The struggle for dignity
581039
This is well researched chronicle of a reporter's interest and journey to find the origin of the He-La cells. This group of cells is  widley and quite matter of factly used in just about every kind of bio - medical investigation since they were harvested, with out permission, from a dying young black woman in Baltimore MD in 1951. At the time these cells began replicating beyond science's wildest dreams. They flourish today, hence the title of the book. This book is not just about science. It mirrors our society and our values. The author digs into the history of the family Henrietta Lacks left behind and her legacy is colorful and heartbreaking. She and the daughter look for clues to her mother's and sister's demise in a cloud of fears from all reaches of reason. I recommend this book for every doctor that ever practiced medicine, for every social worker, and for those that would like to be touched by a great story. Easy to read, a bit tedious at times (if you are not used to reading about cells) but as the book comes together it's all necessary to present this picture of an American family.
460211
There is hope and dignity with every step we make when we believe in God.  We need to be able to reach out to other men that are believers along the way to guide us along the road.
3226402
a call to arms from a man in whom, one senses, the struggle to live a truly awakened life rages on.
3202928
In his new book, Perkins recounts the challenges he and his family encountered during desegregation and the many ways his city has changed since the 60s. He also discusses the need for further unity in pursuit of reconciliation and the need to fight without fists in peacefully overcoming oppression and the sins which have systemic expression in our communities. Perkins calls us to embody the gospel and live in a way which others can see Christ in us, which means being concerned about real justice and the affirmation of human dignity. When Perkins asks us to dream with him, he is calling us to see the power of love and forgiveness and until these manifest themselves in our communities, this dream will not become a reality.

This book is a worthwhile addition to your reading list and convicts us all with our failures in being ambassadors of Christ, who was and is the embodiment of love and justice.
4821238
John Muntean's true story of the suffering people of Roumania, is inspiring, yet heart breaking. The inequities in the communist system glare back at the reader, as you learn that the leadership is a pampered lot, while the common people eke out a living any way they can. It is a very challenging story, as the reader agonizes over the circumstances of the ordinary people.
3751897
The future is not bright.  America has forgotten the roots and the foundation of history build upon the golden triangle of "faith, virtue and freedom."  This book should be basis for conversation of those who love freedom and America.  The freedom is challenging and does not come without great effort, it is not intuitive or given.  Although the author attempts to paint a picture of hope, it is unlikely America will have the fortitude or discipline to return to the essentials.  A must read.
3325706
This is a book that challenges you to think and to open your mind. I still don't know precisely where I agree and disagree with her, but many years after reading "The Sacrament of Abortion," I am still thinking about what Paris had to say still agreeing and disagreeing and that makes this book far more valuable to me than most books I have read.
Ginette Paris goes right to the heart of one of the scariest and most difficult issues in the world today: abortion. She shows a courage, bordering on recklessness in confronting the issue. Paris doesn't glorify abortion as a ritual sacrifice, she sees the decision about whether or not to carry a child as a sacred decision which involves life, death, love, motherhood, sexuality and the origins of each humans' existence on earth. Paris suggests that no one should take the decision lightly. Having an abortion without truly considering the weight and significance of the decision is wrong, a violation of a sacred bond - but so is taking the decision away from a woman.  Abortion is not a sterile choice. When a woman has an abortion, something sacred - something of value is destroyed.  Yet, sometimes abortion can be the right choice.  For Paris, a woman who chooses to have a child - when that child will clearly and obviously suffer a damaged, limited and wounded life has made the wrong maternal decision. No one should decide for the woman according to Paris, but there is a moral obligation for the woman to choose wisely.
Paris says that debates about the viability of the fetus are far too materialistic.  Viability means more than just the ability to live outside the womb, viability should be seen socially and relationally. If I am to be a mother, I should consider: is there a community ready to embrace this child? Is there a world that I can prepare for this child so that s/he will thrive?  Who will name and love the baby?
Ginette Paris also comments on how comfortable many of us are with singing the praises of men who fight and kill in war, or fights for honor. Society honors wise men who decide when to kill another and when to spare a life... yet we are so uncomfortable with the idea that a pregnant woman might make the same kind of decision about the life growing within her that we can't think straight about it. It is either an evil murder of an innocent, or a choice about a minor surgical procedure. Paris says it is neither.  The reception that her book received shows how hard it is for us to think straight about the issue.
4630356
Many people in todays society are dealing with aging parents and the comflicts of how best to care for them.  This book highlights the struggle of a younger son to connect with his father.
1443442
A brutal firsthand study of eviction, emphasizing both its high frequency and the devastating toll it takes on families. Matthew Desmond, an ethnographer who spent years living in low-income neighborhoods and trailer parks to research this book, shows how precarious the living situation is for people in poverty, and how easily they can be abused by the housing system. Sudden upsets like job loss or hospital bills can lead to eviction when families fall behind on their rent, but even renters who are up-to-date can be kicked out of their home for the flimsiest of reasons when they cannot afford to contest the order in court.

(For instance, Desmond writes of women who have been evicted after calling the police to report domestic violence, because their landlords don't want to have their properties in the system as nuisance addresses -- which also leads to a severe under-reporting of abuse among renters who don't want to risk eviction over it. Despite such factors making eviction a common occurrence, landlords can lawfully discriminate against potential renters on the basis of previous evictions, and many government assistance programs explicitly rule out candidates who have been evicted in the past.)

Property-owners are not all conniving slumlords -- just as evicted people are not all blameless innocents -- and Desmond spends some time showing eviction from the landlords' perspective as they seek to pay their own bills and hold tenants responsible for rent and damages to their property. But his primary focus is on the evicted people themselves, on how their lives are completely disrupted by every forced move, and on the policies we might put in place to mitigate these circumstances and lower the overall rate of eviction. It's an important message that I hope spreads far and wide.
1625040
This is an amazing novel, a story of  working class courage. The title is apt, as the book is about "will"--the will people who are oppressed to keep going and keep living and in so doing triumph over oppression. I recommend it.
3188909
It takes a special woman to not only survive the challenges TJ faced, but to overcome them and live a life of service to others. This is a must read for anyone struggling to find purpose. TJ's life story will inspire you to overcome your obstacles and live a life worthy of your God-given dignity. ~ 5 stars.
3500162
Something has to be done!  Wavers and Beggars will convince the reader to become an agent for social change.  Dr. Bruhl and Todd Love Ball, Jr., give great insight to the problem of poverty from two distinctly different points of view.  Not only does this book provide the uncomfortable statistics and causes of poverty that plaque our world today, Dr. Bruhl and Mr. Ball pose thought provoking questions to the reader to contemplate as well as offer solutions to the problem.

Alleviating world poverty may seem overwhelming to most, but if you've ever asked yourself, "What can I do about it?" you need to read Wavers and Beggars. Get started, do something, and become an agent for social change.
2006232
When I see a man or woman living on the streets, I feel this immediate, intense battle happening inside of me. My first reaction - like most people - is to ignore them, but there is this intensity inside of me to answer the problem. Clearly, there is csome discomfort when a stranger is panhandling but a sense of superiority instinctually flows through me.

"He must be a drunk. She is obviously high or trying to get high. Why don't they go over to the shelter or church? A shelter will do a lot better than the change in my pocket."

But over the years, I have learned a lot about the realities of homelessness in America. The problem cannot be defined neatly in a short sentence. It is a complicated issue with numerous causes and zero quick fixes.

Though we all may have different experiences with homelessness, in the end a homeless person is a person. He or she is a loved child of our Creator. And that's the other side of the battle inside of me.

"How do I help this man? Will giving him a couple of dollars help? Am I really doing the right thing? Where can I do more?"
A couple of college students had this same question. Instead of sitting in class trying to understand the economics of homelessness in America or sitting through another sermon about feeding the poor, these two men set out to experience the other side. Under the Overpass chronicles Mike Yankoski and his friend's experience living on the streets of America. They spent six months in six different cities, spending a month in each major city. Normal activities that society rarely ever thinks about like eating, sleeping, or defecating became major challenges.

This journey really shows you the personal side of homelessness. When I think of the homelessness, I usually think of no shelter and money, but seldom do I think a lack of relationships or love. What shocked me the most about this book was Yankoski's apparent lightheartedness. Though he took the matter very seriously and it was definitely not an easy experience, he did appear to portray this aura of freedom. He didn't have to rush to class or a meeting; life had an unusually different pace. I don't think he was trying to communicate that in the book, but it was something I noticed.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in how we can help the poor and needy within our own borders.
3192955
Holloway starts right out giving us a challenge: "What many people have clearly departed from is any sense that the moral life, lived intentionally and consciously, is consistent with blind obedience to any authority, including what is alleged to be divine authority." And things get better from there! This tightly argued book puts into words what many of us seem to struggle with in our discussions of good and evil, sin, and meaning in life.
Holloway has recently stepped down as Bishop of Edinburgh. He is "one of the most outspoken and best-loved figures in the modern church." And I had the privilege of hearing him speak recently at a seminar on the future of faith. It is perhaps because I heard him expound upon his views that I learned so much by going back to read his book. Yet I find the writing to be clear and convincing on its own. I was shocked and pleased to read this from the good Bishop's pen: "Paradoxically, it is scripture itself that calls us to overturn scripture; it is the witness of the living word of Jesus that challenges us to follow the logic that scripture was made for humanity and not humanity for scripture." These are courageous words indeed for a Bishop to write and preach. He deserves praise and support for this stand.
  Richard Holloway challenges us on many levels of our daily lives. He changes our concept of how to choose between competing moral values (often good values, not straight good versus straight evil). He makes us think about our institutions of marriage, church, and government as the recipient of our moral judgments and challenges us to live up to the responsibility with a Godless Morality. Excellent book.
3173497
Books like this make us wonder whether freedom is worth the price, especially when it is a goal which is not readily obtainable. These wars, fought by the few bring unimaginable devastation to a majority of simple souls trying to eek out an often desperate life.

While the fighting in Chechnya is something the world has turned its back on due to the actions of a few "patriots", A Constellation of Vital Phenomena reminds us of what might have happened to any of us. Caught in a struggle for independence gone awry, the smallest child and most successful well meaning citizens become the flotsam of war. With careful reading we begin to realize, "there but for the grace of God...." .

Mr. Marra  inundates us with a painfully realistic portrait of these peoples lives. The choices between abandoning a wasting wife to save the life of your friends child are a daily occurrence, and where returning to the hell you escaped to find a missing sister is the insanity of the desperate.

The honesty of the book is like the situation and characters, hard to look at but impossible to abandon.
3713597
The book is great as it deals with many of human feelings, frailties, brutality, and last and foremost a desire to redress the wrongs.
2947157
A call to integrity and honour, instead of shifting obligation. This book dares to ask one to live what one claims to believe from a Jewish perspective. The Author can be insightful outside the context of Judaism by stating the theme of if you believe in a certain way then live that way's teachings. Instead of pinning hope on better in the future and doing nothing in the present the author asks one to make the future better by acting on one's beliefs here and now.