Resource Type: Book/ebook

Reflections on Living Compassion

Book: “This book, created over years of sharing and teaching workshops, individual sessions, and retreats, leads the reader into unsuspected depths. It is a guide for exploring dimensions of wholeness and healing; an invitation to approach our experience in a radically different way. We enter into our difficult experiences to reveal the fullness and beauty in all experience.”

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Re:Imagining Change: How to Use Story-based Strategy to Win Campaigns, Build Movements, and Change the World

Book: “An inspirational inside look at the trailblazing methodology developed by the nonprofit strategy and training organization, smartMeme, this unique exploration provides progressive activists with the tools to get stories into the media, build successful campaigns, and connect with other organizations the world over. Providing resources, theories, hands-on tools, and illuminating case studies for the next generation of activists, this resource shows how culture, media, memes, and narrative intertwine with social-change strategies and offers practical methods to amplify progressive causes in popular culture. A summation of the smartMeme approach, this study in memetics provides practical exercises to augment movements for justice, ecological sanity, and transformative social change.”

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Realizing Hope: Life Beyond Capitalism (Critique Influence Change)

Book: “Someone once said that it is easier to imagine the end of the world than to imagine the end of capitalism. Michael Albert would disagree. Realizing Hope offers a speculative vision of a future beyond capitalism – an alternative to the exploitation of human labour, the unchecked destruction of the earth, and the oppression of all for the benefit of the few. Participatory economics – parecon for short – is Albert’s concrete proposal for a classless economy, developed from anarchist principles first introduced by Kropotkin, Bakunin, Pannekoek and others. In this classic text, Albert takes the insights and hopes of parecon and enlarges them to address all key aspects of social life and society – gender, culture, politics, science, technology, journalism, ecology, and others. Realizing Hope provides vision to help us all together conceive a world that might be just over the horizon, a world we can begin building today.”

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Radical Street Performance: An International Anthology

Book: “Street performance has long been a staple of radical and visionary political movements. Typically, theater transports an audience to a reality apart from the everyday. Radical street performance strives to transport everyday reality to something more ideal. Because the spectators are not necessarily predisposed to theater-going, it takes place in public spaces and is usually free of charge. Potentially, street performance creates a bridge between imagined and real actions, often facilitated by staging the event at the very sites of power the performers seek to transform. Radical Street Performance is the first volume to collect the fascinating array of writings by activists, directors, performers, critics, scholars and journalists who have documented political performance in streets around the world. These essays look at performance in Europe, Africa, China, India and both of the Americas, and describe engagements with issues as diverse as abortion, colonialism, the environment and homophobia, to name only a sampling. Including coverage of the highly performative political activities of organizations such as ACT-UP and Greenpeace, the public spectacle of Abbie Hoffman’s political radicalism, and the writings of Tolstoy, this is truly a new kind of primer for the study of politics and performance. Radical Street Performance is an inspirational testimony to this international performance tradition, and a valuable record of a form of theater that continues to flourish in an increasingly apolitical and televisual age [Publisher description].”

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Rain Without Thunder: The Ideology of the Animal Rights Movement

Book: “Are “animal welfare” supporters indistinguishable from the animal exploiters they oppose? Do reformist measures reaffirm the underlying principles that make animal exploitation possible in the first place? In this provocative book, Gary L. Francione argues that the modern animal rights movement has become indistinguishable from a century-old concern with the welfare of animals that in no way prevents them from being exploited. Francione maintains that advocating humane treatment of animals retains a sense of them as instrumental to human ends. When they are considered dispensable property, he says, they are left fundamentally without “rights.” Until the seventies, Francione claims, this was the paradigm within which the Animal Rights Movement operated, as demonstrated by laws such as the Federal Humane Slaughter Act of 1958. In this wide-ranging book, Francione takes the reader through the philosophical and intellectual debates surrounding animal welfare to make clear the difference between animal rights and animal welfare. Through case studies such as campaigns against animal shelters, animal laboratories, and the wearing of fur, Francione demonstrates the selectiveness and confusion inherent in reformist programs that target fur, for example, but leave wool and leather alone. The solution to this dilemma, Francione argues, is not in a liberal position that espouses the humane treatment of animals, but in a more radical acceptance of the fundamental inalienability of animal rights.”

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Prayer

Book: “First published in India in 1977, this discourse on prayer and meditation by the great spiritual leader explores the meaning of devotion and describes the specific pratices he used. Reprint. Original.”

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Practical Ethics

Book: “For thirty years, Peter Singer’s Practical Ethics has been the classic introduction to applied ethics. For this third edition, the author has revised and updated all the chapters, and added a new chapter addressing climate change, one of the most important ethical challenges of our generation. Some of the questions discussed in this book concern our daily lives. Is it ethical to buy luxuries when others do not have enough to eat? Should we buy meat from intensively reared animals? Am I doing something wrong if my carbon footprint is above the global average? Other questions confront us as concerned citizens: equality and discrimination on the grounds of race or sex; abortion, the use of embryos for research, and euthanasia; political violence and terrorism; and the preservation of our planet’s environment. This book’s lucid style and provocative arguments make it an ideal text for university courses and for anyone willing to think about how she or he ought to live. “

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Power of Goodness: Art and Stories for a Culture of Peace

Book: “The Power of Goodness: Stories of Nonviolence and Reconciliation is a storybook with original artwork by young people ages 6 – 20 from Chechnya, Russia and around the world illustrating narratives of nonviolence, healing and reconciliation. Together they capture the excitement of action, joy of seeing from new perspectives and encouragement of witnessing how small actions make big differences.”

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Power in Coalitions: Strategies for Strong Unions and Social Change

“How can communities organise effectively to promote social change in the 21st century? Amanda Tattersall examines successful coalitions between unions and community organisations in three countries – Australia, US and Canada – extracting invaluable lessons for unions and community activists everywhere. How can we change things in an age in which governments are fixated on the bottom line and conventional protest rallies have lost their punch? Coalitions can be important tools for social change and union revitalisation. What makes them successful? What causes them to fail? Community organiser Amanda Tattersall examines successful coalitions between unions and community organisations in three countries: the public education coalition in Sydney, Toronto’s Ontario Health Coalition fighting to save universal health care, and Chicago’s living wage campaign run by the Grassroots Collaborative. She explores when and how coalitions can be a powerful strategy for social change, organisational development and union renewal. Power in Coalition is essential reading for unionists, community activists, and anyone passionate about social change.”

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Power-Under

Book: “Power-Under offers important new insights that can help us to break cycles of violence. Analyzing connections between oppression, trauma, and internalized powerlessness, this book shows how trauma is a link in complex chains of domination. Because large numbers of traumatized people are both oppressors and oppressed, understanding internalized powerlessness is critically important for our ability to build effective social change movements. Strategies including nonviolent self-protection, humanizing the oppressor, and a new politics of compassion are proposed for mobilizing traumatic rage toward progressive ends. Power-Under is strikingly relevant to a post-September 11 world in which we need to mount resistance to chain reactions of violence.”

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Politics of Nonviolent Action, Part Two: The Methods of Nonviolent Action

Book: “A detailed examination of 198 specific methods of the technique – illustrated with actual cases – within the broad classes of nonviolent protest and persuasion, non-cooperation (social, economic and political) and nonviolent intervention. This book examines revolutionary events including the American Revolution, through common sense and analysis.”

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People Power Manual

“The People Power Manual has been created to support facilitators and educators working to help local action groups and social movements win environmental and social justice goals…The manual has been written primarily for educators, trainers and facilitators who are looking for processes to use in their activist education work. We don’t expect people will read the guides cover to cover like a book. Instead, we imagine most people will dip in and out of these pages. We’ve written the guides for readers who already understand the concepts and theory that the processes and handouts are based on. For those interested in further reading, each guide recommends our favourite books, manuals and online resources. Each guide also includes detailed workshop schedules.”

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Peacemaking Circles: From Conflict to Community

Book: “A time-tested paradigm for healing relationships and keeping them healthy, Peacemaking Circles explores how communities can respond to crimes in ways that address the needs and interests of all those affected – victims, offenders, their families and friends, and the community. Based on indigenous teachings combined with current research in conflict resolution, the Circle process described here builds an intentionally safe space where we can bring our best selves to some of our most difficult conversations. Though the book relates the process to criminal justice, the explanantion of Circle philosophy and practice can be readily applied to hurts and conflicts in other areas of life. Above all, the book offers a grounded vision for how we can be together “in a good way,” especially when it seems hardest to do.”

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Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Book: “First published in Portuguese in 1968, Pedagogy of the Oppressed was translated and published in English in 1970. The methodology of the late Paulo Freire has helped to empower countless impoverished and illiterate people throughout the world. Freire’s work has taken on especial urgency in the United States and Western Europe, where the creation of a permanent underclass among the underprivileged and minorities in cities and urban centers is increasingly accepted as the norm. With a substantive new introduction on Freire’s life and the remarkable impact of this book by writer and Freire confidant and authority Donaldo Macedo, this anniversary edition of Pedagogy of the Oppressed will inspire a new generation of educators, students, and general readers for years to come.”

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Pass it On: Five Stories That Can Change the World

Book: “Eco-philosopher and best-selling author Joanna Macy shares five stories from her more than 30 years of studying and practicing Buddhism and deep ecology. Gathered on her travels to India, Russia, Australia, and Tibet, these stories testify to Joanna Macy’s belief that either humankind awakens to a new and deeper understanding of our interconnectedness with its planet or risks losing it. Pass it On tells of encounters with individuals who share very personal stories of sudden awakening, unexpected awareness, and the co-mingling of joy and pain. Each story is imbued with the specific cultural flavor of the places where the stories originate, but all show how each individual counts in the global need for change and awakening.”

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Our Spiritual Crisis: Recovering Human Wisdom in a Time of Violence

Book: “Michael Nagler argues that problems now faced by American society spring from a false way of looking at the world,based on the premise that material things are fundamental, consciousness merely derivative. He advocates a return to the ancient and Eastern spritual view that consciousness is fundamental. In developing a new conception of the universe and applying it to our social problems, Dr. Nagler explains how we can best oppose war, consumerism, commercialism, scientism, and the spiritual hollowness of modern life. Commentary by Lewis S. Mudge.”

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Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World

Book: “With Give and Take, Adam Grant not only introduced a landmark new paradigm for success but also established himself as one of his generation’s most compelling and provocative thought leaders. In Originals he again addresses the challenge of improving the world, but now from the perspective of becoming original: choosing to champion novel ideas and values that go against the grain, battle conformity, and buck outdated traditions. How can we originate new ideas, policies, and practices without risking it all? Using surprising studies and stories spanning business, politics, sports, and entertainment, Grant explores how to recognize a good idea, speak up without getting silenced, build a coalition of allies, choose the right time to act, and manage fear and doubt; how parents and teachers can nurture originality in children; and how leaders can build cultures that welcome dissent. Learn from an entrepreneur who pitches his start-ups by highlighting the reasons not to invest, a woman at Apple who challenged Steve Jobs from three levels below, an analyst who overturned the rule of secrecy at the CIA, a billionaire financial wizard who fires employees for failing to criticize him, and a TV executive who didn’t even work in comedy but saved Seinfeld from the cutting-room floor. The payoff is a set of groundbreaking insights about rejecting conformity and improving the status quo.”

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Organizing for Social Change

Book: “Compiled by members of the Midwest Academy this book is a bible for anyone who wants to effectively organize to change the quality of their lives or the lives of others. Now in its third edition this book has already sold 60,000 copies in all of its editions since 1991. With new information on the trends, technology, and concerns of the new millennium, this edition of Organizing for Social Change will help concerned citizens bring about needed changes by learning from the experiences of those who have succeeded.”

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Organizing, a Guide for Grassroots Leaders

Book: “”Organizing” is a dynamic guide to uniting people for change and helping people work together to get things done. It describes how to influence power structures, how to become successful organisers and fundraisers, and how to effect social change through grassroots organisation and mobilisation. Special Features: Distinguishes practicality and theory; Presents step-by-step guidelines for change; Provides a framework for multiracial organising.”

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Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future

Book: “This treasure trove illuminates the indigenous wisdom and knowledge contained in the “original instructions” for how to live on Earth and with each other. Contributors include Chief Oren Lyons, the late John Mohawk, Winona LaDuke and John Trudell. Proceeds from the book go to support indigenous programming at the Bioneers Conference and other indigenous programs. Tribal leaders, educators, activists and elders have expressed great appreciation for the book, which is being used by many educational institutions.”

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Organizing Cools the Planet: Tools and Reflections on Navigating the Climate Crisis

Pamphlet: “Organizing Cools The Planet weaves together stories, analysis, organizing tools, and provocative questions, to offer a snapshot of U.S. climate activism and provide pathways for readers to participate in it. Authors share hard lessons learned, reflect on strategy, and grapple with the challenges of their roles as organizers who do not come from “frontline” communities, but work to amplify and build a climate justice movement led by low-income people, communities of color, Indigenous, youth and other constituencies most directly impacted by the crisis. Rooted in the authors’ experiences organizing in local, national, and international arenas, this pamphlet grapples with the challenges and overwhelming odds young activists face today. Organizing Cools the Planet challenges readers to look at the scale of ecological collapse with open eyes, without falling prey to disempowering doomsday narratives. It asks key pressing questions for those who wish to take our generational challenge seriously. This pamphlet is for anyone who wants to build a movement with the resiliency to navigate one of the most rapid transitions in human history.”

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Organizing Cools The Planet

Hard copy booklet or free PDF: “Organizing Cools The Planet offers a challenge to all concerned about the ecological crisis: find your frontline. This booklet weaves together stories, analysis, organizing tools, and provocative questions, to offer a snapshot of the North American Climate Justice movement and provide pathways for readers to participate in it. Authors share hard lessons learned, reflect on strategy, and grapple with the challenges of their roles as organizers who do not come from “frontline communities” but work to build a movement big enough for everyone and led by the priorities and solutions of low-income people, communities of color, Indigenous, youth, and other constituencies most directly impacted by the crisis. Rooted in the authors’ experiences organizing in local, national, and international arenas, they challenge readers to look at the scale of ecological collapse with open eyes, without falling prey to disempowering doomsday narratives. This booklet is for anyone who wants to build a movement with the resiliency to navigate one of the most rapid transitions in human history.”

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Organic, Inc.: Natural Foods and How They Grew

Book: “Who would have thought that a natural food supermarket could have been a financial refuge from the dot-com bust? But it had. Sales of organic food had shot up about 20 percent per year since 1990, reaching $11 billion by 2003 . . . Whole Foods managed to sidestep that fray by focusing on, well, people like me. Organic food has become a juggernaut in an otherwise sluggish food industry, growing at 20 percent a year as products like organic ketchup and corn chips vie for shelf space with conventional comestibles. But what is organic food? Is it really better for you? Where did it come from, and why are so many of us buying it? Business writer Samuel Fromartz set out to get the story behind this surprising success after he noticed that his own food choices were changing with the times. In Organic, Inc., Fromartz traces organic food back to its anti-industrial origins more than a century ago. Then he follows it forward again, casting a spotlight on the innovators who created an alternative way of producing food that took root and grew beyond their wildest expectations. In the process he captures how the industry came to risk betraying the very ideals that drove its success in a classically complex case of free-market triumph.”

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One World Now: The Ethics of Globalization

Book: “One World Now seamlessly integrates major developments of the past decade into Peter Singer’s classic text on the ethics of globalization, One World. Singer, often described as the world’s most influential philosopher, here addresses such essential concerns as climate change, economic globalization, foreign aid, human rights, immigration, and the responsibility to protect people from genocide and crimes against humanity, whatever country they may be in. Every issue is considered from an ethical perspective. This thoughtful and important study poses bold challenges to narrow nationalistic views and offers valuable alternatives to the state-centric approach that continues to dominate ethics and international theory. Singer argues powerfully that we cannot solve the world’s problems at a national level, and shows how we should build on developments that are already transcending national differences. This is an instructive and necessary work that confronts head-on both the perils and the potentials inherent in globalization.”

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On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

Book: “As relevant today as when it was first written, Thoreau’s lucidly and passionately argued essay is a blow against the petty tyrannies of government and those who would seek to control us, manipulate us and monitor our e-mails and tweets. This is a classic text for all those concerned with the increasing power of the multi-national corporations and the shady dealings justified by neo-liberalism.”

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Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

Book: “Every day we make choices—about what to buy or eat, about financial investments or our children’s health and education, even about the causes we champion or the planet itself. Unfortunately, we often choose poorly. Nudge is about how we make these choices and how we can make better ones. Using dozens of eye-opening examples and drawing on decades of behavioral science research, Nobel Prize winner Richard H. Thaler and Harvard Law School professor Cass R. Sunstein show that no choice is ever presented to us in a neutral way, and that we are all susceptible to biases that can lead us to make bad decisions. But by knowing how people think, we can use sensible “choice architecture” to nudge people toward the best decisions for ourselves, our families, and our society, without restricting our freedom of choice.”

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Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

Book: “1,000,000 copies sold worldwide • Translated in More Than 30 Languages. What is Violent Communication? If “violent” means acting in ways that result in hurt or harm, then much of how we communicate—judging others, bullying, having racial bias, blaming, finger pointing, discriminating, speaking without listening, criticizing others or ourselves, name-calling, reacting when angry, using political rhetoric, being defensive or judging who’s “good/bad” or what’s “right/wrong” with people—could indeed be called “violent communication.” What is Nonviolent Communication? Nonviolent Communication is the integration of 4 things: -Consciousness: a set of principles that support living a life of empathy, care, courage, and authenticity. -Language: understanding how words contribute to connection or distance. -Communication: knowing how to ask for what we want, how to hear others even in disagreement, and how to move toward solutions that work for all. -Means of influence: sharing “power with others” rather than using “power over others”. Nonviolent Communication serves our desire to do three things: 1. Increase our ability to live with choice, meaning, and connection. 2. Connect empathically with self and others to have more satisfying relationships. 3. Sharing of resources so everyone is able to benefit.”

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No More Bull!: The Mad Cowboy Targets America’s Worst Enemy: Our Diet

Book: “In 1996, when Howard Lyman warned America on The Oprah Winfrey Show that Mad Cow Disease was coming to America, offended cattlemen sued him and Oprah both. Not only were Lyman and Oprah vindicated in court, but events have proved many of Lyman’s predictions absolutely right. Mad Cow Disease has come to America, and Lyman argues persuasively in No More Bull! that the problem will only grow more deadly until our government deals with it seriously. In Mad Cowboy, Lyman, a fourth-generation Montana rancher turned vegetarian then vegan, told the story of his personal transformation after a spinal tumor, which he believes was caused by agricultural chemicals, nearly left him paralyzed. In No More Bull!, Lyman uses his humor, compassion, firsthand experience in agriculture, and command of the facts of health to argue that we might all profit by transforming our diets. He makes a powerful case that Alzheimer’s is yet another disease linked to eating meat. And he explains that the steak at the heart of your dinner plate not only may destroy your own heart but actually offers no more nutritional value than a doughnut! If you’ve been confused by the competing claims of the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, and other fad diets, No More Bull! is the book that will set you straight. Its pure, unvarnished truth is told with down-home common sense. Lyman’s got a message for meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans – and the message of No More Bull! is that we can all do better for ourselves and the planet.”

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No Happy Cows: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Food Revolution

Book: “Internationally known vegan and bestselling author John Robbins has continued his observations and investigations into food politics and food-related issues of the day in his popular HuffingtonPost column, foodrevolution.org. No Happy Cows collects these recent observations along with never before published material for the first time in book form. Robbins shares his dispatches from the frontlines of the food revolution: From his undercover investigations of feed lots and slaughterhouses, to the rise of food contamination, the slave trade behind chocolate and coffee, what he calls the sham of “Vitamin Water,” and the effects of hormones on animals and animal products. Topics include:The skinny on grassfed beefGreed and salmonellaJunk food marketing to kidsSoy and Alzheimer’sHormones in our milkPlus many more. Robbin’s trenchant and provocative observations into the relationships between animals and the humans who raise them remind us of the importance of working for a more compassionate and environmentally responsible world.”

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Never Too Late to Go Vegan: The Over-50 Guide to Adopting and Thriving on a Plant-Based Diet

Book: “If you’re 50 or over and thinking (or already committed to!) a vegan diet and lifestyle that will benefit your health, animals, and the planet, look no further than this essential all-in-one resource. Authors Carol J. Adams, Patti Breitman, and Virginia Messina bring 75 years of vegan experience to this book to address the unique concerns of those coming to veganism later in life.”

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Nature’s Operating Instructions: The True Biotechnologies

“This landmark book shows how we can emulate and adapt nature’s operating instructions to the benefit of all life on Earth. It reports from the front lines of scientific and empirical innovation on true bio-technologies such as biomimicry, indigenous land management practices and ecologically intelligent design. “

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My Gentle Barn: Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Heal and Children Learn to Hope

Book: “Founder Ellie Laks started The Gentle Barn after adopting a sick goat from a run-down petting zoo in 1999. Some two hundred animals later (including chickens, horses, pigs, cows, rabbits, emus, and more), The Gentle Barn has become an extraordinary nonprofit that brings together a volunteer staff of community members and at-risk teens to rehabilitate abandoned and/or abused animals. As Ellie teaches the volunteers to care for the animals, they learn a new language of healing that works wonders on the humans as well. My Gentle Barn weaves together the story of how the Barn came to be what it is today with Ellie’s own journey. Filled with heartwarming animal stories and inspiring recoveries, My Gentle Barn is a feel-good account that will delight animal lovers and memoir readers alike.”

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My Soul Is Rested: Movement Days in the Deep South Remembered

Book: “The almost unfathomable courage and the undying faith that propelled the Civil Rights Movement are brilliantly captured in these moving personal recollections. Here are the voices of leaders and followers, of ordinary people who became extraordinary in the face of turmoil and violence. From the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956 to the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968, these are the people who fought the epic battle: Rosa Parks, Andrew Young, Ralph Abernathy, Hosea Williams, Fannie Lou Hamer, and others, both black and white, who participated in sit-ins, Freedom Rides, voter drives, and campaigns for school and university integration. Here, too, are voices from the “Down-Home Resistance” that supported George Wallace, Bull Connor, and the “traditions” of the Old South—voices that conjure up the frightening terrain on which the battle was fought. My Soul is Rested is a powerful document of social and political history, as well as a magnificent tribute to those who made history happen.”

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Mutual Causality in Buddhism and General Systems Theory: The Dharma of Natural Systems

“This book brings important new dimensions to the interface between contemporary Western science and ancient Eastern wisdom. Here for the first time the concepts and insights of general systems theory are presented in tandem with those of the Buddha. Remarkable convergences appear between core Buddhist teachings and the systems view of reality, arising in our century from biology and extending into the social and cognitive sciences. Giving a cogent introduction to both bodies of thought, and a fresh interpretation of the Buddha’s core teaching of dependent co-arising, this book shows how their common perspective on causality can inform our lives. The interdependence of all beings provides the context for clarifying both the role of meditative practice and guidelines for effective action on behalf of the common good.”

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Movement Building for Allies

Manual: “Members and organizations of the traditional peace movement have been increasingly coming to recognize the importance not only of partnering and “joining forces” with groups and organizations led primarily by poor people and people of color, but also of taking leadership from those groups and learning how to be effective allies to them through our organizing efforts. Movement Building for Allies is a facilitators’ manual for a workshop intended for white activists working in groups within the peace movement and other anti-militarist movements who want to deepen their understanding of how to do strategic organizing using an anti-oppression and cross-movement approach. This includes a focus on how to be strong allies to directly impacted communities (i.e. those whose immediate survival-level needs are impeded by U.S. militarism) through relationship-building and a clear understanding of the root causes of war and militarism.”

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Most Good, Least Harm: A Simple Principle for a Better World and Meaningful Life

Book: “With a world steeped in materialism, environmental destruction, and injustice, what can one individual possibly do to change it? While the present obstacles we face may seem overwhelming, author and humane educator Zoe Weil shows us that change doesn’t have to start with an army. It starts with you. Through her straightforward approaches to living a MOGO, or “most good,” life, she reveals that the true path to inner peace doesn’t require a retreat from the world. Rather, she gives the reader powerful and practicable tools to face these global issues, and improve both our planet and our personal lives. Weil explores direct ways to become involved with the community, make better choices as consumers, and develop positive messages to live by, showing readers that their simple decisions really can change the world. Inspiring and remarkably inclusive of the interconnected challenges we face today, Most Good, Least Harm is the next step beyond “green” — a radical new way to empower the individual and motivate positive change.”

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Mountains to Sea – Solving New Zealand’s Freshwater Crisis

Book: “The state of New Zealand’s freshwater has become a pressing public issue in recent years. From across the political spectrum, concern is growing about the pollution of New Zealand’s rivers and streams. We all know they need fixing. But how do we do it? In Mountains to Sea, leading ecologist Mike Joy teams up with thinkers from all walks of life to consider how we can solve New Zealand’s freshwater crisis. The book covers a wide range of topics, including food production, public health, economics and Māori narratives of water. Mountains to Sea offers new perspectives on this urgent problem.”

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Move the Message: Your Guide to Making a Difference and Changing the World

Book: “Many of us—without the money to contract special media consultants or expensive public relations firms—want to create change in the world, but find communicating our vision difficult, whether our audience is one individual, small groups, large audiences, or the media. Take action and empower others to act with this strategic approach. Target your message to the appropriate power holders. Design and pitch a compelling, persuasive presentation with visual impact. Field questions and comments to energize your audience to take action and move the message to others. With confidence, negotiate for progressive outcomes, construct captivating soundbites to the media, deflect personal attacks, and take the message to the streets to get winning results. In Move the Message, communications consultant and activist Josephine Bellaccomo delivers a step-by-step process, complete with tips, tactics, strategies examples and exercises, to ensure that your message is focused, powerful and unstoppable. Whether the difference you want is local or global, this guide is essential for activists and concerned individuals working to create lasting change. “

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Moonrise: The Power of Women Leading from the Heart

Book: “Moonrise explores the flourishing, passionate forms of leadership emerging from women on behalf of the earth and community. Many today find themselves being called toward greater leadership on behalf of the Earth, sourced from their inner authority and inspired by what they love and are dedicated to protect, transform, and strengthen. Those successfully heeding this call have embraced the qualities previously relegated to the “feminine”– inner awareness, collaboration, relational intelligence, respect for the sacred and generosity — and married them to the best of their “masculine” attributes to create a new form of leadership more inspiring, inviting, and effective for transforming how we live on Earth and with each other.”

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Mohandas K. Gandhi, Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth

Book: “Clearly, Gandhi never renounced the world; he was neither pacifist nor cult guru. Who was Gandhi? In the midst of resurging interest in the man who freed India, inspired the American Civil Rights Movement, and is revered, respected, and misunderstood all over the world, the time is proper to listen to Gandhi himself — in his own words, his own “confessions,” his autobiography. Gandhi made scrupulous truth-telling a religion and his Autobiography inevitably reminds one of other saints who have suffered and burned for their lapses. His simply narrated account of boyhood in Gujarat, marriage at age 13, legal studies in England, and growing desire for purity and reform has the force of a man extreme in all things. He details his gradual conversion to vegetarianism and ahimsa (non-violence) and the state of celibacy (brahmacharya, self-restraint) that became one of his more arduous spiritual trials. In the political realm he outlines the beginning of Satyagraha in South Africa and India, with accounts of the first Indian fasts and protests, his initial errors and misgivings, his jailings, and continued cordial dealings with the British overlords. Gandhi was a fascinating, complex man, a brilliant leader and guide, a seeker of truth who died for his beliefs but had no use for martyrdom or sainthood. His story, the path to his vision of Satyagraha and human dignity, is a critical work of the twentieth century, and timeless in its courage and inspiration. “

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Merdeka and the Morning Star: Civil Resistance in West Papua

Book: “Jason Macleod is a member of the Change Agency team: a dedicated activist educator, mentor and strategist. Having dropped out of university in 1991, Jason hitched to northern Queensland then made his way to Papua New Guinea. Hiking and paddling the Sepik, he made his way into a remote part of West Papua where he contracted malaria. He collapsed into a coma and was cared for by local health workers. Jason’s initial experiences in West Papua led him to form an enduring commitment to justice for the West Papuan people: a 25 year commitment that has involved spending time with leaders of the self-determination movement each year, training hundreds of West Papuan activists and completing a PhD to deepen and articulate his emerging understandings. Jason’s analysis of the West Papuan struggle for self-determination is powerful and compelling. He draws on his 25 years of lived experience as an ally and his deep understanding of social movement theory. Merdeka and the Morning Star speaks equally to academics and activists. Jason applies his deep understanding of theoretical frameworks and political history to analyse strategic options, looking at the West Papuan self-determination struggle in its historical and contemporary forms, and looking forward to its future success. This is a precious example of activist research. Jason writes with the clarity that comes from decades of action and reflection and the commitment of a genuine ally.”

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Meditation for Peacemakers

Book: “Images of Nonviolent activism can be striking: protesters beaten with clubs in India, Civil Rights Activists subjected to firehoses in the south, Occupy students sprayed with neon orange chemicals. How to remain nonviolent, preserve inner calm, in the face of such severe violence? Gandhi maintained that the answer was in a sustained discipline of calming the mind, and in this eShort, lauded nonviolence theorist and meditation practitioner Michael Nagler shows you how.”

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Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Life

Book: “Marshall Frady, the reporter who became the unofficial chronicler of the civil rights movement, here re-creates the life and turbulent times of its inspirational leader. Deftly interweaving the story of King’s quest with a history of the African American struggle for equality, Frady offers fascinating insights into his subject’s magnetic character, with its mixture of piety and ambition. He explores the complexities of King’s relationships with other civil rights leaders, the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and the FBI’s J. Edgar Hoover, who conducted a relentless vendetta against him. The result is a biography that conveys not just the facts of King’s life but the power of his legacy.”

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Making The News: A Guide For Nonprofits And Activists

Book: “With the media increasingly setting political and social agendas, news coverage about a problem can be the first step toward a solution. This handbook, based on interviews with media-savvy activists and twenty-five professional journalists, explains how to generate news coverage about any cause or issue that concerns you. Learn how to stage media events, write press releases, compile media lists, contact reporters, deliver sound bites, book a guest on talk radio, lobby editorial writers, columnists, and photographers, and much more. Making the News also contains unique advice on how to create newsworthy visual imagery. Simple, complicated, cheap, funny, flashy—ideas for all kinds of media events are described.”

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Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media

Book: “In this pathbreaking work, Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky show that, contrary to the usual image of the news media as cantankerous, obstinate, and ubiquitous in their search for truth and defense of justice, in their actual practice they defend the economic, social, and political agendas of the privileged groups that dominate domestic society, the state, and the global order. Based on a series of case studies—including the media’s dichotomous treatment of “worthy” versus “unworthy” victims, “legitimizing” and “meaningless” Third World elections, and devastating critiques of media coverage of the U.S. wars against Indochina—Herman and Chomsky draw on decades of criticism and research to propose a Propaganda Model to explain the media’s behavior and performance. Their new introduction updates the Propaganda Model and the earlier case studies, and it discusses several other applications. These include the manner in which the media covered the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement and subsequent Mexican financial meltdown of 1994-1995, the media’s handling of the protests against the World Trade Organization, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund in 1999 and 2000, and the media’s treatment of the chemical industry and its regulation. What emerges from this work is a powerful assessment of how propagandistic the U.S. mass media are, how they systematically fail to live up to their self-image as providers of the kind of information that people need to make sense of the world, and how we can understand their function in a radically new way.”

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Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Book: “NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The instant classic about why some ideas thrive, why others die, and how to improve your idea’s chances—essential reading in the “fake news” era. Mark Twain once observed, “A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on.” His observation rings true: Urban legends, conspiracy theories, and bogus news stories circulate effortlessly. Meanwhile, people with important ideas—entrepreneurs, teachers, politicians, and journalists—struggle to make them “stick.” In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the human scale principle, using the Velcro Theory of Memory, and creating curiosity gaps. Along the way, we discover that sticky messages of all kinds—from the infamous “kidney theft ring” hoax to a coach’s lessons on sportsmanship to a vision for a new product at Sony—draw their power from the same six traits.”

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Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won’t Eat Meat

Book: “When former cattle rancher Howard Lyman appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1996 to share his insider view of the danger of Mad Cow Disease spreading to this country, his revelations about the beef industry prompted a group of Texas cattlemen to file a lawsuit charging Lyman and the talk show host with “food disparagement.” That wasn’t enough to silence Howard Lyman, and in this stirring account of his journey from meat-loving cowboy to vegetarian environmental activist, he tells the whole truth about the catastrophic consequences of an animal-based diet…Persuasive, straightforward, and full of the down-home good humor and optimism of a son of the soil, Mad Cowboy is both an inspirational story of personal transformation and a convincing call to action for a plant-based diet — for the good of the planet and the health of us all.”

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Local Heroes: Australian crusades from the environmental frontline

Book: “Local Heroes gives voice to activists who have struggled over the last twenty years to change agendas at local, state, national and international levels. The book looks at ten issues, including lead pollution in inner city Sydney, heavy metal contamination in Port Kembla, the Coode Island chemical storage plant in Victoria, the Smogbusters campaign in Brisbane, and the fruit fly chemical trauma in Far North Queensland. $10 including postage within Australia (rrp $32.95)”

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Love in Action

Book: “Love in Action is a collection of over two decades of Thich Nhat Hanh’s writing on nonviolence, peace, and reconciliation. Reflecting on the devastation of war, he makes the strong argument that mindfulness, insight, and altruistic love are the only sustainable bases for political action. This timeless book is an important resource for those interested in social change.”

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Living among Meat Eaters: The Vegetarian’s Survival Handbook

Book: “If you are one of the over twenty million Americans who have adopted vegetarianism, you know that living with and eating with meat eaters can present a myriad of difficult issues. Summer barbecues, Thanksgiving dinner, or even a simple business lunch can be cause for discussions questioning vegetarianism as a lifestyle choice—leading at best to awkward situations and at worst to anger and defensiveness. Beyond these often-tense encounters, simple day-to-day tasks such as grocery shopping and preparing the evening meal can be tough, especially when your husband, wife, partner, or child doesn’t share your commitment to living as a vegetarian. In this bold and original book, Carol J. Adams offers real-life advice that vegetarians can use to defuse any situation in which their dietary choices may be under attack. She suggests viewing meat eaters as blocked vegetarians. Always insightful, this practical guide is full of self-tests, strategies, meditations on vegetarianism, and tips for dining out and entertaining at home when meat eaters are on the invite list. Offering more than fifty of Carol Adams’s favorite vegetarian recipes, Living Among Meat Eaters is sure to become every vegetarian’s most trusted source of support and information.”

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Living Buddha, Living Christ

pdf Book: “Buddha and Christ, perhaps the two most pivotal figures in the history of humankind, each left behind a legacy of teachings and practices that have shaped the lives of billions of people over two millennia. If they were to meet on the road today, what would each think of the other’s spiritual views and practices? In this classic text, Thich Nhat Hanh explores the crossroads of compassion and holiness at which the two traditions meet and he reawakens our understanding of both. Thich Nhat Hanh is a holy man, for he is humble and devout. His ideas for peace, if applied, would build a monument to ecumenism, to world brotherhood, to humanity. – Martin Luther King, Jr. He shows us the connection between personal, inner peace, and peace on earth. – His Holiness the Dalai Lama.”

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Little Book of Restorative Justice for Colleges & Universities

Book: “Here’s a call to colleges and universities to consider implementing restorative practices on their campuses, ensuring fair treatment of students and staff while minimizing institutional liability, protecting the campus community, and boosting morale. From an associate dean of student affairs who has put these models to work on his campus. Restorative justice is a collaborative decision-making process that includes victims, offenders, and others who are seeking to hold offenders accountable by having them (a) accept and acknowledge responsibility for their offenses, (b) to the best of their ability, repair the harm they caused to victims and communities, and (c) work to reduce the risk of re-offense by building positive social ties to the community.”

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Lifelong Activist

“Welcome to the online home of Hillary Rettig’s classic self-help guide for activists and progressives, The Lifelong Activist, as well as articles and coursework based on Hillary’s work. Use the menus below to access the entire text of the book.”

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Learning Activism: The Intellectual Life of Contemporary Social Movements

Book: “What do activists know? Learning Activism is designed to encourage a deeper engagement with the intellectual life of activists who organize for social, political, and ecological justice. Combining experiential knowledge from his own activism and a variety of social movements, Choudry suggests that such organizations are best understood if we engage with the learning, knowledge, debates, and theorizing that goes on within them. Drawing on Marxist, feminist, anti-racist, and anti-colonial perspectives on knowledge and power, the book highlights how activists and organizers learn through doing, and fills the gap between social movement practice as it occurs on the ground, critical adult education scholarship, and social movement theorizing. Examples include anti-colonial currents within global justice organizing in the Asia-Pacific, activist research and education in social movements and people?s organizations in the Philippines, Migrant and immigrant worker struggles in Canada, and the Quebec student strike. The result is a book that carves out a new space for intellectual life in activist practice.”

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Learning and Mobilising for Community Development: A Radical Tradition of Community-Based Education and Training

Book: “Learning and Mobilising for Community Development introduces the reader to different ways of thinking about, and organising community-based education and training within different settings. Stories from the global south and north illustrate approaches to collective learning and collective action. The book provides not only an insight into the how-to of community-based education and training, but through a range of applications, demonstrates the often unspoken shadow side of the developmental work we undertake. The first section of the book outlines the key elements that underpin effective community-based education and training. It then locates community-based education and training within a broader pedagogical project, by tracing the tradition of transformative learning and education. The second half of the book focuses on stories and practice, distilling the application of theory and frameworks. The practitioners within this book emerge from unique and challenging contexts. From civil resistance in West Papua and youth empowerment in South Africa to financial freedom in Australia, these diverse experiences speak to a common quest for social change and justice.”

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Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal

Book: “This special updated version of the New York Times-bestseller, Kitchen Table Wisdom, addresses the same spiritual issues that made the original a bestseller: suffering, meaning, love, faith, and miracles. “Despite the awesome powers of technology, many of us still do not live very well,” says Dr. Rachel Remen. “We may need to listen to one another’s stories again.” Dr. Remen, whose unique perspective on healing comes from her background as a physician, a professor of medicine, a therapist, and a long-term survivor of chronic illness, invites us to listen from the soul. This remarkable collection of true stories draws on the concept of “kitchen table wisdom”– the human tradition of shared experience that shows us life in all its power and mystery and reminds us that the things we cannot measure may be the things that ultimately sustain and enrich our lives.”

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Justice Ignited: The Dynamics of Backfire

“Brian is well known to Australian activists for his extensive work around whistle-blowing and resisting repression. His new text deals with tactics against injustice. Case studies include the massacres at Sharpeville and Dili, the 1930 salt march in India, the beating of Rodney King, treatment of whistleblowers, environmental disasters, the invasion of Iraq, Abu Ghraib, torture technology, and terrorism. (ps The publishers offer a discount.)”

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Inside Spin: The Dark Underbelly of the PR Industry

Book: “Bob Burton is committed to helping community groups striving for social and environmental justice to understand the influence of the public relations industry – by helping to expose industry front groups, spin served up as media, corporate-sponsored think tanks and government-industry collusion. A tireless and meticulous researcher, Bob is known for his significant and ongoing contribution to and PRWatch.org. Bob’s latest, Inside Spin includes case studies of recent controversies in public policy ranging from the South Australian state government’s attempt to fast-track a controversial proposal for a nuclear waste dump to the tactics of the corporate-funded Institute of Public Affairs to strip advocacy groups of their charitable tax status. A must-read if you’re sensing you’re being out-manoeuvred in your public communication efforts. It’s definitely worth knowing how spin can be used by government and industry to defend unpopular policies and practices.”

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Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

Book: “Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say “yes”—and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion. His thirty-five years of rigorous, evidence-based research along with a three-year program of study on what moves people to change behavior has resulted in this highly acclaimed book. You’ll learn the six universal principles, how to use them to become a skilled persuader—and how to defend yourself against them. Perfect for people in all walks of life, the principles of Influence will move you toward profound personal change and act as a driving force for your success.”

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Influencer : The Power to Change Anything

Book: “Whether you’re a CEO, a parent, or merely a person who wants to make a difference, you probably wish you had more influence with the people in your life. “Influencer” a thought-provoking book that combines the remarkable insights of behavioral scientists and business leaders with the astonishing stories of high-powered influencers from all walks of life.”

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In the Tiger’s Mouth: An Empowerment Guide for Social Action

Book: “Katrina Shields guides you through the big issues that show up in activism: how to avoid burn-out, network, create stable groups, as well as how to approach listeners with bad news that they may not want to hear. The guide includes exercises that encourage discovery and growth, both for individuals and groups.”

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Inciting Democracy

Book: “Inciting Democracy offers a vision of what a good society might look like and explores how we can overcome five key obstacles to creating such a society. It offers a practical way to develop a large, decentralized education and support program (the Vernal Education Project) that would bolster grassroots movements so that people of goodwill can democratically and nonviolently transform society.”

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Ideas for Action: Relevant Theory for Radical Change

Book: “From the Enron scandal to global warming, from the war on terrorism to the war on drugs, a growing number of people are unhappy with the status quo. Yet those genuinely interested in reading about the issues find that few contemporary theorists are seriously committed to accessible, clear writing. Furthermore, the mainstream media rarely represents social movements, and the theories associated with them, without distortion or bias. Written in an engaging and accessible style, Ideas for Action gives activists the intellectual tools to turn discontent into a plan of action. Exploring a wide range of political traditions—including Marxism, anarchism, anti-imperialism, poststructualism, feminism, critical race theory, and environmentalism—Cynthia Kaufman acknowledges the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of political movements and the ideologies inspired by or -generated through them. Kaufman incorporates elements of her own activist experiences, and offers a coherent analysis without pretending to offer “the final word” on complex issues. Instead, she encourages inquiry and further investigation, offering readers the information to orient a critical understanding of the social world and a glimpse of the excitement and rewards of serious intellectual engagement with political ideas. Ideas for Action examines the work of diverse thinkers such as Adam Smith, Paulo Freire, Stuart Hall, and Ronald Takaki. Kaufman’s insights break the chains of cynicism and lay a foundation for more effective organizing.”

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Implementing Restorative Practice in Schools: A Practical Guide to Transforming School Communities

Book: “Restorative practice is a proven approach to discipline in schools that favours relationships over retribution, and has been shown to improve behaviour and enhance teaching and learning outcomes. However, in order for it to work, restorative practice needs a relational school culture. Implementing Restorative Practice in Schools explains what has to happen in a school in order for it to become truly restorative. Section 1 explains the potential of restorative practice in schools, describing the positive outcomes for students and teachers. It also outlines the measures that need to be in place in order to embed restorative practice. Section 2 examines the process of understanding and managing change, providing realistic and pragmatic guidance on the practical and emotional barriers that may be encountered. Finally, Section 3 provides in eight practical steps, strategic guidance for achieving a restorative culture that sticks. Featuring useful pro formas and templates, this book will be an indispensable guide for educators, administrators and school leaders in mainstream and specialist settings.”

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Humor and Nonviolent Struggle in Serbia (Syracuse Studies on Peace and Conflict Resolution)

Book: ““If I had no sense of humor, I should long ago have committed suicide,” wrote the late Mahatma Gandhi, expressing the potent power of humor to sustain and uplift. Less obvious is humor’s ability to operate as a cunning weapon in nonviolent protest movements. Over the last few decades, activists are increasingly incorporating subversive laughter in their protest repertoires, realizing the ways in which it challenges the ruling elite’s propaganda, defuses antagonism, and inspires both participants and the greater population. In this highly original and engaging work, Sombatpoonsiri explores the nexus between humor and nonviolent protest, aiming to enhance our understanding of the growing popularity of humor in protest movements around the world. Drawing on insights from the pioneering Otpor activists in Serbia, she provides a detailed account of the protesters’ systematic use of humor to topple Slobadan Miloševic’ in 2000. Interviews with activists, protest newsletters, and documentaries of the movement combine to illustrate how humor played a pivotal role by reflecting the absurdity of the regime’s propaganda and, in turn, by delegitimizing its authority. Sombatpoonsiri highlights the Otpor activists’ ability to internationalize their nonviolent crusade, influencing youth movements in the Ukraine, Georgia, Iran, and Egypt. Globally, Otpor’s successful use of humor became an inspiration for a later generation of protest movements.”

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Humour in Political Activism: Creative Nonviolent Resistance

“This book analyses how humour in political activism contributes to facilitating outreach, mobilisation and the sustaining of cultures of resistance. Drawing on examples of attention-grabbing stunts from around the world, Humour in Political Activism demonstrates how they succeed in turning relations of power upside down. The ambiguity and unpredictability of humour, Sørensen argues, makes it difficult to respond to this form of political activism when it is performed in public. Humorous political stunts can therefore challenge state power, help influence changes in law and make significant contributions to the conversations about how societies should be organised. The book also investigates the potential risks and limitations of using humour in nonviolent action and what makes humour unique compared with other forms of non-humorous political activism.”

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Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

“The age-old practice of sitting down to a family meal is undergoing unprecedented change as rising world affluence and trade, along with the spread of global food conglomerates, transform eating habits worldwide. HUNGRY PLANET profiles 30 families from around the world–including Bosnia, Chad, Egypt, Greenland, Japan, the United States, and France–and offers detailed descriptions of weekly food purchases; photographs of the families at home, at market, and in their communities; and a portrait of each family surrounded by a week’s worth of groceries. Featuring photo-essays on international street food, meat markets, fast food, and cookery, this captivating chronicle offers a riveting look at what the world really eats. “

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How to Win Campaigns – Communications for Change

Book: “Written for the new campaigner and the experienced communicator alike, this is a comprehensive and systematic exploration of what works in campaigning, and a practical how-to guide for using principles and strategy in campaigning as a new form of public politics. Applicable to any issue and from any point of view, the book’s 100 key steps and tools provide models of motivation, analysis and communication structure.”

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How to Grow More Vegetables

Book: “Decades before the terms “eco-friendly” and “sustainable growing” entered the vernacular, How to Grow More Vegetables demonstrated that small-scale, high-yield, all-organic gardening methods could yield bountiful crops over multiple growing cycles using minimal resources in a suburban environment. The concept that John Jeavons and the team at Ecology Action launched more than 40 years ago has been embraced by the mainstream and continues to gather momentum. Today, How to Grow More Vegetables, now in its fully revised and updated 8th edition, is the go-to reference for food growers at every level: from home gardeners dedicated to nurturing their backyard edibles in maximum harmony with nature’s cycles, to small-scale commercial producers interested in optimizing soil fertility and increasing plant productivity. Whether you hope to harvest your first tomatoes next summer or are planning to grow enough to feed your whole family in years to come, How to Grow More Vegetables is your indispensable sustainable garden guide.”

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How Not to Die

Book: “The vast majority of premature deaths can be prevented through simple changes in diet and lifestyle. In How Not to Die, Dr. Michael Greger, the internationally-recognized lecturer, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, examines the fifteen top causes of death in America—heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson’s, high blood pressure, and more—and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, freeing us to live healthier lives. The simple truth is that most doctors are good at treating acute illnesses but bad at preventing chronic disease. The 15 leading causes of death claim the lives of 1.6 million Americans annually. This doesn’t have to be the case. By following Dr. Greger’s advice, all of it backed up by peer-reviewed scientific evidence, you will learn which foods to eat and which lifestyle changes to make to live longer.” Includes a book trailer video and an audiobook sample.

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How to Create a Vegan World: A Pragmatic Approach

Book: “In this thought-provoking book, Tobias Leenaert leaves well-trodden animal advocacy paths and takes a fresh look at the strategies, objectives, and communication of the vegan and animal rights movement. He argues that, given our present situation, with entire societies dependent on using animals, we need a very pragmatic approach. How to Create a Vegan World contains many valuable ideas and insights for both budding advocates for animals and seasoned activists, organizational leaders, and even entrepreneurs.”

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Hope or Terror? Gandhi and the Other 9/11

Book: “Almost a century before September 11, 2001, on September 11, 1906, M.K. Gandhi officially launched the world’s first Satyagraha, or strategic, nonviolent resistance campaign. Noted peace scholar Michael Nagler tells the story of the birth of Satyagraha (literally “clinging to truth”) in South Africa.”

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Hope’s Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet

Book: “Thirty years ago, Frances Moore Lappé started a revolution in the way Americans think about food and hunger. Now Frances and her daughter, Anna, pick up where Diet for a Small Planet left off. Together they set out on an around-the-world journey to explore the greatest challenges we face in the new millennium. Traveling to Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe, they discovered answers to one of the most urgent issues of our time: whether we can transcend the rampant consumerism and capitalism to find the paths that each of us can follow to heal our lives as well as the planet. Featuring nearly seventy recipes from celebrated vegetarian culinary pioneers-including Alice Waters, Mollie Katzen, Laurel Robertson, Nora Pouillon, and Anna Thomas-Hope’s Edge highlights true trailblazers engaged in social, environmental, and economic transformations.”

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Hope and History: Why We Must Share the Story of the Movement

Book: “An impassioned call to the clergy, community activists, and educators to remember and keep alive the story of the black-led freedom movement. Harding argues the importance of knowing for ourselves, incorporating into our lives, and teaching to others the events and goals of this historic movement.”

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History of the Australian Environment Movement

“This book traces the development of the environment movement in Australia from the first visionaries who pressed for preservation of native fauna and for sanitation in cities, to a mass social movement that challenges the most powerful interests in society. The authors, as professional historians and environmental activists, have taken advantage of their unique position to place the environment movement in the context of current social theory. This wide-ranging analysis will be of value to social scientists historians and activists.”

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Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations

Book: “An extraordinary exploration of how technology can empower social and political organizers. For the first time in history, the tools for cooperating on a global scale are not solely in the hands of governments or institutions. The spread of the internet and mobile phones are changing how people come together and get things done—and sparking a revolution that, as Clay Shirky shows, is changing what we do, how we do it, and even who we are. Here, we encounter a whoman who loses her phone and recruits an army of volunteers to get it back from the person who stole it. A dissatisfied airline passenger who spawns a national movement by taking her case to the web. And a handful of kids in Belarus who create a political protest that the state is powerless to stop. Here Comes Everybody is a revelatory examination of how the wildfirelike spread of new forms of social interaction enabled by technology is changing the way humans form groups and exist within them. A revolution in social organization has commenced, and Clay Shirky is its brilliant chronicler.”

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Heart Politics Revisited

Book: ““Heart politics revisited” is part autobiography, part manifesto, and it dares to dream about a new politics with people at the center. “Heart Politics Revisited” is a new and expanded edition of the classic 1985 handbook for activists. Peavey’s approach shuns careerism, rigid ideologies, revenge and recrimination–and offers a pathway towards reconciliation and living with difference through empathy, non-violence, co-operation and person-to-person contact. And it has a humor which carries the reader through.”

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Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World’s Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples

“Why do some people age in failing health and sadness, while others grow old with vitality and joy? In Healthy at 100, bestselling author John Robbins presents us with a bold new paradigm of aging, showing us how we can increase not only our life span but also our health span. Through the example of four very different cultures that have the distinction of producing some of the world’s healthiest, oldest people, Robbins reveals the secrets for living an extended and fulfilling life in which our later years become a period of wisdom, vitality and happiness. Bringing the traditions of these ancient and vibrantly healthy cultures together with the latest breakthroughs in medical science, Robbins reveals that, remarkably, they both point in the same direction. The result is an inspirational synthesis of years of research into healthy aging in which Robbins has isolated the characteristics that will enable us to live long — and most important — joyous lives.”

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Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating

“The renowned scientist who fundamentally changed the way we view primates and our relationship with the animal kingdom now turns her attention to an incredibly important and deeply personal issue-taking a stand for a more sustainable world. In this provocative and encouraging book, Jane Goodall sounds a clarion call to Western society, urging us to take a hard look at the food we produce and consume-and showing us how easy it is to create positive change.Offering her hopeful, but stirring vision, Goodall argues convincingly that each individual can make a difference. She offers simple strategies each of us can employ to foster a sustainable society. Brilliant, empowering, and irrepressibly optimistic, HARVEST FOR HOPE is one of the most crucial works of our age. If we follow Goodall’s sound advice, we just might save ourselves before it’s too late.”

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Handbook for Nonviolent Campaigns

“The War Resisters’ International’s ‘Handbook for Nonviolent Campaigns’ is a 232 page toolbox of ideas and resources to support activists to run more effective campaigns. The original edition, published in 2009, was translated into over ten languages, including Spanish, German, Nepalese, Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian, Korean, and Arabic, and has been used by activists all over the world. The 2014 edition added 50 pages. There is no definitive recipe for successful nonviolent actions and campaigns. This handbook, however, is a series of resources that can inspire and support your own work, especially if you adapt the resources to your own needs and context.”

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Growl: Life Lessons, Hard Truths, and Bold Strategies from an Animal Advocate

Book: “For four decades, Kim Stallwood has had a front seat in the animal rights movement, starting at the grassroots in England and working his way up to leadership positions at some of the best-known organizations in the world, including Compassion In World Farming, the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Yet, as Stallwood reveals in this memoir of an eventful life dedicated to social justice for the voiceless, finding the truest path for progress has meant learning a lot along the way. Equal parts personal narrative, social history, and impassioned call for rethinking animal advocacy, Growl describes Stallwood’s journey from a meat-eating slaughterhouse worker to a vegan activist for all species. He explains the importance of four key values in animal rights philosophy and practice―compassion, truth, nonviolence, and justice―and how a deeper understanding of their role not only leads us to discover our humanity for animals, but also for ourselves.”

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Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating

Booklet (pdf): “Thank you for taking the time to consider the following ideas! This guide is for all thoughtful, compassionate people—from lifelong meat eaters who are just learning about factory farms, to vegetarians seeking new recipes and nutritional information, to vegans interested in more ways to help end cruelty to animals.”

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Growing Green: Animal-Free Organic Techniques

Book: “Growing Green: Animal-Free Organic Techniques is an essential guide about organic growing and is perfect for absolute beginners as well as experienced professionals. This book introduces the concept of stockfree-organic and shows, through case studies, that when growers abandon the use of slaughterhouse by-products and manures they can be rewarded with healthier crops, less weeds, pests and diseases. In an age where dreams of self-sufficiency seem unattainable, Growing Green shows that making a living from growing organic vegetables can be achieved by anyone who is willing to rent land. Until now there have been no comprehensive guidelines on how to follow the organic standards at the different scales of vegetable production using tractors, small machinery and hand tools…An invaluable guide for the grower, researcher and student; this book will prove to be an important step forward for the organic movement.”

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Green Is the New Red: An Insider’s Account of a Social Movement Under Siege

Book: “At a time when everyone is going green, most people are unaware that the FBI is using anti-terrorism resources to target environmentalists and animal rights activists. The courts are being used to push conventional boundaries of what constitutes “terrorism” and to hit nonviolent activists with disproportionate sentences. Some have faced terrorism charges for simply chalking slogans on the sidewalk. Like the Red Scare, this “Green Scare” is about fear and intimidation, using a word—”eco-terrorist”—to push a political agenda, instill fear and silence dissent. The animal rights and environmental movements directly threaten corporate profits every time activists encourage people to go vegan, to stop driving, to consume fewer resources and live simply. Their boycotts are damaging, and corporations and the politicians who represent them know it. In many ways, the Green Scare, like the Red Scare, can be seen as a culture war, a war of values.”

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Globalize liberation: how to uproot the system and build a better world

“The attacks of 9/11 have renewed a hunger for ideas about how to effect change. The strategies and hard-won victories of dedicated activists from global justice and community struggles can provide vision and hope, and in this collection of 33 articles and essays, we hear first-hand accounts from North America, Europe and Latin America. In recent years, thousands have flooded the streets to effectively challenge the global economic system. Globalize Liberation aims to deepen, popularize, update and provide concrete practical ideas for this spirit of resistance and innovation.”

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Genetic Engineering, Food, and Our Environment

Book: “If current trends continue, within five to eight years most of the foods we eat could be genetically engineered. Multinational corporations want us to believe that this food is safe, nutritious, and thoroughly tested. Critics argue that governments are sacrificing environmental and health safeguards in favor of commercial interests. This book aims to clarify some of the key issues that concern people about genetic engineering”

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Gandhi Searches for Truth: A Practical Biography for Children

“Mahatma Gandhi was an ordinary child who tried to do something extraordinary with his life: he wanted to discover Truth. This book chronicles Gandhi’s inner and outer journey from childhood to the independence of India in twelve short stories, with beautiful watercolor and ink images of Gandhi and his family. For both children and grown-ups, this book explores how Gandhi discovered key principles and tools of nonviolence, including concepts like “satyagraha” and “nonviolent non-cooperation.” Perhaps most importantly, it addresses how we can bring his great message in our own lives and become peacemakers at any age!”

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Gandhi’s Way: A Handbook of Conflict Resolution

Book: “Gandhi’s Way provides a primer of Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of moral action and conflict resolution and offers a straightforward, step-by-step approach that can be used in any conflict―-at home or in business; in local, national, or international arenas. This invaluable handbook, updated with a new preface and a new case study on terrorism in Northern Ireland, sets out Gandhi’s basic methods and illustrates them with practical examples. Juergensmeyer shows how parties at odds can rise above a narrow view of self-interest to find resolutions that are satisfying and beneficial to all involved. He then pits Gandhi’s ideas against those of other great social thinkers in a series of imaginary debates that challenge and clarify Gandhi’s thinking on issues of violence, anger, and love. He also provides a Gandhian critique of Gandhi himself and offers viable solutions to some of the gaps in Gandhian theory. “

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Frog Pond Philosophy – Essays on the Relationship Between Humans and Nature

Book: “In Frog Pond Philosophy, Donnelley traces the connections between influential figures such as Aldo Leopold and Charles Darwin, as well as lesser-known but original thinkers that he met during the course of a full life—ministers at his church, friends with whom he fished, and colleagues who shared his passion for research and writing. He grounds his work in classic philosophers such as Descartes, Spinoza, and Whitehead and reinterprets their writings about the natural world to develop a conservation-centered philosophy, which he dubs “democratic ecological citizenship.””

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Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape

Book: “An English classic revised and expanded for North America. Forest Gardening is a way of working alongside nature–an approach that results in great productivity with minimal maintenance, and a method for transforming even a small cottage garden into a diverse and inviting habitat for songbirds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Based on the model of a natural woodland, a forest garden incorporates a wide variety of useful plants, including fruit and nut trees, perennial herbs, and vegetables. Hart’s book beautifully describes his decades of experience gardening in the Shropshire countryside, yet the principles of “backyard permaculture” he explores can be applied equally well in other locales across the planet, from tropical to temperate zones. Practical features of the book include: *Design guidelines for creating your own perennial food-producing garden. *Lists of recommended plants and varieties, keyed to different climates. *An explanation of how plants in different levels or “stories” –from ground covers to full-sized trees–coexist and interact in a healthy and productive landscape. Robert Hart blends history, philosophy, anthropology, and seasonal gardening wisdom in a lucid sequence of essays, which together comprise a remarkable testament to the pleasures of “hands-off” as well as hands-on gardening. Forest Gardening is truly a book for our times, offering a fresh sensibility that will encourage and inspire ecological gardeners throughout the world.”

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Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health

Book: “We all witness, in advertising and on supermarket shelves, the fierce competition for our food dollars. In this engrossing exposé, Marion Nestle goes behind the scenes to reveal how the competition really works and how it affects our health. The abundance of food in the United States–enough calories to meet the needs of every man, woman, and child twice over–has a downside. Our overefficient food industry must do everything possible to persuade people to eat more–more food, more often, and in larger portions–no matter what it does to waistlines or well-being.”

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Food of Bodhisattvas: Buddhist Teachings on Abstaining from Meat

“Based on the teachings of the Buddha, this book offers the most compelling and impassioned indictment of meat-eating to be found in Tibetan literature and is pertinent to anyone interested in vegetarianism as a moral or spiritual issue. The Buddha’s teachings show how destructive habits can be examined and transformed gradually from within. The aim is not to repress one’s desire for meat and animal products by force of will, but to develop heartfelt compassion and sensitivity to the suffering of animals, so that the desire to exploit and feed on them naturally dissolves. “

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Food for Life: How the New Four Food Groups Can Save Your Life

Book: “Citing overwhelming medical evidence previously downplayed by powerful lobby groups, Dr. Barnard reveals why a diet based on the new four food groups (grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits) will sharply decrease the risk of cancer and heart disease and dramatically increase life expectancy. He also unveils a 21-day program for a smooth transition to the new way of eating healthfully.”

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Food Choice & Sustainability

Book: “What we choose to eat is killing our planet and us, yet use of the word ‘sustainable’ is ubiquitous. Explanation of this incongruity lies in the fact that sustainability efforts are rarely positioned to include food choice in an accurate or adequate manner. “

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