A lyrical and powerful call to action
591838
If you're concerned about climate change, you should read this book to understand the latest findings. For anyone who is not aware of the full magnitude of the crisis, this book shows clearly the scope and breadth of the problem we face. Tim provides a high level picture of the latest scientific research - and it's not a good prognosis.  The 2001 IPCC report had a prediction of climate change in the years ahead. They had a "most likely" temperature change curve, with predictions of the possible upper (most pessimistic) and lower (most optimistic) bounds. Well, based on the actual measurements from 2001 through 2006, we are above the worst case scenario curve. The earth is changing faster than the scientific models predicted in 2001. As Tim Flannery says, we're in uncharted territory, and heading farther in the wrong direction each day.

This is the book to share with your friends to spread the word that we need to take action NOW. The latest research points to very disturbing possibilities if we don't act. The growing scientific consensus is that we are somewhere in between a tipping point and the point of no return, where the climate changes so dramatically that it would radically alter the earth's ecosystems. He has some significant ways (that were mostly new to me) that we can make changes to how we live as a species on this planet and how we can take steps to limit or reverse our impact. As he states, we have a window of a few decades to make significant progress.

The book is organized with his essay as the first 2/3, followed by responses from environmentalists and business leaders (two examples: Bill McKibben of 350.org, and Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Group). The other viewpoints expand or challenge some of Tim's recommendations. A real call to action. I thought it was a great book.
3774667
This book is a clarion call to the West to awaken from the trance it has slipped into over the last 50 or so years. Reclaim its heritage, courage, and revitalize its germen (defined in this book). If you tire of the quibbling of Right/Left, Liberal/Conservative or Progressive/Identitarian, then read this book.

Written as an Identitarian manifesto, this book succeeds in laying out a practical course for saving the West from [cultural] extinction. Two parts: the manifesto--Faye's wonderful prose stirs like Shakespeare's St Crispin's Day speech ;-)--and a metapolitical dictionary that nicely disamiguates the many terms that have been co-opted by the Frankfurt School minions, and others who seek to destroy the West (including some groups on the Right).

Tired disclaimer: as Faye states repeatedly here: he is advocating full rights for all cultures, in their own lands and communities. This work is about revitalizing Europa. No burning crosses/Brown Shirts here. But also, no ethnomasochism (defined in this book). Search for "racism" here, you will come up empty handed.
4033221
At 17 Xiuhtezcatl has a powerful vision for transforming our world with practices that secure the health of our planet. His book is a compelling call to action.  It is up to each one of us to become engaged in actively seeking to live in harmony with the planet so we can sustain life.  Xiuhtezcatl shows us ways to get involved and harness the power of hope for necessary change.  I love his honesty and his unique invitation to embrace life-affirming paradigms. I highly recommend his book!
382911
A thoughtfully written book with an inspiring message
776308
My anticipation for this book could not have been high enough.  The illustrations are breathtaking.  Through the use of vivid color and often poignant subject matter, the bravery of the artist evokes as strong an emotional understanding as the prose does intellectual.  While it may have the appearance of a children's book, Where Money Grows on Trees is certainly intended for an audience with the maturity to appreciate nuance.  It may not be immediately apparent, but nearly every line is laced with subtle metaphor.  Hours could be spent unraveling the poetry and searching for every intended, and unintended, meaning.  In short:  success, anger, sadness, conflict, pride, dystopia, and utopia in one stunning package.
652049
"Time is a circle, a wheel. It spins us, tumbles us. Again and again, rolling us down lanes of loss, along byways of consequence, across intersections of unity and division, preservation and destruction."

This play is a powerful, humanizing portrayal of real souls caught in the turbulent waters of civil warwars within and wars without. The more i reflect on it and the more recent news i read, the more relevant it becomes. i've not been able to get it out of my head since seeing it nearly a year ago. If you're able to get to one of the performances, i would highly, highly recommend itthe actors, music, staging and costumes, and even the lighting were incredible. We don't live close enough to go again this year, and so i am grateful for the opportunity to hold a hardcover in my hands. i need to read it again and again. It would be so good to gather a group of friends to read this together.

Please do not miss out on the music, which is available as a download from the publisher's website.
3442773
I love this book- and so timely!!

Jack and Lake want to make a difference in our world that is being threatened by climate change, and they do.....take note of their methods and innovative strategies- they're quite clever.  They leave their teaching jobs to make some literary wake-up calls- on billboards, and their messages are spot on and invigorating! I was cheering them on as I iimagined leaving some supplies along the road for them.

 I love the real characters from the Midwest with their renegade attitudes, yet all the while peaceful intentions sprinkled with some edginess.  They proceed with 'large' graphics that artistically sound the alarm that we all need to hear.  The Native American characters in the Southwest are committed to the same earthly journey, and McGee's writing reveals a personal connection with the region that's well researched and comforting for the reader.

Chris McGee writes in a style that embodies the true concern that we have about climate change (combined with a natural wit), and his activist spirit gets his characters out the door and on the road, which I think many of us would love to do in one way or another.  I could relate to Mr. Green Jeans and found the dialogue easy to read and poignant.  A creative novel, that will make you think, question, smile, and may generate some sour-searching activism, even if only in the mind of the reader.

I wonder if the sequel will be out soon?  Mr. Green Jeans gives us a little hope in that vicarious kind of way.  I think it should be read and enjoyed as we try to figure out our own role and journey on this ever-changing planet.

As a teacher myself, I can see assigning this book in a high school or college class to generate conversations about social change or as a spring-board into issues around social activism and environmental issues.
Thanks for a great read, and I'm looking forward to more adventures with Jack and Lake!
545021
Hi. Yes, I'm the author. Of course I would give my own book 5 stars... However, to support my claims I am sharing a review from a New York Times Bestselling Author - Jeb S. Magurder.

Eden, by D. Kevin May, Ph. D., evokes a response reminiscent of the Beat Generation of 1960s America. With a Jack Kerouac narrative style and a defiant, poetic voice like that of Bob Dylan, Kevin's very personal reaction to our post-9/11 world is a timely masterpiece.

Eden draws one in before the first page is turned, and doesn't stop. Kevin's intensity and unsettling message lives on well beyond Eden's final page. His intellectual, yet simply brilliant approach to examining the perils of our world makes for an entrancing journey around the globe and deep into the author's mind. Through Eden, Kevin poignantly addresses the political, religious and societal issues that influence our world today while still offering hope for tomorrow.

Eden is a book that needed to be written. Take a moment to become entrapped in this modern classic. It's likely to emerge as the guidebook for the next Beat Generation.

~Jeb
1022239
This is a manifesto of a dream about to manifest. About how art and words and a plot of land can bring about deep healing and supportive change for us all. Reading this dream will help to hear your own whisper, share this dream. Time well spent.
2847416
Haven't finished reading in its entirety yet, but from my reading thus far I'm both inspired and encouraged to see the elevation of strategic action that takes the intent of  "activism" beyond petitions and protest.  Sound, practical advice, ideas and suggestions. Good and necessary compliment to The New Jim Crow.
84696
The beginning of this book of poetry gives you a colorful background of why Get Lit was started and how it is effecting change in the youth.
Get Lit was founded in 2006 and it now reaches over 20,000 young people and who despite the odds stacked against them, have transformed their lives in amazing ways."(Get Lit, 2016).

Get Lit is a collection of  poetic voices and stories. Some will make you snap your fingers in agreement, clap with joy or rent your heart in two once you learn about their tragic upbringing. Get Lit has certainly turned seemingly powerless situations into powerful testimonies of this group.

My reaction to this book is one overwhelming positive and hopeful. This remarkable group of youth had an uncanny way of reaching out with their words.

If you believe poetry is still alive and want to witness the transformative power of itI do highly recommend this one!
2437778
The Rape of Sita tells the story a rape through a man, a story-teller in the story. Heavily political, this book deals with issue of rape and the atmosphere of fear in every society. (Is it right for a woman to stay over  at a male acquaintance's house alone? If, because of that, a woman is  raped, whose fault is it? Why is it that we are so ashamed to talk about  being raped?) The book will tell you things you probably already know, but  succeeds brilliantly in jolting it into the conscious mind. A urgent call  for action and change in attitude, it challages the belief that rape is an  act usually directed at women. She deconstructs rape to become only an  idea: a notion of the strong conquering the weak; it takes place even  before the penetration. Its lyrical and tight prose provides good respite  from its heavy content, and really, by its own merit, worth a read.  However, the true beauty of its book lies in its courage to challenge, and  its ability to bring about change.
3479353
The struggle with everyday life can be a chore for most people, yet the struggle from within over the powers that be can be undauntedly unkind.  I know that sounds ominous, but the Spirit within binds us to our convictions and anything that brings that strength into play is a welcome gift.  The words of this song speak directly to the power within each person who has prayed for help.  It is a beautiful voice that delivers the words from the heart to make the words come alive.  The message itself is made greater than its meaning when the heart is on fire with love.
2858824
Rachel Rose's fourth book, Marry & Burn, goes into the heart of the personally difficult and abides there on the page through cycles of addiction and faltering love in a faltering world. These are poems of the complex domestic, of the fractured self at work in the Protean efforts of remaking, and they are also poems of deep compassion for all the ways we stumble, erode, and gather in. So too, the poet gathers her readers in, with her exceptionally honed musical ear, her formal range, and her striking insights. There is no easy transcendence here, but when it comes in fragile moments, it sings in the body. Like the blue horses galloping on the cover, language gallops with vivacity, momentous and charged, and keeps surprising in its deft turns. A brilliantly lyrical and powerful book of personal myth.
157738
Be Audacious, Michael Leach's inspirational follow-up to Grizzlies On My Mind, is a powerful guidebook for people who aspire to trek outside the boundaries of societal norms and strive to make a difference.

His passionate words speak to those who want to be leaders and game-changers in our society, those who are willing to take risks for positive change, and to those who want to "Live a Life That Matters". His candid, in-your-face approach makes the book an interesting, gripping read. People, especially young adults, already on a path to leadership, and those at a crossroads will be able to identify with this powerful and thought-provoking book.

Leach uses metaphors, personal anecdotes, and other mnemonic devices to drive home his message, challenging the reader to live audaciously and to pursue a meaningful life that will change the world--or at least the world around them. He also offers journal topics, worksheets, and questionnaires to help the reader succeed and move forward with a viable, step-by-step plan in place.

Leach has street cred, too. He's "been there, done that" and has worn many hats, including: Yellowstone National Park ranger, motivational speaker, athlete, coach, father and husband, non-profit organization founder, and author, just to name a few. Some hats he's had to set aside; his message is to never give up hope, and to have the courage to dream big--with a purpose.

From his own physical adversity comes phenomenal strength. Plagued with a rare disease, he has had to fight to live at times and to accept the changes in his body. He has had to bear down and alter his usual exercise routine due to injuries, chronic pain, or other debilitating health situations. Through it all, Michael Leach remains a positive, resilient, and audacious force.

Life has a termination date. There are many ways to spend our short stay on this Earth, and Leach emphasizes how leaving a loving  legacy can have a lasting effect on those left behind. As the late great Muhammad Ali said, "The Service you do for others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth. Michael Leach's inspirational message in Be Audacious is a game-changer for people ready to commit to living a life that matters.
3826009
I loved this book and its resonant message to all women that being a slave to outward beauty and societal expectations is a choice each of us can make. The writing is lyrical and positive. I enjoyed the creative retellings of traditional tales to speak to this complicated issue of empowerment, beauty and self worth. Highly recommended.
621098
This powerful book shines a spotlight on one man's 25-year horrific journey through our criminal justice system.  Like many others, I could not put it down but I winced  a bit when I read reviews that "enjoyed" the book or described it as a "page turner."  To me, it is so much more:  it is a call to action for all of us to join those seeking to solve the many problems in our criminal justice system.  We can do so much more:
We can support the Innocence Project  (www.innocenceproject.org).
And for more non-profits organizations trying to help solves the problems, I found this helpful website -- www. Phylanthropedia.com  (see the Criminal Justice section on left column) with a lot more information.
Let's share this book with others, let's get involved, let's make our criminal justice system something we can be proud of, let's make our voices heard--if we don't we won't stop the suffering of people like Michael Morton.