change Books

Use this book as a catalyst to improve communication and connection with everyone you know. Trade in judging and controlling relationships for understanding the needs and feelings of yourself, as well as others. Rediscover your connectedness with everyone and celebrate the peace that comes from empathy.

Rosenberg has explored and describes his very effective methodology for healing conflicts between individuals and groups by going beyond entrenched opinion to reach the common humanity in exceptionally diverse conditions even to the extent of extreme history of recent violence between participants. For example one lady felt compelled to warn Marshall that she may try to kill him after being raped and witnessing the brutal murder of a close friend in war torn Africa, yet Rosenberg's empathic and clear procedures brought her to a place of healing and comfort where such would have seemed not possible. This just one of numerous compelling real life stories. Obviously the methods may also be used in less extreme interpersonal areas. I found the illustration of a fifteen month conflict resolved between older traditional software engineers and the younger programmers with a "better way" quite enlightening and applicable to broader usage in my own thinking and approach to interpersonal issues.

"Speak Peace In A World Of Conflict" is a necessary book in these challenging times. There is so much tension in the world that it is difficult to think positive, much less speak in a manner that is compassionate. You may be familiar with Rosenberg's other book, "Non-Violent Communication". Well, that book transformed my thinking about how I communicated with others, especially with my family. I always prided myself on my 'clear communication' but I didn't realize that my communication was filled with sarcasm, aggression and control. After reading that book, I learned how to LISTEN emphatically and to realize that we are all basically trying to 'get our needs met' when we communicate. This created a paradigm shift in myself and I learned to listen also to my own needs, which helped me to be more clear, more kind and less abrasive.

"Speak Peace" is a great follow-up book to "Non Violent Communication". It gives real life examples and more depth to the whole concept. If you are uncertain about NVC, this book will clarify it further. I am continuing to apply the principles and I have noticed a new warmth and joy in my family relationships. Recently, we had a very trying situation that brought out a lot of anger, hard feelings and misunderstandings - by following NVC, I was able to reduce the negativity and diffuse the conflict. Very healing stuff. I recommend any of Rosenberg's books.

Reading Marshall Rosenberg's newly released book, Speak Peace in a World of Conflict helped me to deepen my understanding of the "heart of mediation" and inspired hope that positive social change was achievable. Rosenberg reveals an abundance of practical strategies that can transform your conflict resolution practice against a background of profound insight into his theory of human conflict and violence.

Marshall Rosenberg has tirelessly traveled the globe mediating disputes and training practitioners in Nonviolent Communication for more than forty years. In this new work, he offers an overview of the "mechanics" of the NVC process interwoven with a tapestry of tales illustrating the "consciousness" of NVC and its real world application. Rosenberg also adds theory concerning the roots of violence, the role of language, "domination systems" and "enemy images", while offering unique strategies for dispute resolution used by everyone from Israeli kindergartners to African tribal chieftains.

Three themes delineate the book's structure. The first section of the book covers the "Mechanics of Speaking Peace", including an overview of the Nonviolent Communication process developed by Rosenberg. Featured throughout this section are exercises that invite the reader to have a direct experience of the potential of the process to deepen self-awareness and open to new possibilities for how we interact with one another.

In Part 2, Rosenberg focuses on "Applying Nonviolent Communication". First, he shows how the NVC process can be utilized for working on oneself to deepen a connection to "divine energy", a phrase Rosenberg uses to describe the "spiritual basis" of NVC. He defines this divine energy as "our natural life-serving energy", and asserts, "this divine energy is manifest in the joy we feel in giving to one another."

Rosenberg continues, "Unfortunately, many of us are blocked from that divine
energy by the way we've been taught to think". He offers Nonviolent Communication as a process for connecting with this divine energy, first in oneself, and then within the context of interpersonal relationships and social change. He covers the practice of empathy, a skillful process required to sustain connection in a mediation context. Rosenberg also explains the roots of violence contained in the language we have all been educated to speak.

Finally, in "Speaking Peace for Social Change", he focuses on effective strategies for facilitating social change. Including examples from the fields of education and intertribal conflict, he highlights our habitual tendency to manufacture "enemy images" which limit our capacity to be effective agents of social change. He shows how the NVC process can be used to dismantle these enemy images and build a bridge of connection, human to human. He also gives explicit ideas for how to use the NVC process in mediating disputes at all levels of human interaction, including a powerful and unique strategy to employ when one or more disputants resist coming to mediation.

Rosenberg offers practices for dealing with the burnout and despair common for
agents of social change, including the power of gratitude for building internal resources to sustain one's efforts in a world filled with pain and suffering.

Although some of the material in Speak Peace will be familiar to readers of Rosenberg's previous books, this book contains a depth and breadth not available there. Rosenberg conveys his material in a light-hearted yet deeply touching manner. Reading the book, I both laughed out loud and was moved to tears.

This book will be valuable to both new and veteran practitioners because it offers a rare insight and clarity into the nature of human conflict and its resolution, while offering specific exercises and practices designed to immediately implement the theory and make it practical.

I am usually critiquing, but on this book, I only have positive feelings.

Speak Peace... has helped me to get in touch with my inner softer caring self & really understand who others are and how they feel. I have dozens of other books (Tolle, Thich Nhat Hanh, etc) which are excellent, and Speak Peace surpasses them, for me. I had been dealing with a lot of pain and other's anger, so maybe this book was simply especially aligned with what I was seeking, but it is excellent in itself.

It is written in a very flowing manner; it is not a technical manual, and it's not an instruction book. It's very easy to read, with the concepts expressed well and in small bites, but without losing any meaning. The care of the author flows through the way he writes, and that makes it also easy and comforting to read... it's like listening to someone speak who is very calm and caring.

The book is realistic. The ideas are not suggesting to pretend things are rosy, or to manipulate others, or to reward them or use use hidden techniques to affect them. It focuses on an approach of simple understanding, and wanting to understand more.
If you were to tell another person what ideas you were applying, they would not feel manipulated.. the idea is mostly that you care and want to understand.
The ideas are not forced either. Once I read them, I was more-so remembering things I already knew, but had forgot. Applying them is just natural, there's no forcing it.

The book is suitible for picking up for a few minutes, or for reading all the way through. You can read a single page and get entire ideas in their completeness.

The first day I read a few pages, I transformed a difficult relationship with a family member. And the next day with an even more difficult family member. The book helped me release so much anger, blaming, sarcasm, etc that I had slowly built up inside me, and I can see clearly that they were based on mis-understanding.. not truly understanding the other person.. and choosing to judge them as not being worth effort.

I honestly would recommend this book, before any other book on dealing with conflict or anger/blaming/judging. The only exception would be hurt feelings related to someone you cannot speak with, like people you see on TV and such. For that I might suggest Thich Nhat Hanh and other authors.

If you are struggling with conflicts, or anger blaming or judging, then this book may be what you are needing.

..my greatest thanks to all the people who helped this book be published...

I was amazed to find out how much I was perpetuating the very things that were making me crazy. If you are having trouble in any type of relationship this book will help you turn it around. Awesome

At first glance, the title may seem manipulative, but really, when you are trying to change a situation, aren't you doing just that? Stop the nagging, threats and poor results from those efforts, life is too short. Stop wasting your time. Michele does a super job of keeping every word interesting and understandable - for the masses! I am ordering a few of her other books as well, since I like her approach and writing style so much. It's not all about changing others, it's about changing you too and the way you think. You won't be sorry.

Making small changes in the way you do things really can affect the way the people in your life view you and act toward you. I loved Weiner-Davis' fresh approach to the problem of dealing with life's problems. For anybody who feels like their life is a constant reliving of the same old arguments with spouses and kids or in their day-to-day routine, here's real hope that you can make effective changes. For the first time in years, I'm feeling much more in control of my life!

Wow. This book has to make my top 10 books in terms of what I got out of it. I had read one of Michele Weiner Davis's other books, Divorce Busting and thought that was really useful. But it is targeted solely at romantic relationships, primarily marriage.

Change Your Life and Everyone In It on the other hand is about changing any aspect of your life -- work, marriage, your kids, your irritating mother-in-law, you name it.
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Weiner Davis will prompt you to create a soluation to your problems. Yes, a big point of the book is that YOU, not some expert, are the one most qualified to figure out the solution to your problems.

But if I knew how to solve my problems, don't you think I would have done so already?

Yeah, I thought that too. But the book takes you down a creative problem-solving path, asking you to think about what part of the current equation you can change. I got a ton of good ideas from this book and will be rereading my copy from time to time to come up with more. In fact it was from this book, that I got the solution to my problem of social dessert eating.

I think this book is most useful when you feel you need advice on how to get unstuck on some aspect of your life. Do you find yourself making the same mistakes over and over again? Having the same arguments with a loved one? Making the same New Year's Resolutions each year? This is the book for you. Grab it now and drink it in slowly, giving the ideas plenty of time to soak in.

You will love this book and will find all kinds of ways to make changes in your life that actually end up changing your relationships with other people. If you feel stuck in a rut in your marriage or with your kids or even at work, making these teensy changes described will improve your life and your relationships. I shared the book with my therapist and she is sharing the book with other therapists, it's that good.

This book doesn't even deserve to be lumped in with all the other "Self Help" stuff: it's better than that. I was shocked to find an intelligent discussion of something people almost never speak intelligently about - preferring instead to believe in some pie-in-the-sky fantasy at the exact moment they're planning a life! I brought this book to my boyfriend when we'd only been going out a few weeks: we read it together, talked about it, went on a road trip to test it out, and basically used it as a roadmap to find true compatibility...at the same time we were falling in love. I highly recommend it for couples, not just singles, because it jump-starts those conversations and questions you need to figure out before you get all emotional and sappy. We now know things about each other we'd never thought to ask ourselves. Oddly enough, after you figure out you really can be best friends and great partners, all that dreamy love stuff is much deeper and more rewarding.
Great book - and the little vignettes make it hilarious, too.

An interesting male perspective that gives women of all ages hope and concrete reasons while Mr. Right is out there and that you have to pay attention and notice if he walks into your life.

Oprah liked this book and so did a slew of other reviewers! http://www.whymrright.com/

I've given this book as a gift to a bunch of my single friends and it's such a hit that I keep a stack in my house now to wrap and hand-out at holidays and birthdays -- makes me look like I'm a very thoughtful friend!

J.M. Kearns has a novel out, Ex-Cottagers In Love that I look forward to reading.

Let me sum this book up for you. Accoring to the author, you should hang out in "desireable" bars alone to meet men and subscibe to online dating site. Dang! if it was that easy, you wouldn't need this silly book. Oh yes, the the author basically says you shouldn't be picky. Don't buy this book for daing advice

...At the bar! I've had a great and hilarious time reading this book---which I almost didn't buy because, well, look at the title. But, for a confident and smart woman who has dated the wrong guys for what feels like years and years never once did I consider the idea that everywhere I went was an opportunity to meet a nice guy who I might actually like if I would only look up and smile once in a while!

J.M Kearns finally openes the door to the mind of men and pointes out, at last, that a group of women (or a group of anyone) is impossible to approach, compatibility is the most important element to consider when sizing up a suitor and that it's the annoying guy's friend who looks like he is having a heart attack behind him that is actually digging us!

I had no idea...

Enjoy!

J.M. Kearns excellent book, "Why Mr. Right Can't Find You" is a beautifully crafted work of intelligence and insight. It is a most welcome and refreshing oasis in a vast desert of bad writing and dry ideas. With humor, honesty and skillful writing, Kearns leads his readers to see through (and to get beyond) society-contrived obstacles between people and to open themselves to new possibilities. Best of all, this one is great fun to read and is a gift that any adult would enjoy.

Current research shows a positive relationship between successful professional learning communities and student achievement, and Shirley M. Hord and William A. Sommers's Leading Professional Learning Communities is directed to educators who wish to develop a PLC program to enhance both. Chapters include quotes, common obstacles, and learning activities to reinforce lessons in leadership and school culture for students and educators alike. An excellent guide highly recommended for working professional educators.

I first used this book two years ago, after checking it out from the local library. Right away I knew I'd found a great resource. It was definitely inspiring to finally know (not just guess) what colors "work" for me and it opened up several new color options I had not considered before. Great book!

Great book...all kinds of useful info. I use it a lot for finding colors that complement me.

After I read this book in a Barnes and Noble I was so intrigued I had to buy it to keep since I kept going back to check its information. I love the photographs of celebrities that match your skin, hair and eye color and the huge spread of colors that will make you look great.

Right away I started getting complements from everyone at work and at home once I got the hang of which colors worked and which didn't. This is not the fuddy duddy old lady version advocated by Bridget Jones' mother; its a specific list of colors to use plus combinations that are particularly striking to your eyes, skin and hair.

One of my favorite experiences with this system was with a teenage student of mine. At fifteen, over two hundred pounds, she was hiding behind outfit after outfit of head-to-toe brown. I mentioned to her that she might try wearing brighter colors and showed her her pages in the book. When she made the shift to brilliant pinks, fuschias and bright blues, I started hearing kid after kid complementing her on how pretty she looked.

You'll love this book and it will make shopping a whole different experience when you can eliminate 1/2 of what is in the store by color alone and know what will look good on you.

This book has taught me how to totally "work" my natural coloring.

I never read Color Me Beautiful aside from a quick flip-through at the library years ago-- I think I was kind of put off because I fell into the "Winter" category but so did a LOT of colorings that were radically different than mine, and trying to weed out which of the winter recommendations applied to me was difficult. This book makes it much more obvious which specific coloring you are.

What I _really_ love about this book is that it not only tells you which colors are best for you, but also gives you LOTS of suggestions on combining your colors that I had never thought of before. I skeptically tried out some of the color combinations in department stores and was truly surprised by how good they looked. This book had me trying on colors I had previously passed over with great results.

I even changed out my lipstick shades and blush from warm to cool shades and it made my eye color pop and I look a lot more vibrant.

The dressing-for-your-body type was also helpful for me as well as dressing for your style (there were more great color combination recommendations there, too).

I cleaned out my closet of clothes that were in colors that don't suit me and had no regrets.

I recommend that you get this book, take note of the suggestions and put aside your personal opinions "oh that won't work on me." Get yourself to a department store and try things on in the colors and combinations they recommend. You'll be surprised!

5 stars!

This is a variation on the color system that assigns people to the four seasons. It is an interesting addition to that idea, I was only disappointed that they spent as little time as they did on the color information. A good part of the book is dedicated to body shape and styling tips. By the way, David Kibbe's theories in his book Metamorphosis are the best ideas ever re dressing to suit one's shape, the very best, and yet he seems to get very little attention. People interested in this book might want to check out his, as well. It is out of print, but available used and therefore inexpensive. "Color Me Beautiful," by Carole Jackson is about the original color system--seasonal--and is still a good read.

This tape showed me that I am not alone going through change, how normal my feelings, emotions and fears are and tought me how to cope with difficult moments... not to get lost in transition. Excellent messages to keep hope and good guidelines for a successful change.

This is a good one, folks. Its a good synthesis of her beliefs. If you're doing affirmative and mind work and you're getting stuck- this is a good CD for you.

I found the CD very succinct and very informative. It was not long but it was very helpful and the points Louise Hay made were very useful and practical. I have listened to it 4 times and I still am getting wonderful guidance from it. If one is willing to make changes in their life and realize they need to make changes then this CD will definitely benefit them!

Barbara Kellerman's "Bad Leadership" is a fabulous prologue to readers of "Followership". Read them sequentially. The former is better written and better organized. Each has value as you assemble your management armamentarium. Although followership and leadership may be coincidental, one is either a follower or a leader. Neither is really culturally superior, but each is different. Of course, followers may transmogrify into leaders. Let's not be naive enough to believe that followers, while following, are leaders.

Lushly, sensuously, decadently overwritten, a fatal literary intersection where Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Poe, and Sade collide and out of the spectacular wreckage something lopes off into the surrounding woods declaiming like Nietzsche's Zarathustra with head trauma--Lautreamont's *Maldoror* is one of those ten or twelve books that aren't like any other. Part hallucination, part philosophy, part prose-poem, part prophecy, it's a bizarre stitched-together Frankenstein's monster of a text, a virtuoso improvisation animated by an electrifying genius who appears--and disappears--on the literary stage like a bolt out of the blue.

Here is a work where the first-person protagonist is an arrogant, cruel, disdainful superhuman egoist--sometimes seeming to be Satan; other times, something considerably less, but at all times evil incarnate. Dramatic and arbitrary shifts of narrative perspective and authorial points-of-view, a fractured, nonlinear plot-line, similes and metaphors of Homeric proportion that bring together the most disparate items in absurd conjunctions virtually without meaning. Was it all a joke? A parody of Romantic literature and the self-indulgent, self-pitying, overheated imagination of those who struck the Romantic stance of poetic revolt and existential defiance? What must the French public have thought of this black mass "celebrating" vice, blasphemy, pederasty, and murder--a work that held nothing--including itself--above disgust?

Predictably enough, *Maldoror* caused barely a ripple in the bourgeoisie calm when it was first published--by Ducasse himself incidentally--and remained unread by the general public who continues to not read it today. It remains a text ahead of its time--or perhaps more accurately--outside of time altogether. And yet it's had a huge influence on the writers, artists, and intellectuals of our time, from the Surrealists to the Situationists to literature in theory and practice to this day. *Maldoror* is a quintessentially postmodern text--a pastiche of genres with its penchant for self-parody and its direct address of the reader, breaking the illusion of "fictive reality" and authorial authority.

The translator argues forcefully that this is the edition of *Maldoror* to read--that other editions, most egregiously the Penguin--are rife with errors that stumble along the borderline of sheer incompetence. I've got no good reason to doubt this is the truth--and why not read this edition? It's attractively formatted, fully annotated, and contains all the known works of Lautreamont ((Ducasse)) including a few apocryphal tidbits, a chronology, biographical notes, and even a reminiscence by an old dude who once went to school with the Dark Prince of Letters. If there's a better edition, I'm unaware of it.

As for the heavily annotated *Poesies* that round out the main bulk of this volume--I had far less enthusiasm for them than for *Maldoror.* A series of gnomic axioms and aphorisms ala Pascal, indeed, many apparently in direct reply to Pascal, I didn't find them very interesting, often barely intelligible, even with the help of the comprehensive annotations--much of it in French which was unfortunately of no use to someone monolingual like me. What I did understand of the *Poesies,* the opinion of enthusiasts to the contrary, I found, for the most part, bombastic or banal, and very often both. A young man's ((Ducasse died in his early twenties)) bold, world-shattering, and consequently somewhat naïve proclamations on life and literature, any and all of which were likely to change if he'd lived to see even five more years of either. At twenty-three, you can be a genius and produce a literary masterpiece, but you still don't know much--certainly not even most--about life.

Indeed, even in the *Poesies,* Ducasse radically reverses field, mercilessly ridiculing Romanticism and its heroes, mocking the Satanic defiance that inspired such works as...*Maldoror!*

So was *Maldoror* all a goof then--a black spoof, a devastating satire? Had Ducasse turned a new leaf as he claimed in the *Poesies* and now dedicated himself to composing uplifting works of classical order and clarity? Was he pulling our leg then...or again? Was it all a joke--on us, on him? Was he simply insane, or just young, or both? Are we reading too much into all this--and is *that* the point?

These are some of the very potent post-contemporary questions that Ducasse has left us to contemplate in the wake of his great literary disappearing act--questions that remain in addition to, and beyond, those raised by the actual content of his enigmatic, and abbreviated, corpus of work.

An author--and a book--as important for being important as for the substance and merit of what he wrote, Ducasse and *Maldoror* is essential reading for the serious student of post-19th century literature. Ducasse/Lautreamont/Maldoror is a major signpost on the way to a new kind of writing, some of which we see today, more of which we'll see tomorrow.

this is the best book i've ever read and by far the best translation of it. i can't really say anything more.

What to say about Maldoror that hasn't been said yet? What to say about the mysterious son of a diplomat who appeared in France, wrote this book and died, vanishing from the world, yet leaving his mark for decades and centuries yet to come?
The first time I had the pleasure of reading this exceptional work, I was taken aback. Barely seventeen, I hungrily swallowed the disturbing images leaping at me from the pages, not to fully comprehend them until years later. This work, over a century old, is believed to be the first work, the foundation stone of the surrealist movement, a movement that penetrated into every aspect of art, life, being; whether we are willing to admit it or not, this work is as important today as it was when originally published in 1868 (well, at least a part of it was). The world was not ready to receive the complete self-awarness of evil Maldoror so fully comprehends, and the world is still not ready. This work is certainly not to be read by a "closed" mind. It is said that to be creative, one must borderline insanity, yet, Lautreamont was playing with genius; a genius of a caliber capable of scaring away even the most immodest of us. But get deeper into his work, walk past the disturbed images, surpass your fears and you shall see the light. This work cannot be ignored, cannot be left to collect dust. I have owned several copies over the past 14 years, and I am still finding new meanings, new passages and new understanding in this wonderful work. This trully is the one book that will never get old, that will always keep on giving, as long as one is ready to listen.

This review is of *Maldoror*, alone.

Lautreamont's *Maldoror* is legendary for its bold and complex phrasing and imagery, for its reputation of embodying Surrealism *avant la lettre*, and for its remarkably extreme, savage imagery. Less frequently remarked is its obvious debt to the earlier literature of the *Frenetiques*, such as Petrus Borel. Given the very few English translations of the latter, one may pardon those who do not read French for overestimating the originality of *Maldoror*. Francophones such as the Surrealists and Lykiard, however, have no such excuse.

The descriptions of *Maldoror* in the various reviews here describe the content and style of the work perfectly well, so I shall neither repeat them nor try to outdo them. Instead, I shall offer a slightly less breathlessly adoring view of the work, in general, and of Lykiard's translation of it, in particular.

My view of *Maldoror* is that it is primarily a parody of the extreme tendencies of the "dark side" of Romanticism, in general, and of Byron, in particular. Although Lykiard dismisses Mario Praz's view of Lautreamont and *Maldoror* rather abruptly, Praz's observations seem quite germane, to me:

"[Lautreamont/Ducasse is] a macabre humorist in whom it is impossible to distinguish where sincerity ends and mystification begins".

Those who doubt this observation should have a look at Ducasse's extant letters, many of which bear witness to his desire merely to be a successful writer, and to be judged by the literary critics of the day. In a word, Ducasse/Lautreamont appears to have been precisely the sort of careerist *litterateur* whom the Surrealists excoriated and excommunicated from their ranks with tedious regularity!

As for Lykiard's translation, it is adequate, but far from inspired. Although, as he trumpets *ad nauseam*, his version of *Maldoror* may be in the main less error-riddled than those of his competitors, it is frequently leaden and awkward. Compare, for instance, the following tin-eared rendition to the original, and then to Paul Knight's rendering of the same passage:

The original: "[...] car, à moins qu'il n'apporte dans sa lecture une logique rigoureuse et une tension d'esprit égale au moins à sa défiance, les émanations mortelles de ce livre imbiberont son âme comme l'eau le sucre".

Lykiard: "For unless he bring to his reading a rigorous logic and mental application at least tough enough to balance his distrust, the deadly issues of this book will lap up his soul as water does sugar".

Knight: "[...] for, unless he brings to his reading a rigorous logic and tautness of mind equal at least to his wariness, the deadly emanations of this book will dissolve his soul as water does sugar".

Granted, such evaluations involve much subjectivity, but there's no doubt in my mind which version reads both more accurately and more elegantly in English. Lykiard does, however, deserve credit for demonstrating Knight's faults, as well.

Lykiard's notes are not necessarily much better than his translations. To take but one instance, Lykiard tells us that "God is here (and *passim*) ironically addressed as *tu* rather than the more formal *vous*". If Lykiard were as clever as he'd like to appear, then he'd know that the French *always* address God as *tu*, and not as *vous*. Therefore, there is nothing ironic on its face about Lautreamont's usage, at all.

In sum, *Maldoror* is a sometimes powerful, but often puerile, *reductio ad absurdum* of *Frenetique*-era late Romanticism. Enjoy it for its over-the-top style and its infrequent passages of genuine and sincere poetic power. Do not, however, take it too seriously, because, although we shall never know for certain, my bet is that Ducasse/Lautreamont was little more than a prodigiously gifted adolescent who sought, as most adolescents do, simultaneously to shock and to impress the grown-ups.

I like my writers drunk, blasphemous, decadent and French. If any of that list sounds even vaguely familiar then this is the book for you. Set the absinthe fountain to a slow drip, light some candles and prepare to tour an alchemical end-of-the-century underworld.

If you are a serious Christian interested in this topic then you will like this book. For me, I am disappointed that I wasn't warned about the biblical references and overall Christian perspective taken. While I admire this boy's passion and resolve, I'm tired of being preached to by Christians. I returned the book.

This book has shown me that there is something that kids can do to help the human trafficking.
After just the first chapter, I was awakened to the needs in this world. because I didn't really know how much human slave trafficking is going on in this world. Zach Hunter ( the author) asks you what do you think you can do. And at the end of every chapter there is a place where the author asks you questions and recommends Bible passages.
This is a book that is perfect for people 12 and up.
By the way, I am 12 and I think the book is very interesting and very God oriented.
Truly a book that could change this teenage generation.

Zach Hunter's youthful writing style brings home a very real and timely point to all. Is does not take "Age" to make a difference in this world, only passion and a committment to see your vision through to the end.

Zach's book speaks to adults as well as teens. So far I have purchased, read and given away three copies of this book, including one to my 12 year old daughter. Every person I have spoken to about this book has been impressed, and many have gone on to buy a copy for themselves and/or their own teenager.

This is a great selection for a teen or adult book study group.

When I first heard of Zach Hunter and sought out this book, I was very impressed by his cause and ambition. That remains unchanged after reading. He truely is a great role model for the up and coming generations. However, I was discouraged to find so much reference to religion, god's plan, and passages of scripture throughout the book. I understand this is where Zach must get his strength and values, however he needs to make it clear that even an athiest can be passionate for social justice. He should just stick to the historical and sociological implications of slavery, rather than try to convince the reader what a "true christian" he is.

As teen myself, with a heart to challenge my generation to excellence, Zach Hunter is a warmly-welcomed voice of vision, maturity, and biblical truth. His book speaks to his peers right where they are, and inspires them higher.

To the previous reviewer: Zach has demonstrated the ability to work with others to accomplish social good without compromising the convictions that motivate him to act. That is to be commended, not criticized.