conducted in a bar in an African American, middle-class neighborhood on Chicago's southside. May's work focuses on how the mostly black, working- and middle-class patrons of Trena's talk about race, work, class, women, relationships, the media, and life in general. May recognizes tavern talk as a form of social play and symbolic performace within the tavern, as well as an indication of the social problems African Americans confront on a daily basis. Following a long tradition of research on informal gathering places, May's work reveals, though close description and analysis of ethnographic data, how African Americans come to understand the racial dynamics of American society which impact their jobs, entertainment-particularly television programs-and their social interactions with peers, employers, and others. Talking at Trena's provides a window into the laughs, complaints, experiences, and strategies which Trena's regulars share for managing daily life outside the safety and comfort of the tavern.
The Sports Bucket List: 101 Sights Every Fan Has to See Before the Clock Runs Out
by Rob Fleder Steve HoffmanFor every dedicated sports fan, a unique lifetime list of the 101 most important games, matches, venues, and events around the world, illustrated with color photographs and collated by a pair of Sports Illustrated veterans.For more than twenty years, Rob Fleder and Steve Hoffman captured the thrill of numerous sporting competitions while working for Sports Illustrated. Covering everything from match-ups, historical stadiums, and the Olympics to dog shows and poker, The Sports Bucket List is their carefully cultivated checklist for every serious sports fan. Fleder and Hoffman give you a taste of some of the greatest must-catch moments in sports, including: Barcelona facing off against Real Madrid, the Tour de France in the mountain stages, the big waves at The Eddie in Oahu, the Caribbean World Series, and halftime at Florida A&M. They take you around the world and through time, providing a rare look at the history behind the Highland games at Dunoon, Scotland, the greatest legends of Olympic Ski Jumping, and the energy of football at West Point’s Michie Stadium. Each entry is illustrated with a stunning photo that captures its excitement, beauty, glory, and intensity With essential facts, compelling stories, and recommendations on the best times to visit for each game, match, venue, or event, The Sports Bucket List is both a source of unconventional travel destinations and an insider guide to the most fascinating sports experiences.
Reproducing Racism: How Everyday Choices Lock In White Advantage
by Daria RoithmayrArgues that racial inequality reproduces itself automatically over time because early unfair advantage for whites has paved the way for continuing advantageThis book is designed to change the way we think about racial inequality. Long after the passage of civil rights laws, blacks and Latinos possess barely a nickel of wealth for every dollar that whites have. Why have we made so little progress?Legal scholar Daria Roithmayr provocatively argues that racial inequality lives on because white advantage functions as a powerful self-reinforcing monopoly, reproducing itself automatically from generation to generation even in the absence of intentional discrimination. Drawing on work in antitrust law and a range of other disciplines, Roithmayr brilliantly compares the dynamics of white advantage to the unfair tactics of giants like AT&T and Microsoft.With penetrating insight, Roithmayr locates the engine of white monopoly in positive feedback loops that connect the dramatic disparity of Jim Crow to modern racial gaps in jobs, housing and education. Wealthy white neighborhoods fund public schools that then turn out wealthy white neighbors. Whites with lucrative jobs informally refer their friends, who refer their friends, and so on. Roithmayr concludes that racial inequality might now be locked in place, unless policymakers immediately take drastic steps to dismantle this oppressive system.
White by Law 10th Anniversary Edition: The Legal Construction of Race (Critical America #16)
by Ian Haney Lopez&“Remains the definitive work on how American law constructed a &‘white&’ race at the turn of the twentieth century . . . A must-read.&” —Mae M. Ngai, author of Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America The first book to fully explore the social and specifically legal construction of race, White by Law inspired a generation of critical race theorists and others interested in the intersection of race and law in American society. Today, it is used and cited widely by not only legal scholars but many others interested in race, ethnicity, culture, politics, gender, and similar socially fabricated facets of American society. In the first edition, Ian Haney López traced the reasoning employed by the courts in their efforts to justify the whiteness of some and the non-whiteness of others, and revealed the criteria that were used, often arbitrarily, to determine whiteness, and thus citizenship: skin color, facial features, national origin, language, culture, ancestry, scientific opinion, and, most importantly, popular opinion. Ten years after the book&’s publication, Haney López revisits the legal construction of race, and argues that current race law has spawned a troubling racial ideology that perpetuates inequality under a new guise: colorblind white dominance. In a new essay written specifically for the 10th anniversary edition, he explores this racial paradigm and explains how it contributes to a system of white racial privilege socially and legally defended by restrictive definitions of what counts as race and as racism, and what doesn't, in the eyes of the law. The book also includes a new preface, in which Haney Lopez considers how his own personal experiences with white racial privilege helped engender White by Law. &“A fine contribution to important debates.&”—The American Journal of Legal History
Superluminal: A Novel of Interplanetary Civil War
by Tony DanielA sci-fantasy with “an awesomely weird yet logical future . . . Utterly fascinating. . . . This is one entrancing web from which escape is hardly desirable.” —Washington Post Book WorldThe future is at war for the soul of humankind . . . It is a time when civilization has extended itself far into the outer reaches of the solar system, and in doing so has developed into something remarkable. But humanity's progeny—the nanotechnological artificial intelligences called “free converts”—face extermination at the hands of the tyrant Amés and his invincible armies, and once the Napoleonesque Director develops superluminal flight, his “Final Solution” will be all but assured.But hope remains alive in the outer system. From the fleeing refugees of a dozen moons and asteroids, General Roger Sherman has amassed an effective and adaptable military force, already forged into a formidable weapon in the fires of battle.However, time is a commodity the courageous Federal Army lacks, as total war erupts between the vast cloudships of the outer system and the deadly armada of the Met, a glorious and terrible conflict that will rage among the stars . . . and within the hearts and minds of every human being.“Spectacular.” —Publishers Weekly“Gripping.” —Booklist
Liberation Theologies in the United States: An Introduction
by Stacey M Floyd-Thomas Anthony B PinnLiberation Theologies in the United States reveals how the critical use of religion can be utilized to challenge and combat oppression in America. In the nascent United States, religion often functioned as a justifier of oppression. Yet while religious discourse buttressed such oppressive activities as slavery and the destruction of native populations, oppressed communities have also made use of religion to critique and challenge this abuse. As Liberation Theologies in the United States demonstrates, this critical use of religion has often taken the form of liberation theologies, which use primarily Christian principles to address questions of social justice, including racism, poverty, and other types of oppression. Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas and Anthony B. Pinn have brought together a stellar group of liberation theology scholars to provide a synthetic introduction to the historical development, context, theory, and goals of a range of U.S.-born liberation theologies: Black Theology—Anthony B. Pinn Womanist Theology—Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas Latina Theology—Nancy Pineda-Madrid Hispanic/Latino(a) Theology—Benjamín Valentín Asian American Theology—Andrew Sung Park Asian American Feminist Theology—Grace Ji-Sun Kim Native Feminist Theology—Andrea Smith Native American Theology—George (Tink) Tinker Gay and Lesbian Theology—Robert E. Shore-Goss Feminist Theology—Mary McClintock Fulkerson &“An extraordinary resource for understanding the vitality of liberation theologies and their relation to social transformation in the changing U.S. context. Written in an accessible and engaged way, this powerful and informative text will inspire beginners and scholars alike. I highly recommend it."—Kwok Pui-lan, author of Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology &“A delight to read . . . [and] an exemplary account of the genre of liberation theologies." ―Religious Studies Review
Leave Us Alone: Getting the Government's Hands Off Our Money, Our Guns, Our Lives
by Grover G. NorquistThe new political movement that now controls much of the Republican party is a coalition of Americans who simply wish to be left alone by the government. They want to be free to run a business, keep the money they earn, own a gun, practice their faith, and perhaps homeschool their children—in short, to control their own destinies. Directly opposed is the descriptively titled Takings Coalition, which is at the heart of the tax-and-spend left. These forces will battle for control of America's future over the next fifty years.In this compelling and powerful narrative, Grover Norquist describes the two competing coalitions in American politics, what they can achieve and what they cannot do, and how you may fit into the contest. Required reading for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of politics in America today, Leave Us Alone outlines the order of battle for the next generation.
Talent Magnet: How to Attract and Keep the Best People
by Mark MillerThe Wall Street Journal-bestselling author &“provides a pragmatic approach to the art of attracting and retaining top talent . . . A must-read for leaders&” (Candice L. Saunders, President and CEO, WellStar Health System). What Does Top Talent Really Want? More than vision, strategy, creativity, marketing, finance, or even technology, it is ultimately people that determine organizational success. That&’s why virtually every organization wants more top talent. But do you know what they&’re looking for? It might not be what you think! Talent Magnet will show you how to attract and keep great people. &“The war for talent is on, and many good leaders and organizations are really struggling. Talent Magnet presents a terrific approach that is both insightful and actionable—born out of firsthand research and told through a readable and relatable story. I read it straight through.&” —Stephen M. R. Covey, New York Times- and #1 Wall Street Journal-bestselling author of The Speed of Trust &“People drive your success more than anything else, and Mark Miller shows us how to attract the best of them to your company.&” —Randy Street, New York Times-bestselling coauthor of Who &“Great people are going to work somewhere—why not for you? Talent Magnet will show you how to attract the people every organization wants. Read it to take your team and organization to the next level.&” —Jon Gordon, Wall Street Journal-bestselling author of The Energy Bus
No More Regrets!: 30 Ways to Greater Happiness and Meaning in Your Life
by Mark MuchnickWe all want to live a life without regrets, but few of us succeed. Marc Muchnick, bestselling coauthor of The Leadership Pill, outlines thirty simple yet potentially life-changing actions that anyone can take to avoid regret and thereby live a happier, more meaningful life. Whenever we do something we wish we hadn't—or don't do something we wish we had—we vow it won't happen again. But do we ask ourselves why it happened in the first place? Because we become prisoners of habit and circumstance, we take people in our lives for granted and fail to be true to ourselves. We stop growing and learning, become self-absorbed and judgmental, and lose touch with our innate goodness. Inspired by his final conversation with a dying friend, Marc Muchnick's No More Regrets! is specifically designed to help you avoid these pitfalls. Just one or two of the thirty ways to greater happiness and meaning outlined here could potentially change your life. Muchnick's suggestions are straightforward, thoughtful, and easy to implement—often just a matter of shifting perspective and seeing the world differently. No More Regrets! will show you how to live in a way that allows you to confidently move forward rather than constantly look back.
Heavy Storm & Gentle Breeze: A Memoir of China's Diplomacy
by Tang JiaXuanAs China’s policy decisions become increasingly significant as a bellwether of global economics, one of the nation’s most prominent and long-serving diplomats comes forward to illuminate the powerful country’s stance during some of the most important events of recent history. Tang Jiaxuan, born in 1938, served as a Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China from 1998 to 2003, and as the State councilor from 2003 to 2008. Tang Jiaxuan uses his experience at the forefront of China’s policies to make Heavy Storm and Gentle Breeze an indispensible guide for anyone interested the past—and future—of China’s relationship with the world.
The Decline of Men: How the American Male Is Getting Axed, Giving Up, and Flipping Off His Future
by Guy GarciaWhy are so many of today's supermen super-clueless?Why do so many men prefer the escapist digitized world of Spike TV and Grand Theft Auto to the reality of their own lives?An entire generation of men is slacking off. The struggle to redefine what being a man means in today's world has resulted in widespread male confusion, leading to rampant malaise, alienation, and disconnection. In this eye-opening exploration of this crisis of contemporary American manhood, award-winning journalist Guy Garcia sheds light on a problem that has wreaked havoc on the American family. Packed with startling statistics, informed by pop culture, and narrated in the entertaining style for which Guy Garcia is known, The Decline of Men is an important wake-up call to the distressing reality of the American male
I Was a Revolutionary: Stories
by Andrew Malan Milward"This collection brims with accessible originality, unparalleled range and thought-provoking heartbreak. . . . Like E.L. Doctorow in ‘Ragtime,’ Milward fashions high art from historical events and figures.” —Jackson Clarion-LedgerA richly textured, diverse collection of short stories that illuminate the heartland and America itself, exploring questions of history, race, and identity.Grounded in place, spanning the Civil War to the present day, the stories in I Was a Revolutionary capture the roil of history through the eyes of an unforgettable cast of characters: the visionaries and dreamers, radical farmers and socialist journalists, quack doctors and protestors who haunt the past and present landscape of the state of Kansas.In these stories, the award-winning writer Andrew Malan Milward crafts an epic mosaic of the American experience, tracing how we live amid the inconvenient ghosts of history. “The Burning of Lawrence” vibrates with the raw terror of a town pillaged by pro-Confederate raiders. “O Death” recalls the desperately hard journey of the Exodusters—African-American migrants who came to Kansas to escape oppression in the South. And, in the collection’s haunting title piece, a professor of Kansas history surveys his decades-long slide from radicalism to complacency, a shift that parallels the landscape around him.Using his own home state as a prism through which to view both a nation’s history and our own universal battles as individuals, Milward has created one of the freshest and most complex story collections in recent years.
The Comet Seekers: A Novel
by Helen Sedgwick“An exquisitely layered, thrilling novel that leaps across centuries and continents to delve into the role of destiny and the elusiveness of perception.” —Carmela Ciuraru, New York TimesRóisín and François are immediately drawn to each other when they meet at a remote research base in Antarctica. At first glance, the pair could not be more different. Róisín, a daughter of Ireland and a peripatetic astronomer, joins the science team to observe the fracturing of a comet overhead. François, the base’s chef, has just left his birthplace in Bayeux, France, for only the second time in his life. Yet devastating tragedy and the longing for a fresh start, as well as an indelible but unknown bond that stretches back centuries, connect them to each other.Helen Sedgwick carefully unfolds their intertwined paths, moving forward and back through time to reveal how these lovers’ destinies have long been tied to each other by the skies—the arrival of comets great and small. In telling Róisín and François’s story, Sedgwick illuminates the lives of their ancestors, showing how strangers can be connected and ghosts can be real, and how the way we choose to see the world can be as desolate or as beautiful as the comets themselves.“A gorgeous novel that should resonate with fans of Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveller’s Wife.” —Elle “Heartbreaking and satisfying.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review“Pointedly lyrical. . . . As in the work of contemporary fabulists like Kelly Link, Helen Oyeyemi and Audrey Niffenegger, the real intersects matter-of-factly with the supernatural.” —Andrea Barrett, New York Times Book Review“[A] beautiful, character-driven novel, which is reminiscent of the work of Amy Bloom and Elizabeth Strout.” —Booklist
Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old?: The Path of Purposeful Aging
by Richard J. Leider Richard J Leider David A Shapiro&“[A] valuable guide . . . The authors&’ gentle tone and many helpful suggestions will make readers feel as if they are listening to a close friend.&” —Publishers Weekly This is a book about how to grow old—with the emphasis on &“grow.&” The path of purposeful aging is accessible to all—and it&’s fundamental to health, happiness, and longevity. In their bestseller Repacking Your Bags, Richard J. Leider and David A. Shapiro defined the good life as living in the place you belong, with people you love, doing the right work, on purpose. This book builds on that definition to offer a purposeful path for living well while aging well. With a focus on developing and deepening a sense of purpose in later life, Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old? celebrates the experience of aging with inspiring stories, real-world practices, and provocative questions. Framed by a long conversation between two old friends, the book reconceives aging as a liberating experience that enables us to become more authentically the person we always meant to be with each passing year. &“In a culture that offers little guidance for growing old, but excels at pushing elders aside, here&’s a book that will help us age into the fullness of life.&” —Parker J. Palmer, author of On the Brink of Everything
White Christian Privilege: The Illusion of Religious Equality in America
by Khyati Y JoshiA study of how Christian beliefs are built into the U.S. Constitution and beyond, and the ramifications this has for American religious minorities. A pervasive Christian privilege dominates the United States today. Christian beliefs, norms, and practices infuse our society, and lie embedded in our institutions, even dictating the structure of our week—from Sunday closings for the Christian Sabbath to blue laws restricting the sale of alcohol. The United States is recognized as the most religiously diverse country in the world, and yet Christianity has always been integral to the country&’s national identity. These customs, which many of us have come to see as natural features of American life, prevent the &“freedom of religion&” declared in the pages of the Constitution from becoming a reality. In White Christian Privilege, Khyati Y. Joshi traces Christianity&’s influence on the American experiment from before the founding of the Republic to the social movements of today. Mapping the way through centuries of slavery, westward expansion, immigration, and citizenship laws, she also reveals the ways Christian privilege in the United States has always been entangled with notions of White supremacy. Drawing on the voices of Christians and religious minorities, Joshi explores how Christian privilege and White racial norms affect the lives of all Americans, often in subtle ways that society overlooks. By shining a light on the inequalities these privileges create, Joshi points the way forward, urging readers to help remake America as a diverse democracy with a commitment to true religious freedom.
Mainline Christianity: The Past and Future of America's Majority Faith
by Jason S LantzerSince the Revolutionary War, Mainline Christianity has been comprised of the Seven Sisters of American Protestantism—the Congregational Church, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church, the United Methodist Church, the American Baptist Convention, and the Disciples of Christ.These denominations have been the dominant cultural representatives since the nineteenth century of how and where the majority of American Christians worship. Today, however, the Seven Sisters no longer represent most American Christians. The Mainline has been shrinking while evangelical and fundamentalist churches, as well as non denominational congregations and mega churches, have been attracting more and more members.In this comprehensive and accessible book, Jason S. Lantzer chronicles the rise and fall of the Seven Sisters, documenting the ways in which they stopped shaping American culture and began to be shaped by it. After reviewing and critiquing the standard decline narrative of the Mainline he argues for a reconceptualization of the Mainline for the twenty-first century, a new grouping of Seven Sisters that seeks to recognize the vibrancy of American Christianity.
Down from the Mountain: The Life and Death of a Grizzly Bear
by Bryce AndrewsThe story of a grizzly bear named Millie: her life, death, and cubs, and what they reveal about the changing character of the American West.Grand Prize Winner of the Banff Mountain Book CompetitionAn “ode to wildness and wilderness” Down from the Mountain tells the story of one grizzly in the changing Montana landscape (Outside Magazine).Millie was cunning, a fiercely protective mother to her cubs. But raising those cubs in the mountains was hard, as the climate warmed and people crowded the valleys.There were obvious dangers, like poachers, and subtle ones, like the corn field that drew her into sure trouble. That trouble is where award-winning writer, farmer, and conservationist Bryce Andrews’s story intersects with Millie’s.In this “welcome and impressive work” he shows how this drama is “the core of a major problem in the rural American West—the disagreement between large predatory animals and invasive modern settlers”—an entangled collision where the shrinking wilds force human and bear into ever closer proximity (Barry Lopez).“The two sides of Bryce Andrews—enlightened rancher and sensitive writer—appear to make a smooth fit . . . Precise and evocative prose.” —The Washington Post“Rife with lyrical precision, first-hand know-how, ursine charisma, and a narrative jujitsu flip that places all empathy with his bears, Down from the Mountain is a one-of-a-kind triumph even here in the home of Doug Peacock and Douglas Chadwick.” —David James Duncan, author of The River Why “Would that we had more nature writing like Bryce Andrews’s fantastic second book, Down from the Mountain . . . A subtle and beautifully unexpected book.” —Literary Hub
The War on Drugs: A History
by David FarberEssays offering a revealing look at the history and legacy of the &“War on Drugs&” in the United States. Fifty years after President Richard Nixon declared a &“War on Drugs,&” the United States government has spent over a trillion dollars fighting a losing battle. In recent years, about 1.5 million people have been arrested annually on drug charges—most of them involving cannabis—and nearly 500,000 Americans are currently incarcerated for drug offenses. Today, as a response to the dire human and financial costs, Americans are fast losing their faith that a War on Drugs is fair, moral, or effective. In a rare multi-faceted overview of the underground drug market, featuring historical and ethnographic accounts of illegal drug production, distribution, and sales, The War on Drugs: A History examines how drug war policies contributed to the making of the carceral state, racial injustice, regulatory disasters, and a massive underground economy. At the same time, the collection explores how aggressive anti-drug policies produced a &“deviant&” form of globalization that offered economically marginalized people an economic life-line as players in a remunerative transnational supply and distribution network of illicit drugs. While several essays demonstrate how government enforcement of drug laws disproportionately punished marginalized suppliers and users, other essays assess how anti-drug warriors denigrated science and medical expertise by encouraging moral panics that contributed to the blanket criminalization of certain drugs. By analyzing the key issues, debates, events, and actors surrounding the War on Drugs, this timely and impressive volume provides a deeper understanding of the role these policies have played in making our current political landscape and how we can find the way forward to a more just and humane drug policy regime.
Every Step You Take: A Memoir
by Jock SotoIn June 2005 Jock Soto, at forty years old, gave his farewell performance as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. The program, an event of unprecedented ambition, showcased pieces from five legendary choreographers, and it capped one of the most storied careers in ballet history—an ascent that began when Soto was just three years old. After retiring, Soto was determined to embrace a new future, but he found himself obsessed with questions about his past—where had he come from, and where had he been?Every Step You Take weaves together the diverse strands of Soto’s life: being the half-breed offspring of a Puerto Rican–Navajo couple, the gay son of a fiercely macho man, a naive teenager from the desert running in the sophisticated art world of New York, and a driven artist by day and hard-core party animal by night. Soto recalls his professional relationships with such icons as George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Darci Kistler, Lourdes Lopez, and many others. He shares his love of food throughout the book with recipes to mark the pivotal moments in his story. And he describes the newest chapter in his life: teaching at the renowned School of American Ballet.Intimate and moving, Every Step You Take shows the honest and inspiring evolution of a remarkable man, a brilliant artist, and a living legend.
Grown-Up Anger: The Connected Mysteries of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and the Calumet Massacre of 1913
by Daniel WolffA brilliantly intertwined account of two revolutionary musicians, a miners’ strike, and a deadly tragedy: “Reads like a historical detective story.” —The New York Times Book ReviewAt thirteen, when he first heard Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” Daniel Wolff recognized the sound of anger. When he later discovered “Song for Woody,” Dylan’s tribute to folk musician Woody Guthrie, Wolff fixed on it as a clue to a distinctive mix of rage and compassion. That clue led back to Guthrie’s “1913 Massacre”—a memorial song about the horrific conclusion to a union Christmas party in Calumet, Michigan.Following the trail from Dylan to Guthrie to a tragedy that claimed seventy-four lives, Wolff found himself tracing a century-long line of anger. From America’s early industrialized days up to the present, the battle over economic justice keeps resurfacing: on a freight car in California, on a joyride through New Orleans, in a snowy field in Michigan. At the stunning conclusion—as the mysteries of Dylan, Guthrie, and the 1913 tragedy connect—the reader discovers a larger story, purposely distorted and buried in time.A tour de force of storytelling years in the making that chronicles the struggles between the haves and have-nots, Grown-Up Anger is both a dual biography of two legendary songwriters and a murder mystery. It also serves as a history of labor relations and socialism, big business and greed in twentieth-century America—all woven together in one epic saga.“A fascinating and relevant whirlwind examination of music, economic injustice, and two American icons.” —Booklist (starred review)“A masterful tale of music, social, and economic history . . . A dazzling, richly researched story impeccably told.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Under the Mercy Trees: A Novel
by Heather Newton“[An] eloquent, sorrowful novel....Readers of both Pat Conroy, on one hand, and Carson McCullers, on the other, will relish Newton’s flawed characters and piquant portrayal of small town life.” —Booklist (starred review)“Under the Mercy Trees will take your breath away.” —Robin Antalek, author of The Summer We Fell ApartHeather Newton’s Under the Mercy Trees tells the poignant and unforgettable story of a man forced to face his troubled past when he returns to his hometown in the mountains of North Carolina following the disappearance of his brother. Thirty years ago, Martin Owenby came to New York City with dreams of becoming a writer. Now his existence revolves around cheap Scotch and weekend flings with equally damaged men. When he learns that his older brother, Leon, has gone missing, he must return to the Owenby farm in Solace Fork, North Carolina, to assist in the search. But that means facing a past filled with regrets, the family that never understood him, the girl whose heart he broke, and the best friend who has faithfully kept the home fires burning. As the mystery surrounding Leon's disappearance deepens, so too does the weight of decades-long unresolved differences and unspoken feelings—forcing Martin to deal with the hardest lessons about home, duty, and love.Under the Mercy Trees adds the name Heather Newton to a sterling list of acclaimed authors in the Southern literary tradition that already includes Reynolds Price, Kaye Gibbons, Jill McCorkle, Clyde Edgerton, and Tom Franklin.
They Left Great Marks on Me: African American Testimonies of Racial Violence from Emancipation to World War I
by Kidada E WilliamsA study of real accounts of the everyday violence experienced by emancipated African Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Well after slavery was abolished, its legacy of violence left deep wounds on African Americans&’ bodies, minds, and lives. For many victims and witnesses of the assaults, rapes, murders, nightrides, lynchings, and other bloody acts that followed, the suffering this violence engendered was at once too painful to put into words yet too horrible to suppress. Despite the trauma it could incur, many African Americans opted to publicize their experiences by testifying about the violence they endured and witness. In this evocative and deeply moving study, Kidada E. Williams examines African Americans&’ testimonies about racial violence. In the years between Emancipation and the Progressive Era, victims and witnesses verbally described acts of violence to friends, family, agents of the Freedmen&’s Bureau and members of Congress. For those who could read and write, testimonies appeared in black newspapers, periodicals, and pamphlets. By using both oral and print culture to testify about violence, African Americans and their allies hoped they would be able to graphically disseminate enough knowledge about its occurrence that federal officials and the American people would be inspired to bear witness to their suffering and support their demands for justice. In the process of testifying, these people created a vernacular history of the violence they endured and witnessed. This history fostered an oppositional consciousness to racial violence that inspired African Americans to form and support campaigns to end violence. The resulting crusades against racial violence became one of the political training grounds for the civil rights movement.
Sounds of the River: A Young Man's University Days in Bejing
by Da Chen"A story about suppression, humiliation, vindication, and, ultimately, triumph." —New York Times Book ReviewFrom the bestselling author of Colors of the Mountain—an engrossing, gloriously written coming-of-age saga that picks up where that book left off—in Beijing during China’s Cultural RevolutionIn this "equally beguiling sequel to his acclaimed memoir" (Kirkus Reviews), teenager Da Chen takes his first train ride away from the farm he was raised on to his new university life in Beijing. He soon faces a host of ghastly challenges, including poor living conditions, lack of food, and suicidal roommates. Undaunted by these hurdles, and armed with a dogged determination to learn English and "all things Western," he competes to win a chance to study in America—a chance that rests in the shrewd and corrupt hands of the almighty professors.Poetic, hilarious, and heartbreaking, Sounds of the River is a gloriously written coming-of-age saga that chronicles a remarkable journey—a travelogue of the heart.
The One Minute Negotiator: Simple Steps to Reach Better Agreements
by Don Hutson George Lucas&“If you walk into battle with [these] simple principles . . . you'll walk away with what you want and leave the other person happier for having done the deal.&” —Dave Ramsey, host of The Dave Ramsey Show and #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Total Money Makeover Negotiation impacts every aspect of our lives, from the deals we strike on the job, to our relationships with family members and neighbors, to the transactions we make as customers. Yet most people do anything they can to avoid negotiating—it makes them uncomfortable, nervous, even frightened. This plague of negotiaphobia is what Don Hutson and George Lucas are here to remedy. The key to the process is flexibility. Most books on negotiation preach one of two gospels: thou shalt collaborate or thou shalt compete. But no two negotiations are alike—one strategy cannot fit all. The One Minute Negotiator teaches you four viable strategies and shows how to choose the one best suited to the situation, your own inclinations, and the strategy being used by the other side. Besides the obvious benefits, conquering negotiaphobia will reduce your stress level. You'll never walk away thinking about what you should have asked for or might have gotten. Instead, with the tools Hutson and Lucas provide, you can confidently and consistently guide any negotiation to the best possible conclusion. &“The One Minute Negotiator will reset your mindset to achieve the best outcomes in the toughest negotiations.&” —Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times–bestseller Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive &“Hutson and Lucas have put in capsule form some of the best ideas on successful negotiations I have ever seen.&” —Darren Hardy, Publisher, Success magazine