Activism Books

Vignettes of a host of nonviolent political conflicts: in Russia 1905, Ghandi in India, Poland and the USSR, U.S. civil rights, South Africa, El Salvador, Chile, Palestine, etc. Nicely written and easy to follow. Draws important lessons at the end for those interested in learning from the past. This is inspiring, useful and important stuff.

--Alan Zundel, the HeartAwake Center

Why did revenge and vengeance dominate the 9-11 discussion by public officials and the media? Why do our public discourse and media images seem virtually bereft of the common sense that informs many other areas of life? This outstanding book could help fill the void. It consists of a dozen very well-written and well-documented case studies of the power of nonviolence in dealing with injustice on a national or international scale. And I mean the power of nonviolence like King and Gandhi lived it, not the stereotype of nonviolence as passivity or cowardice.

Good parents know revenge doesn't work with their children, good teachers know it doesn't work in the classroom, good citizens know it doesn't work in their community, and a growing proportion of the criminal justice world is embracing the vision of "restorative justice" as a much more functional grounding for most of their work. Even though the majority of people in the US know that revenge doesn't work, there is a lack of awareness of the power of nonviolence in the larger public arena, even though two thirds of the world's population has experienced nonviolent social change that was successful beyond anyone's wildest dreams in South Africa, Eastern Europe, the Philippines, Gandhi in India, the US civil rights movement, to name just a few case studies covered in this remarkable book.

As someone who has taught and worked in community centers in the highest crime areas of NYC and Oakland and directed conflict and peace studies programs for 80 public schools, a university, and several community and national organizations, I can affirm that people are hungry for the hope that comes from stories of nonviolence in action.

This is a very important book and deserves consideration for inclusion in ALL history education classes in America, if not the world. Of course, many powers-that-be would be adverse to this subversive idea, since it would in effect, instruct people on how to take control of their own lives out of the hands of malfeasant, greedy politicians and instead empower democracy through democracy, rather than the current American vogue of democracy at the point of a gun. The book describes several of the well-known non-violent movements as well as lesser known ones, such as the German women who embarrassed the Nazis into returning their arrested Jewish husbands from certain death. The associated documentary is also outstanding. A must-have for anyone who hopes the world can save itself from itself (and I'm not sure I'm in that category.)

Excellent! One of the most powerful books I have ever read. Explodes the left-wing myth that revolutions only occur through violence a la Che Guevara, cites many examples where non-violence protest has ultimately changed the executive power of states from the Phillipines to El Salvador, and won people civil rights. Includes Gandhi and also the Civil Rights movement in the USA in the 60s as case studies.

If your a social activists, and you sometimes feel that "progress" is a lost cause... READ THIS BOOK. If you are a political organizer, and it just doesn't seem worth it anymore... READ THIS BOOK. If you really believe in the power of Direct Action, but feel all used up and stale in your efforts... READ THIS BOOK. This is one of the few books available for people with leftisits, or humanist, causes that will make you smile and give you hope, and remind you that sometimes "the good fight" is a long one - but well worth it. It also takes one out of a self centered reality, and pays homage to those who have faught so hard before us. (and I am not talking about soldiers or fireman..)

This book is a wonderfully engaging, well-written autobiography; it also brings vividly to life a crucially-important part of recent US social history. Charles Halpern worked at the heart of an era of progressive change in law and society that started in the 1960s, and he stayed creatively active even throughout the subsequent period of reaction--which arguably has lasted down to the present day.

But Halpern's autobiography goes further even than providing a vivid, personal chronicle of our recent past. It also gives readers a present-day model of and incitement to progressive change-making. It models change-making as an intensely creative and imaginative activity, as it charts Halpern's succession of activities as an architect and leader of Center for Law and Social Policy, the nation's first public interest law firm; then as the designer and first dean of the CUNY Law School, an educationally and socially innovative institution that focused on public interest law; and ultimately as head of the progressive Nathan Cummings foundation. The scope and sheer variety of Halpern's constant, ongoing innovation and institutional invention is fascinating and even breathtaking.

At the same time, Halpern writes of what informs and grounds this unusual creativity. His book is also an account of intellectual and spiritual growth, as Halpern experiments with and incorporates contemplative practice in his life--drawing on it to sustain and empower him in his public career. Halpern then feeds back personal discovery back into institutional creativity, as he sets up a series of programs devoted to transforming intellectual and professional practice in a wide variety of fields--in law schools, colleges, universities, and social movements.

Making Waves and Riding the Currents takes a life well-lived and transforms it into a book that will interest, involve, inform and inspire generations of readers.

I highly recommend this engaging memoir, which is an inspiration and fast read. Charles Halpern graduated from Harvard and Yale, and parlayed a legal career into the first public interest law firm and law school. Upon discovering meditation, Mr. Halpern, incorporated his practice into his life's work. As a result of Halpern's efforts, oil pipelines were put in Alaskan soil sustainably, DDT was banned, public interest lawyers found their needed education, and graduates started influential environmental groups such as EarthJustice. The ripple of Halpern's positive wave continues, and you can catch it by reading Making Waves and Riding the Currents.

No matter what your political persuasion or your profession, this book is a great source of wisdom and insight. Beyond a fascinating history of the birth of public interest law, Charlie Halpern provides a deeply personal and affirming account of how to pursue one's ideals in a way that is nurturing of our deeper selves and respectful of others. A key lesson of this book is that it is not just what you stand or fight for, but who you are and how you act as you do it. By cultivating an awareness that allows a deeper wisdom to emerge, Charlie points to ways we all can contribute to the world in a way that contributes to far greater tolerance and balance, without compromising our effectiveness. And in the process, we also become healthier and more loving and also create a world that reflects this.

Making Waves and Riding Currents is a book that everyone should read. No soft tale here but a journey not unlike rafting white waters. Charles sees the real and the ideal, the what "could be and is not yet", takes time to grasp the whole, sees the way and then takes it. He combines courage, a genuine interest in life and a willingness to "live and learn" both on a professional and personal level. This is a story of major entrepreneurial ventures that impact our own lives, created and co-created, experienced and shared in ways allowing every one involved to learn, use their experience, as well as to question and relinquish old patterns, recognize blocks and crack open into wider realms of understanding and living that center on Wisdom. This book documents changes in thinking that have make our society more humane and just. This is not your usual "lawyer" story. This is speaks to everyone's potential to develop wisdom, played out large, and saying: Come on, you can do it! I can't stop thinking about what one life can do.

From the beginning of this tale of Charles Halpern's remarkable accomplishments, it was obvious that he was an intelligent, effective individual with many skills. But competent doesn't necessarily mean wise. Fortunately for us readers, interwoven with the story of his doing is the story of his psychological/spiritual development -- the story of his growth in wisdom and the integration of that wisdom into his many activities.

Halpern had the courage to place himself in a wide variety of challenging, often uncomfortable, growth-fostering situations. Too many to recount here, they included a winter camping adventure in the Adirondacks, a week-long vision quest based on Native American traditions that included many hours in a sweat lodge, and a five-day mindfulness meditation retreat led by Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. This last was a watershed event, about which Halpern wrote: "The experience of extended meditation practice...awakened my interest in exploring the connection between meditation and wisdom. Could I undertake to practice wisdom, living the wise life that would generate wise actions and decisions? Could this be a new way to approach activism, to start from the place of wisdom and compassion rather than the place of anger and insistence on legal rights?"

Meditation became a central focus in his life, and numerous retreats followed. To some extent facilitated by the Nathan Cummings Foundation of which he was now President, he met and got to know many of America and the world's foremost spiritual teachers. "Longtime meditators and respected teachers," he wrote, "gave me a new model for a way to be in the world--committed to serving others, cultivating wisdom, being open to changing themselves, and exposing their own vulnerability." Currently, Charles Halpern is Chair of The Center for Contemplative Mind and Society.

MAKING WAVES AND RIDING THE CURRENTS is a truly inspiring and uplifting book. It is the tale of a life marked by great accomplishment and developing wisdom, told with an engaging frankness about his own vulnerabilities by the man who has lived it.

It is quite impossible to do an adequate job of reviewing this book.
Knowing that these young German students really lived, daring to risk their young lives and, indeed, losing them, for their distribution of their printed words challenging German people to act against Hitler, is unbelievably humbling and cause for great hope for mankind. Passive resistence worked. Life triumphed over death. Good was stronger than evil.
The authors, Annette Dumbach and Jud Newborn, became accomplished talents with the publication of this book alone.
Their ability to combine the biographies of Sophie, her brother and their compatriots in the making and distrubtion of the White Rose and the requisite history and analysis of the political climate in Germany during The Holcaust is masterful.
The book reads like a suspense thriller one could read in a few hours. However, their thoughtful, detailed insights into the minds and hearts of the protagonists, compel the reader to read and then reread many passages before being emotionally able to read on. This is a must read for young and old students of the human condition, a truly unforgettable book.

SOPHIE SCHOLL & THE WHITE ROSE is, essentially, about the finest aspects of human nature. The White Rose members' integrity and their compassion for their fellow Germans and, more surprisingly, for the Jewish population who had endured years of prejudice and oppression followed by vicious persecution is very impressive.

To mount a secret campaign against the Third Reich, a totalitarian regime of insidious oppression and unbelievable brutality against both the German people and its conquered populations, takes amazing courage.

But to face up to that regime on an intensely personal level, without hesitation or - apparently - regret, fully aware of the consequences, is simply awesome. And it awes me that most of the White Rose members were students like myself! This is a very memorable book with a powerful message.

I bought this for research and it is terrific. It really gets into the mindset and political background of the story of the White Rose and helps the reader to understand the 'why' of the story. Not as personal as other accounts, it nevertheless is a wonderful background that will help you see Nazi Germany in a whole new light while telling the moving and touching story of Sophie Scholl.

This book was definitely a must-read, not only for those that are interested in this time period of study, but for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of world history. It's amazing, simply put. It reads so quickly. You are definitely drawn in from the very first page to the last.

If you have a restless conscience then you will better understand the members of the White Rose. Like most kids in Germany in the 30's Hans and Sophie Scholl joined the Nazi youth movement and bought into National Socialism. However through their father who opposed National Socialism and a God instilled restless conscience they soon saw National Socialism for the evil it was and is. The author does a good job of making you feel the tension and stress as the story unfolds. Their dileama was how do you mount a meaningful opposition to a totalitarian state from within. Who can you trust? Gestapo everywhere and all opposition to the State outlawed.By 1940 most of the 500 or so pastors who would not bow down to Hitler were in jail or executed. By the time the White Rose decided to take action in 1942 most Germans were scarred to death of the police state they had allowed to enslave them. But there was sporadic uprising against Hitler. One interesting story in the book was when the gov't banned all the crucifixes from the public schools in Bavaria in 1941. The parents signed protest letters and petitions and even threw the mandatory picture of Hitler out of classroom windows. The protest was so strong that Hitler backed down. Its scary to think that our gov't has taken Christianity out of the classroom but Hitler couldn't. As you read the book you feel that they felt they were going to get caught but their restless conscience would not let them turn from the course of action that would lead to their deaths. As we see our own freedoms of privacy (Patriot Act), speech (Hate Crime Bills) and other constitutional rights being taken from us by an ever growing central gov't we can learn a lot from this book. At her trial Sophie Scholl said "Somebody had to make a start". They certainly did and their pamphlets and death had a lasting effect on the German people. Hans Scholl's last words were "Long live Freedom". The essence of freedom is the limitation of gov't and requires eternal vigilance. The German people allowed Hitler to much power and he enslaved them. We still have the time and ability to limit the power of our gov't but it will take a lot of work and most importantly a restless conscience. 5 stars for this book.

service throughout the day, throughout the month, throughout the year....100 stories of giving...the notes at the end of each story to jump into service in your community are a link to giving. .My favorite story was Christmas in April---I must admit I cheered for Frances as she conquered the steps--I read later that she and the writer are enthusiastic pen pals...what inspiration. Thank you to the 100 stone soup writers. You gave me a taste of who inspires you.

......one of the chapters in this book, these stories reflect movements that we should let sweep the nation!!!! Read and be inspired...told simply, the 90+ writers for this book brought these community heroes home....

such a pleasure to read these stories... such an opportunity for all involved with the project to share their words...you never know, maybe someone was inspired to do something today...by simply reading...as long as Stone Soup for the World is available to America's youth we know we have a bright future ahead... My favorites: The Forgiveness Party, Table for 6 Billion Please, and Peace for Their Grandchildren....and there are 97 more to read and pass on....

Stone Soup for the World is a set of 100 stories about compassion and volunteerism. From the intro by Colin Powell to the story of Ms.Larned's young brother, the whole book was a joy to read. I especially loved the Nelson Mandela and Paul Newman stories. This book has stirred me to be a better person and to help others. I recently walked in honor of my aunt who passed away from cancer and raised money doing it. It felt good just as these stories felt good. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to people from 9 to 99.

On occasion one of those books comes along that I can't put down. This collection of short (3 - 5 pages each) true stories are of people about whom, after I have read the story, I consistently say, "Why didn't I know that before reading this?" This book is truly an insight into past and current history through the prism of what stirs the heart and spirit.

Diane Beers' book gives current activists important perspective on the animal protection movement, its history, successes and failures, and provides tools and information for the work ahead. This is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it.

There has likely never been a time when the words "animal rights activism" have elicited a stronger reaction from both sides of the stockyard fence. But do we ever stop to consider how this movement began? Who were the first proponents? What were their early successes - and failures? Moreover, what can we learn from the past to gain victories for animals today?

For the thoughtful insights into these issues and more, treat yourself to Diane Beers' "For the Prevention of Cruelty: The History and Legacy of Animal Rights Activism in the United States." Beers, a professor of history at Holyoke Community College in Massachusetts, has done what a writer within the animal-rights movement probably could not: given us a narrative that is at once a straightforward, authoritative account of the origins of animal rights activism and a compelling critique of the movement's triumphs and missteps from 1866 to 1975.

Animal activism, it turns out, is nearly as old as the word "vegetarian." Both sprang from England in the middle of the 19th century - one as a way to better define a culinary choice and the other to defend those caught in the crosshairs of humanity's hunger for scientific advancement, reliable transportation, momentary amusement and animal flesh. Exploring long-forgotten files in dusty broom closets in her pursuit of history, Beers unearths a remarkable story. Some of her discoveries are no surprise, such as that the founders of animal activism were mostly women. Yet others are downright revelatory. Who knew, for example, that activists convinced the Ringling-Barnum and Bailey Circus to stop using animal acts for five years?

The author introduces us to many of the compassionate individuals who helped forge the early movement - people like Ella Wilcox Wheeler, Anna Harris Smith and Henry Bergh, whom Beers describes as "the dynamo of American animal advocacy." But it is Caroline Earle White who leaps from the pages as the most inspiring and vocal activist of the 19th century. A passionate crusader, White helped create the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1867 and later founded the Anti-Vivisection Society of America.

The ideological struggle between reform and abolition for animals was palpable as activists in the 20th century battled groups formed to promote animal exploitation, confronted the tragic confluence of shelters and medical labs and organized against factory farming. Animal activism has now matured from what detractors once regarded as "a fringe cause dominated by hysterical, primarily female sentimentalists" into a growing concern for millions of ethically minded Americans.

If "For the Prevention of Cruelty" were simply a history of animal rights activism, it would be an indispensable work, both for its social commentary and as a chronicle of humane action. But the author takes the subject a step beyond, inviting readers to consider the impact of factions within the movement coming together with environmentalism to form a powerful, united coalition for animals and the planet. We have the work of early activists to thank for what we're able to accomplish today, and we have Diane Beers to thank for a skillfully written account that brings to life their efforts on behalf of the voiceless.

Mark Hawthorne, author of
Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism

Diane L. Beers puts animal rights and the various movements that delt with and continue to deal with the abuses of animals in historical perspective. Her book is about a movement but also shows how that movement fit into the fabric of American life. Beers clearly shows how animal rights activist changed the morality of America regarding the treatment of Animals. But they did not always speak as one unified group.

As evidenced by the national sorrow and concern after the injury and death of Barbaro last year, America has come a long way from the 19th Century when work horse were routinely abused. She shows how the various factions of the movement worked together and sometimes against each other.

One of the important aspects of the book is how she demonstrates the ways in which pressure groups have used thier political power to prevent better treatment of animals.

This book has a powerful message over and above the important things it says about the history of the animal rights movements. It also shows how public opinion can be changed. It shows the importance of women and their imput into this movement. Unfortunately, it was not until post WWII America that women had positions of power, but it is still important to show how women changed America. With the roots of women's activism in the Abolitionist Movement and thier progression into temperance and peace, middle class white women made significant difference.

For the animal rights lover and the the historian, this book makes a major contribution to the literature on this subject. It also provides an important historiography of the subject pointing out what other historians have said.

Animal rights have come a long way. Their is still a need to go futher. Many law schools are now teaching classes on Animal Rights. The recent movie about Noah's Ark points out that no animals were abused in the making of that movie. Many products are advertised and free from animal experimentation. Such aspects of current life can all go back to the early movers and shakers in the animal rights movement.

We have come a long way, but need to go further to stop dog fighting, dog racing, abuses of animals in slaughter houses and also the slaughter of horses for European markets.

This work only takes the reader to 1975. Hopefully Beers will continue to story.

Reading some basic history of animal advocacy, one might be left with the impression that nothing of significance took place before the publication of Animal Liberation in 1975/ the work of Henry Spira. For The Prevention of Cruelty is a nice counter to those notions and highlights the advocacy prior to the publication of Animal Liberation -- advocacy that started shortly after the Civil War and whose leaders were steeped in the push for abolition, women's suffrage, etc.

The book is accessible and fascinating. Being involved in animal advocacy, it's heartening to know how deep our roots are, to see today's advocacy as part of a long-standing tradition, to know what has worked in the past and what has failed. Highly recommended.

I saw Diane speak at a conference and was blown away. When she introduced her book and outlined its contents, I couldn't believe this story hadn't been told before. I can safely say I think this is one of the most important books to be published - not only for the animal protection movement but for all social justice causes. Diane is an eloquent writer (and speaker), creating an interesting narrative that would interest anyone who's ever adopted a dog or a cat, given money to their local SPCA, or who works on behalf of the voiceless. I highly recommend this book!

So why would a guy read a book about six devine female's experiences of growing up during the "Hippie Era", surviving those turbulent times of sex, drugs, and rock & roll? Simple. I want to grasp and understand who each of these women are at thier core. I want to witness the group dynamic as well as their personal story. I want to see exactly what they bring to the table of life. Kathryn has truly written a novel that has brought to life each of these characters and answered each of my needs. I'm too young to have been a willing participant of the sixties . . .yet, I live and enjoy the contributions the "Hippies" made to America, in one of our greatest age of growth, loss, enlightenment, and hard lessons.

Hippie Chick Reunion opened up new levels of thought and enjoyment for me. As a story it's entertaining, as a character study it's insightful and as a metaphysical dissertation, engrossing. Being another "Jersey Girl", I found myself immediately absorbed in the scenery, the values and personalities of these other Jersey Girls. Whether from New Jersey or not anyone who lived through the seventies and still remembers what made it so transforming, will appreciate this book.

You didn't need to grow up in the 60's to thoroughly enjoy Hippie Chick Reunion. I found myself completely immersed into the story and was left wanting more. Each of the six main characters were meticulously defined and intriguing, reminding me of the popular television series Desperate Housewives. You can't help but have a favorite character and the author, Kathryn Barber was very clever in her style of writing, culminating a mystical yet witty cliff hanger. I'll be first in line for the movie or sequel - whichever comes first!

If you thought nostalgia was dead, think again. Crammed with laugh-out-loud imagery and hankie-grabbing, real-life characters, "Hippie Chick Reunion" pulls you along through a wondrous journey. Kathryn Barber's book recreates those relationships you had, the one's you wish you had, and a few you tried to forget. Most of all, you'll wish these six women were your friends. From their teenage escapades through their adult lives, these women unashamedly share their choices and make no apologies. Join their spiritual journey and share this book with friends who enjoy discussing terrific reads.

Bold, honest, and insightful, HIPPIE CHICK REUNION reveals the illusions of separation that distort our true selves. Kathryn Barber has given us a gentle and loving kick in the metaphysical ribs.

Doug O'Brien
Founder, Center for NLP & Hypnosis, New York

Bice is masterful. In my career as a lawyer and writer, I have come to loath many written works in this arena because they are simply to convoluted to endure. Bice's writing style is clean, witty, incisive and to the point. He also makes so much sense I found it hard to drop his book, even at 2am!

Michigan State University's John Bice provides one of the most compelling voices in the "new atheist" movement in America. His columns, collected here along with additional edits, are thought-provoking, well-researched, and meticulously annotated. And did I mention that his columns are frequently full of black humor in the style of Mark Twain and George Orwell? As James Randi says on the back cover, "This will provide you with many arguing points..." While atheism isn't likely to win many converts in "Medieval America" (as Bice puts it), this is a book that will help many atheists articulate their positions and find their voices.

Brilliant. John Bice is able to succinctly state things in a way that makes total sense. Essential reading for anyone concerned with the illogic and moral wrongness of church involvement in politics.

Good writing needs clarity and passion. These essays by John Bice have both in abundance. Whether he is discussing religions in general---"In reality, mainstream unsupported beliefs (such as Christianity) are in no way objectively superior to the equally unsupported beliefs of fringe groups."---or the role of religious ideology in American government--- "Imagine how disturbing it would be if our own government habitually pushed dogmatic ideology over scientific facts. Well, prepare to be disturbed."---he brings a voice to our national conversation about religions and their role in public life that is authentic and refreshing.

A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval America is a collection of opinion pieces written by Bice for The State News, which serves Michigan State University and the community of East Lansing, Michigan, along with a few guest columns he contributed to the Lansing State Journal. The columns were written between 2002 and 2006 and cover a variety of subjects including religion, science, morality and politics, approaching them all from a perspective that is rational and liberal.

An unapologetic atheist, Bice writes that he had been convinced of the waning influence of religions. However, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and a presentation on the impact of fundamentalist religion on science education at around the same time, galvanized him to an awareness of the dangers posed by fundamentalist religions. That awareness, in turn, prompted him to begin writing the opinion columns that make up the body of this work.

Following a preface in which he lays out the circumstances that led to the creation of the book and an introduction in which he sets the stage for what follows, Bice has organized the material thematically into sections containing from three to ten essays. He begins with a chapter on "Weird Beliefs" and concludes with one titled "Iraq War, Media & Patriotism." Each chapter begins with a selection of related quotations from a variety of sources and an illustration by Mike Ramsey, who also created a very attractive cover for the book.

Here, readers will find a front row seat from which to view the culture wars and an arsenal of arguments for those who want to be more actively engaged in the fray. Bice documents his opinions with fact and cites his sources. He writes with energy and candor, pulling no punches and sparing no sacred cows. While endorsing the "rights of conscience" of all, he does not hesitate to identify nonsense as nonsense and treat it accordingly.

One of the charms of a collection like this is that the reader gets to witness the by-play between columnist and audience. Bice frequently cites letters to the editor or emails that are reactions to previous columns and uses them as springboards for a further exploration. This gives the pieces a conversational quality that is most welcome in an age of jargon and hype. Since each essay is relatively short, it's easy to stop and think about what you've read or pause before going on to the next. This is a book that can be read in one sitting or a little bit at a time, depending upon the reader's schedule and inclination.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should note that, although I haven't met the author, I was given the opportunity to read an electronic version of this book and to write a blurb, which you'll find on the inside, before it went to press. I was enthusiastic about the book then. Now that I've bought a copy and read it again, I recommend it without reservation. A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval America is a good read and a worthwhile addition to any library.

On John Bice's A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval American: Essays on Religion, Science, Morality and the Bush Administration. Langsburg, Michigan: Chelydra Bay Press, 2007. 215 pp.



Bice's writing is clear and well reasoned and the general tone is engaging. Bice's takedown of religious fatuousness can be downright funny. Consider his description of a "faith-based anti-missile system" or "prayer-assisted air traffic control" not to mention "Prayer -Powered Sewage Treatment," all dependant for function solely on the supplications of the faithful.

In developing his thesis of a medieval mindset in contemporary society, Bice notes that we live in a time of when "faith-based" initiatives take a wrecking ball to Mr. Jefferson's constitutional wall of separation between church and state, when a born-again president terms his misbegotten war a "crusade" and in communities where half the citizens affirm that God created humans 10,000 years ago. Further examples include pharmacists refusing to dispense medicines that offend their religious scruples, e.g. the Wisconsin Christian pharmacist who refused to either fill a woman's birth control prescription or to transfer it to another pharmacy. Then there is the case of the "Several Imax theaters, including some in science museums, are refusing to show movies that mention evolution--or the Big Bang or the geology of the earth--fearing protests from people who object to films that contradict Biblical descriptions of the origin of the Earth and its creatures. This reader particularly appreciated the careful sourcing and footnoting which adds authority and substance to the author's perspective.

The series of essays that make up this work originally appeared as newspaper columns in The State News. In them he comments on topics to include Biblical inerrancy, Intelligent Design to Raelian beliefs and Scientology to Bush administration's "Faith-Based" policies and such religiopolitical wedge issues as gay marriage.

Mr. Bice's work, written primarily for "a mainstream, largely Christian readership" is a valuable work in both creating a sense of community among rationalists and in counterbalancing the irrational affirmations in which U.S. society is immersed. Bice self-describes his writing as confrontational, acerbic and blunt. It could just as well be termed refreshing, accessible, worthwhile, and achingly honest.

Free lance journalist John Bice is a graduate of Michigan State University.







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The world leaders of tomorrow first gain their morals and beliefs in their homes. "Family Activism: Empowering Your Community, Beginning With Family and Friends" is a guide for creating a better world through a better environment at home. Focusing not only on the values and virtue of the home, but also on the invaluable abilities that people pick up at home such as communication skills and more, "Family Activism" is a solid manual for parents who want their children to become positive beacons for the future.

A delight to read and absorb on many levels: as a sensitive guide and loving reflection of family and with practical tools for leadership and community and family empowerment, I heartily recommend this thoughtfully developed, inspiring book. I will also use this as a reference!!

Roberto Vargas unites theory and practice in this concise and compelling book. Through these pages, the reader will find insight into a life time of family based activism.

Vargas reminds us that the personal IS in fact political and that social and global transformation begins with the transformation of our interpersonal relationships, as family, community, and peers.

This book is filled with rich and compelling examples from from the authors own life as well as insightful reflections.

I highly recommend it.

-canek

As an activist, my passion is to improve the quality of life for our communities and strengthen our diverse democracy. This requires a lifetime of work and one needs a strong support structure to face new challenges each day. This book's premise is that positive social change also begins with one's family and close relationships. Creating a healthy family circle enriches ourselves and further propels us to live out our purpose. The author provides simple tools and perspectives that if implemented, can create safe family dialogues that validate our different opinions and honor each other. I can see myself using some of these tools, such as establishing a family council with my mom, uncle and grandfather. I will also buy my good friend, who is a new dad in Oakland, a copy for his new family.

Have you ever struggled to find a way to make family gatherings meaningful, nurturing and inspiring? Read this book and you will struggle no longer!!!

Family Activism is perhaps one of the best books I have ever read that provides strategies, tool and proven methodolgies for creating healthy and engaged families. The power of the talking stick is one wonderful tool for creating powerful and authentic conversations for birthday celebrations, weddings, baptisms, graduations and other venues where you bring family members togethers in a meaningful and inspiring way.

I also enjoyed learning more about how the process for creating great families can be used in the corporate and public sectors. I was inspired to learn how Dr. Vargas has taken these tools to many corporate environments and has introduced a mechanism to help leaders engage their teams in powerful ways. Dr. Vargas also shared how the tools of family activism can generate authentic, honest and real sharing which leads to greater familiarity, trust, unity and eventually greater results.

I believe this is a must read for anyone interested in investing in a nurturing family, a great community and engaging great teams. What a treasure and again a must read if we are to create a better world, beginning with family and friends!

This book is a story about endurance and perseverance, Pladen Gyatso wrote about his 32 years in Chinese prisions, what is also interesting about this book is to try and understand why and how the chinese communist government gradually invaded Tibet until the unleashed a wave of represion and murder. If we go into the mind of the gatekeeper we will find fanatism and brainwashing as a means to control the citizens.
This is a good book, maybe not excelent but still worth your money, I especially liked that the author went into life in Tibet before the chinese invation, his family and society in general, also the meaning of the Dalai Lama to them.

I found the book very easy to read. It took the reader on a journey through the life of a monk in Tibet. His story is told simply and honestly, without the need to dress up the facts. Whilst the events that unfold in the book are horrifing and hard to comphrehend in todays Western Society, the book is still a good read. The story depicts human endurance and how the spirit of life can overcome the most horrible of obstacles. Read it and make up your own mind.

Palden Gyatso relates his fascinating story of his life, as a Tibetan monk and his 33 years in a hellish Chinese Communist prison, where he was, starved, subjected to horrific tortures, leading to irreversible physical damage and barbaric reeducation classes.
Born in the Tibetan village of Panam in 1933 he entered the Gadong monastery at the age of ten, and during the Chinese invasion of Tibet he was fully ordained as a monk.
Arrested by the Chinese, along with thousands of monks and nuns,during his hellish incarceration from 1959 to 1992, he saw the destruction by the Chinese Communists of the Tibetan people and their culture and religion.
Monasteries were destroyed, books burned and thousands of Tibetans arrested and executed by the Commuinist Chinese determined to destroy everything of Tibetan identity and culture, and replace it with Chinese Communism.

Of the group of monks Palden was ordained with he was the only one that survived.
By the time Palden was arrested the Chinese had woven a strangling web around Tibet, and the hapless Tibetan people could do nothing about it.
Palden describes the barbarous "struggle sessions" in which thousands were murdered or beaten to death, the Chinese propaganda that turned reality inside out, claming they were "freeing"' the Tibetan people from "Feudalism" and forcing them to abandon " the four olds "- their culture, customs, habits and thoughts.

Ii is horrific to read of the Communist Chinese prison methods.
On a brief leave, during 1983, shortly before being re arrested, Palden describes the sight of thousands of Tibetan children starving to death as a result of the famine deliberately created by the Chinese to subjugate the Tibetan people,
Many children from the wrong "class backgrounds" were deliberately starved to death by the Communist authorities.
Thousands of arrested nuns were stripped, humiliated and often raped by the Chinese Communists.
China and it's apologists claim that China introduced progress to Tibet and freed it's people from "feudalism".
It does not matter to them that the Tibetan people did not want any part of Communist 'progress' and were happy with the life they lived before the Chinese invasion and genocide.
After his release in 1992, Palden went into exile and swore to bear testament to the crimes of Communist China against the Tibetan people.

This book is a testimony to the endurance of the human spirit, able to overcome the most nefarious system perhaps the world has ever known. The fact that Palden Gyatso is able to relay his story to you and me is nothing short of a miracle after what he had to endure for years inside China's prison system undergoing "reformation." The stories of torture, starvation and freezing nights will stay with you forever and make you question how strong your own beliefs are and whether you could do what Palden Gyatso did. I do not wish to reveal too much, but will say that calling the story compelling is a vast understatement.

This book is as important now as ever. China has the 2008 Olympic games and yet these brutalities continue to occur. Not to mention the fact that China is now relocating Chinese into the Tibetan region, threatening forever one of the world's great cultures through dilution of the society and culture.

Buy this book and see both the horrors of mankind and also his greatness in what he can overcome. If you like this book, I would also recommend Ama Adhe's book from a woman's perspective in the same system. We often hear the word hero, but rarely is it so appropriate as it is in describing these amazing individuals.

After reading 'From Emperor to Citizen,' the autobiography of the last Emperor of China; I found it interesting how the former Emperor and his family were 'converted' over by the Chinese Communists. I was amazed at how the imperial family went from being insensitive to the people's sufferings, and became model citizens.

But reading 'Fire Under the Snow' gave me another side of the story. Chinese Communism doesn't seem to work in Tibet. And after 50 years, the struggle continues. The people of Tibet were close-knit, and didn't have the strict caste system of classes so evident in Chinese feudal society. This book details how the Chinese have systematically tried to destroy Tibetan culture and society to force-fit it into a Chinese model.

This is a well told story by a survivor of this externally imposed 'revolution.' The author is intelligent and observant, and tells a well-balanced tale. The humorous reactions of the Tibetans to the Chinese rhetoric are sharply contrasted by the angry frustration and eventual cruelty of the Chinese in trying to force Chinese ideas on a non-Chinese culture and people.

The China's current mantra of "Western human rights policies won't work in China" needs to be turned into a new mantra of "Chinese Communist 'Liberation Methods' haven't worked in Tibet." If China wants the international world to stop meddling in it's so-called 'Internal Affairs,' maybe it needs to realize that it has failed in Tibet by virtue of meddling in the internal affairs of a non-Chinese nation -- that is, the free and independent nation of Tibet. This is far from an internal affair -- it is international genocide.

China's hegemony into surrounding countries, and it's destruction of non-Chinese cultures in these areas is little-known in the west. This book demonstrates the fact that Tibet was a free and independant nation with it's own unique culture and language. And it clearly shows the imperialist efforts of the Chinese to force their culture and beliefs on an innocent people, no matter the cost in lives.

It would seem that all of the 'imperialist running dogs' in Tibet these days are Chinese Communists.

A very intriguing account of the revolution before the revolution. This is the story of the many small risings and the build up of the local militias and opposition to Britain before Lexington and Concord. An unknown history that is rarely explained in history books. Very fascinating reading this book will be of interest to those scholars of the American revolution and America in general. A much needed addition to understanding the history of the `shot heard round the world' that brought about American independence and thus the first independent colony from Europe.

Seth J. Frantzman

Near the end of this book, the author makes the following statement......

"At Lexington, professional British soldiers fired at a handful of local farmers. This act of violence, allegedly perpetrated by the enemy, gave the Americans the moral high ground and helped mobilize support. The story had been repeated so often that it has effectively muffled the revolution of the preceding year. Leaderless, ubiquitous, and bloodless, the first transfer of political authority from the British to Americans has not been able to compete. It was not lacking as a revolution, it has only lacked an audience to comprehend and appreciate it."

Hopefully this book will help to provide the audience this neglected episode of American History deserves.

Mr. Raphael has done us a wonderful service in putting forth his research into the rebellion that took place in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1774. The "first American Revolution." He builds an impressive case not only for what took place, but also for the possible reasons why this rebellion has not received the recognition it is due. He even refers to what followed at Lexington and Concord as a "counterrevolution" on the part of the British government in an attempt to regain the colony they had already lost.

Examining what lead up to the British establishment of the Massachusetts Government Act, the response of the local farmers to it, how it spread throughout the rural communities of Massachusetts, and the resulting confrontation that came just under a year later at Lexington and Concord, the author gives factual backing to the belief that people can indeed work together without requiring "leaders" or some hierarchical structure to ensure success.

In general, people like to have individuals to hold on to when studying the past. For some this perhaps relieves them from feeling the need to take personal responsibility for their own lives. I have often heard folks say the reason they do not attend local governmental meetings - such as city council, or county commissioner meetings, is that they "elected" these officials to do the work so they wouldn't have to. It is also a bit easier to blame such individuals when things go wrong. Some of us also convince ourselves (or get the message from those who are more comfortable if we remain docile and obedient servants) that we do not have the stuff to make a difference like someone famous could or can.

This is not the story of specific individuals, even though you will learn of people you most likely have never heard of before, neither is it about a faceless mob. These were individuals who saw beyond personal celebrity status and came together with the full intention of their rebellion being based in "the body of the people." Something folks from the whole spectrum of political thought seem to suggest is sorely needed in Washington, DC today. (I happen to agree.)

Or as Mr. Raphael puts it....

" The telling of history cries out for individual protagonists. If an isolated hero or leader doesn't emerge naturally, we try to invent one. In this case, however, none could even be conjured. There was no one person, not even a small group, who could have made the Revolution of 1774 any more or less than it was. This revolution was conducted by and for the participants, giving it both power and legitimacy."

and..........

" Without entrenched leaders, there could be no chain of command. The people of each locality, although communicating with each other through their committees of correspondence, received no orders from a central authority. They did develop some shared motifs - - most notably, forcing officials to recant while passing through the ranks, hats in hand - - but the local groups operated without any coordinating body to plot a strategy or plan the various confrontations."

and finally........

" The Massachusetts Revolution of 1774 was not only decentralized but thoroughly ubiquitous. Both temporally and geographically, it lacked concrete definition. It simply erupted, everywhere and whenever. It has been as confusing, perhaps, to students of history as it was to Governor Gage, who had no idea how to respond. "

It was indeed quite confounding to folks such as Lord Dartmouth who.......

"...........found it difficult to believe that Governor Gage had lost out to ' a tumultuous Rabble, without any Appearance of general Concert, or without any Head to advise, or Leader to conduct.' Dartmouth failed to comprehend the power of the people to act in their behalf, and even today, the revelation that ordinary people, ' without any Head to advise,' toppled the British-controlled government in Massachusetts engenders blank, incredulous states."

Anyone who believes you MUST have clearly identified leaders and a hierarchical structure in order to accomplish something will be challenged by the history told in this book. Those who sometimes feel there is little chance of changing those things which they believe to be wrong with their government will perhaps find hope within these pages. At the very least, the reader will be made much more aware of a chapter of American History that up until now has received far less recognition then it deserves.

One final note.......

For anyone that might be wondering about the author's understanding of how women, Africans (slave or free), and indigenous peoples were involved and effected by the American Revolution, I highly recommend Mr. Raphael's previous book : A People's History of The American Revolution - 2001 - also by The New Press. The two, read together, serve as an excellent introduction or review of the War of Independence.

My brother loaned me his copy. We frequently exchange books, but when he asked for the return of this particular one, I identified it among the others as "The Great Book." (This was a spontaneous utterance made during a walk, but I thought about it for a long time afterwards, why I had so described it.)

This is a powerful, disturbing, and beautiful work. It is the sort of book that, after reading a few paragraphs and even sometimes a single sentence, you find yourself with your eyes off the page, wondering at what you have just read, trying to picture it, trying to understand how such remarkable people could have given birth to such a disappointing nation.

There is a spirit somewhere here, I guess, that we should have inherited. I don't know that we have.

A well-researched and finely written account of the people's revolution in Massachusetts in the years before Lexington and Concord.

Raphael recounts the people's rising anger towards the Crown because of the Massachusetts Goverment Act (1774). This act, which allowed the King to appoint officials instead of allowing the citizens to elect them, turned the people against the Crown. Through acts of civil disobedience, illegal conventions, and threats against appointed officials, the people of Massachusetts effectively took control of their government from the British.

This is a great book that focuses on an aspect of the Revolution that is usually ignored or lightly touched on in any History class or book about the Revolution. It shows that the Revolution was started and won by ALL the people of America, not just Washington, Jefferson, Adams, etc.....

Highly Recommended!

The author made this book easy to read. He broke down all the chaos in a manner that anyone can enjoy and understand. You learn about what was going on prior to General/Governor Gage sending British troops to Concord. After reading this book about the farmers and artisans of Western Massachusetts getting together and overthrowing British authority you realize why the British had to head for Concord rather than Worcester. As someone who lives in the area and is a Revolution buff, this book is a valuable piece of history. I hope that more such books by any historians are forthcoming and that the history books don't forget...