Sex, Economy, Freedom, and Community: Eight Essays


Wendell Berry - 1993
    With wisdom and clear, ringing prose, he tackles head-on some of the most difficult problems confronting us near the end of the twentieth century––problems we still face today. Berry elucidates connections between sexual brutality and economic brutality, and the role of art and free speech. He forcefully addresses America's unabashed pursuit of self-liberation, which he says is "still the strongest force now operating in our society." As individuals turn away from their community, they conform to a "rootless and placeless monoculture of commercial expectations and products," buying into the very economic system that is destroying the earth, our communities, and all they represent.

A New Buddhist Path: Enlightenment, Evolution, and Ethics in the Modern World


David R. Loy - 2015
    Loy addresses head-on the most pressing issues of Buddhist philosophy in our time. What is the meaning of enlightenment--is it an escape from the world, or is it a form of psychological healing? How can one reconcile modern scientific theory with ancient religious teachings? What is our role in the universe? Loy shows us that neither Buddhism nor secular society by itself is sufficient to answer these questions. Instead, he investigates the unexpected intersections of the two. Through this exchange, he uncovers a new Buddhist way, one that is faithful to the important traditions of Buddhism but compatible with modernity. This way, we can see the world as it is truly is, realize our indivisibility from it, and learn that the world's problems are our problems. This is a new path for a new world.

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic Independence


Kristen R. Ghodsee - 2018
    The response was tremendous — clearly she articulated something many women had sensed for years: the problem is with capitalism, not with us.Ghodsee, an acclaimed ethnographer and professor of Russian and East European Studies, spent years researching what happened to women in countries that transitioned from state socialism to capitalism. She argues here that unregulated capitalism disproportionately harms women, and that we should learn from the past. By rejecting the bad and salvaging the good, we can adapt some socialist ideas to the 21st century and improve our lives.She tackles all aspects of a woman's life - work, parenting, sex and relationships, citizenship, and leadership. In a chapter called "Women: Like Men, But Cheaper," she talks about women in the workplace, discussing everything from the wage gap to harassment and discrimination. In "What To Expect When You're Expecting Exploitation," she addresses motherhood and how "having it all" is impossible under capitalism.Women are standing up for themselves like never before, from the increase in the number of women running for office to the women's march to the long-overdue public outcry against sexual harassment. Interest in socialism is also on the rise -- whether it's the popularity of Bernie Sanders or the skyrocketing membership numbers of the Democratic Socialists of America. It's become increasingly clear to women that capitalism isn't working for us, and Ghodsee is the informed, lively guide who can show us the way forward.

The Ultimate Guide to Journaling


Hannah Braime - 2012
    The Ultimate Guide to Journaling is a must read for anyone who is interested in journaling.Journaling is an important personal development tool that helps us deepen our connection with ourselves and expand our self-awareness.Whether you are new to the concept of journaling or a seasoned journaler, this book contains tips, techniques and over 100 journaling suggestions and prompts that will take your journaling practice to new levels.We'll also touch on other need-to-know aspects of journaling, including the benefits of journaling, the best time to journal, how often to journal, and useful journaling tools.

Approaching the Natural: A Health Manifesto


Sid Garza-Hillman - 2012
    Sid’s philosophy is simple: the closer the human species moves by degrees to its natural design, the healthier and therefore happier it will be.In the years he has been a practicing nutritionist and health coach, Sid has honed an approach that makes achieving health and happiness a real possibility for virtually everyone. He has done this by addressing both the mental and physical aspects of achieving sustainable long-term health, and goes well beyond what any quick-fix diet/health plan can ever achieve. He passionately argues that health profoundly affects our happiness, and vice-versa, and applies his philosophy to nutrition, exercise, the mind, the family, and the world as a whole.Approaching the Natural: A Health Manifesto is accessible, clear, edgy and humorous. Sid distills his years of research into a book readers will want to carry with them as a quick reference when negotiating our most unnatural world – especially gen-x and gen-y’ers for whom there is a substantial lack of result-oriented health books that are this easy and actually fun to read.

Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It's Doing to Us


Will Storr - 2017
    This is our culture’s image of the perfect self. We see this person everywhere: in advertising, in the press, all over social media. We’re told that to be this person you just have to follow your dreams, that our potential is limitless, that we are the source of our own success. But this model of the perfect self can be extremely dangerous. People are suffering under the torture of this impossible fantasy. Unprecedented social pressure is leading to increases in depression and suicide. Where does this ideal come from? Why is it so powerful? Is there any way to break its spell? To answer these questions, Selfie by Will Storr takes us from the shores of Ancient Greece, through the Christian Middle Ages, to the self-esteem evangelists of 1980s California, the rise of narcissism and the selfie generation, and right up to the era of hyper-individualistic neoliberalism in which we live now. It tells the extraordinary story of the person we all know so intimately – our self.

Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat


Barbara J. King - 2017
    The general public, it seems, is slowly coming to understand that animals like apes, elephants, and dolphins have not just brains, but complicated inner and social lives, and that we need to act accordingly.   Yet that realization hasn’t yet made its presence felt to any great degree in our most intimate relationship with animals: at the dinner table. Sure, there are vegetarians and vegans all over, but at the same time, meat consumption is up, and meat remains a central part of the culinary and dining experience for the majority of people in the developed world.   With Personalities on the Plate, Barbara King asks us to think hard about our meat eating--and how we might reduce it. But this isn’t a polemic intended to convert readers to veganism. What she is interested in is why we’ve not drawn food animals into our concern and just what we do know about the minds and lives of chickens, cows, octopuses, fish, and more. Rooted in the latest science, and built on a mix of firsthand experience (including entomophagy, which, yes, is what you think it is) and close engagement with the work of scientists, farmers, vets, and chefs, Personalities on the Plate is an unforgettable journey through the world of animals we eat. Knowing what we know--and what we may yet learn--what is the proper ethical stance toward eating meat? What are the consequences for the planet? How can we life an ethically and ecologically sound life through our food choices?   We could have no better guide to these fascinatingly thorny questions than King, whose deep empathy embraces human and animal alike. Readers will be moved, provoked, and changed by this powerful book.

Reaching Down the Rabbit Hole: A Renowned Neurologist Explains the Mystery and Drama of Brain Disease


Allan H. Ropper - 2014
    What is it like to try to heal the body when the mind is under attack? In this book, Dr. Allan Ropper and Brian Burrell take the reader behind the scenes at Harvard Medical School's neurology unit to show how a seasoned diagnostician faces down bizarre, life-altering afflictions. Like Alice in Wonderland, Dr. Ropper inhabits a world where absurdities abound:• A figure skater whose body has become a ticking time-bomb • A salesman who drives around and around a traffic rotary, unable to get off • A college quarterback who can't stop calling the same play • A child molester who, after falling on the ice, is left with a brain that is very much dead inside a body that is very much alive • A mother of two young girls, diagnosed with ALS, who has to decide whether a life locked inside her own head is worth livingHow does one begin to treat such cases, to counsel people whose lives may be changed forever? How does one train the next generation of clinicians to deal with the moral and medical aspects of brain disease? Dr. Ropper and his colleague answer these questions by taking the reader into a rarified world where lives and minds hang in the balance.

The 30-Minute Vegan: Over 175 Quick, Delicious, and Healthy Recipes for Everyday Cooking


Mark Reinfeld - 2009
    Sections include The Lighter Side of Life: Smoothies & Satiating Beverages; Snacks, Pick Me Ups & Kids' Favorites; Lunches: Wraps, Rolls, Bowls, and More; Extraordinary Salads; Sumptuous Soups; Small Plates: Appetizers, Side Dishes, Light Dinners; Wholesome Suppers; Guilt-Free Comfort Food: Healthy Translations of Old Stand-bys; and Divine Desserts.The 30-Minute Vegan also provides at-a-glance cooking charts, kids' favorite dishes, and exciting menu suggestions for every occasion -- making this an essential cookbook for busy vegans who want to enjoy delicious, healthful, whole-foods vegan fare every day.

Fuss-Free Vegan: 101 Everyday Comfort Food Favorites, Veganized: A Cookbook


Sam Turnbull - 2017
    And it definitely doesn't have to mean feeling limited for choices of what to eat! What if "vegan food" could mean cheesy nachos and pizza, hearty burritos, gooey spinach and artichoke dip, decadent chocolate cake or even creme brulee? Well, it can. In Fuss-Free Vegan, Sam Turnbull shows you that "vegan" does not equal unappetizing dishes, complicated steps, ingredients you have never heard of, or even food that tastes healthy. Instead, she gives you drool-worthy yet utterly fuss-free recipes that will bring everyone together at the table, vegans and non-vegans alike, in a chorus of rave reviews. This is the cookbook Sam wishes she had when she went vegan: one that recreates and veganizes the dishes she loved most in her pre-vegan days, like fluffy pancakes and crispy bacon, cheesy jalapeno poppers and pizza pockets, creamy Caesar salad and macaroni and cheese, rich chocolate brownies and holiday-worthy pumpkin pie, to name just a few. (And there's no hummus recipe in sight.) Say goodbye to searching endlessly around for that one special ingredient that you can't even pronounce, or cooking dishes that don't deliver on their promise of yumminess; instead, say hello to ingredients you can pick up at your local grocery store, step-by-step techniques, and Sam's enthusiastic voice cheering you on throughout this fun, approachable cookbook. With 101 tried-and-tested, one-of-a-kind vegan recipes for every meal, from breakfasts to lunches to dinners, and even snacks, desserts, appetizers and vegan staples, as well as handy menu plans and tips to amp up the recipes and your vegan life, Sam Turnbull and Fuss-Free Vegan are your ultimate guides in the new vegan kitchen.

The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love


Sonya Renee Taylor - 2018
    Systems of oppression thrive off our inability to make peace with difference and injure the relationship we have with our own bodies.The Body Is Not an Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. As we awaken to our own indoctrinated body shame, we feel inspired to awaken others and to interrupt the systems that perpetuate body shame and oppression against all bodies. When we act from this truth on a global scale, we usher in the transformative opportunity of radical self-love, which is the opportunity for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world--for us all.

How to Think Like a Cat


Stéphane Garnier - 2017
    Do cats do things they don’t want to do? Definitely not. Do cats rush around at all hours of the day when they’d rather be licking their paws and looking out a window? Please. Calm, free, charismatic, wise, elegant, self-assured—our beloved feline pets strut those traits that we humans spend a lifetime aspiring to. No wonder everybody wants to be more like a cat.After observing his own cat, Ziggy, for years, bestselling French author Stéphane Garnier decided that he would be much happier if he could just live more like Ziggy. Closer study only confirmed his suspicion that cats have that je ne sais quoi, and he set out to share Ziggy’s innate wisdom with the world.Whether at work, at home, or in your social life, your cat can teach you how to manage stress, cultivate independence, and live life on your terms. Peppered with humorous yet inspiring tips for living a day in the life of a cat, cat secrets from Ziggy, and a quiz to assess your “cat quotient,” How to Think Like a Cat is an inspiring, humorous, and remarkably insightful guide to the subtle art of living like a feline.

La Dolce Vegan!: Vegan Livin' Made Easy


Sarah Kramer - 2005
    Her first two books, How It All Vegan! and The Garden of Vegan, co-authored with Tanya Barnard, have sold well over 100,000 copies; How It All Vegan! won the Veggie Award for favorite cookbook of 2004 by VegNews magazine, and Herbivore magazine, in a cover story on Sarah, called her "The World's Coolest Vegan."Sarah returns with her first solo cookbook, featuring more of the delectable, easy-to-prepare recipes that vegans around the world have come to adore. For Sarah, vegan cooking--which eschews all animal products, including butter, milk, and cheese--can be an adventure in dining, without a lot of investment in time or money. In fact, most of the recipes in La Dolce Vegan! can be prepared in 20 to 30 minutes or less. From soups and salads to entrees and desserts, they are sure to inspire both committed and part-time vegans alike.At the heart of the book is Sarah's wholehearted commitment to the vegan lifestyle that has changed her life completely--from a childhood plagued with health problems to an adulthood filled with the pleasures and joys of living vegan. For Sarah, an animal-free diet will make you happier, healthier, and more content with the world around you.In addition to the wonderful recipes, there is a fun do-it-yourself section of vegan tips and non-food items. Learn to live the sweet life of veganism and you'll never look back!Recipes include: Beauty and the Beet Borscht, Mocked Clam Chowder, Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta, Sloppy Janes, Blessed Broccoli Stir-Fry, Apple Pie Pancakes, Carob Almond Truffles, and Tomato Soup Cake.Sarah Kramer is the co-author of How It All Vegan! and The Garden of Vegan. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with her husband, where she manages a tattoo shop in addition to creating her vegan masterpieces and maintaining her popular website www.GoVegan.net.

Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others


Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky - 2007
    We may feel tired, cynical, numb, or like we can never do enough. These, and other symptoms, affect us individually and collectively, sapping the energy and effectiveness we so desperately need if we are to benefit humankind, other animals, and the planet itself. Through Trauma Stewardship, we are called to meet these challenges in an intentional way--not by becoming overwhelmed but by developing a quality of mindful presence. Joining the wisdom of ancient cultural traditions with modern psychological research, Lipsky offers a variety of simple and profound practices that will allow us to remake ourselves--and ultimately the world.

Vegan Keto


Liz MacDowell - 2018
    Her unique approach harnesses the health and weight loss benefits of the ketogenic diet and unites it with the vegan lifestyle. Liz dispels the myth that veganism contradicts the keto diet and offers a template to achieve optimal health and weight loss by eating a ratio of healthy fats and plant-based proteins. MacDowell offers more than 60 recipes that are all free of meat, eggs, and dairy and are keto compliant. MacDowell's revolutionary new approach emphasizes a nutrient-dense nutrition plan sourced from whole, natural foods that are rooted in healthy fats with plant-based proteins that are lower in carbohydrates. She has created a sustainable model that will enable those living a vegan lifestyle to achieve optimal health, lose weight, and eliminate cravings for inflammatory foods. Vegan Keto is complete with full-color photos, four easy-to-follow weekly meal plans, shopping lists, and tips and tricks for getting started and staying on track. Above all, Liz brings a wealth of expertise and invaluable advice derived from real-world experience in her role as a nutrition counselor.