A warmly compassionate call for better listening and more discussion about things that matter.
Go Together Globalfounder and CEO Richards offers a manifesto for improving the quality of life and work in a stressful world.
“I have been broken by this world, and maybe you have too,” writes the author. “There are times in my most private moments where I am haunted by the cruelty I have experienced and equally overwhelmed by the harshness and brutality of the world around me.” However, he’s also received healing warmth and kindness from strangers, he says, and in these pages, he defines this kind of civility and lay out possibilities for its growth and spread in a society that seems hostile to such ideas. He advocates keeping what he calls a “Civil Unity Journal” for the benefits of regular reflection; he also strongly suggests that readers delete social media from their lives, and, for the uninitiated, he explains such concepts as emotional regulation or personal triggers. Along the way, he also offers a good deal of advice about dealing with stress-inducing people. He effectively explains common fallacies, such as the omnipresent affinity bias, which arises from the fact that large percentages of Americans never deal with people of “different races, sexual orientations, ethnicities, or religions,” and he warns of the risks of fabricated stories: “Just because a piece of content aligns with your political and social views doesn't mean that it's true.” Throughout, Richards’ strong, encouraging voice presents pragmatic, upbeat tips for fighting against forces that make civility more difficult. He even offers an optimistic guiding philosophy for helping radicalized people to feel valued, so that they don’t join extremist groups to find companionship. Whether readers are dealing with disconnect on a personal or societal level, they’ll find a good deal of humanistic advice here.
A warmly compassionate call for better listening and more discussion about things that matter.Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9798887504896
Page Count: 288
Publisher: ForbesBooks
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Has heart but lacks craft and efficiency.
In Ferguson’s debut novel based on a true story, a driven businesswoman takes extreme and innovative measures to combat prejudice and propel her career.
Though qualified and proactive as a real estate manager, Rhoda, an African-American, finds herself frequently shut out of high-level positions due to racism even in 21st-century Manhattan. In one instance, she’s hired during a phone interview only to be told once she arrives at the Upper East Side office that the broker position has been filled. Yet when she returns disguised with a blond wig and lightened skin, calling herself GeeGee, she’s hired on the spot. In a similar fashion, Rhoda ignites her struggling hair extension side-business. Following advice from a peer that she will need to have a white “face” of the company, Rhoda calls on GeeGee. Eventually, with the support of the NAACP, she testifies and wins a victory affirming that companies are forbidden to ask for race identification when hiring and they may not look outside of skill and experience to fill a position. The conceit of this novelized “true story” is intriguing, although which parts are based in fact and which in fiction is unclear. The dialogue-heavy prose doesn’t have much fluidity, often due to preceding dialogue tags in which a sentence ending with a comma introduces a paragraphlong quote. There’s a similar problem in the novel’s exposition, particularly due to the use of passive voice, which slows scenes down. Toward the end, Rhoda falls in love with a white man who initially knows her only as GeeGee. Once that episode is resolved, Ferguson describes the wedding night with the sensual expertise of a seasoned erotica pulp writer. For the preceding pages, though, another edit could help shape the spirited tale.
Has heart but lacks craft and efficiency.Pub Date: Nov. 19, 2013
ISBN: 978-1481744447
Page Count: 240
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: Jan. 7, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An engaging, rousing study of Christian manhood with a few knotty digressions.
A debut guide offers a portrait of the nature—and obligations—of modern Christian masculinity.
Clubb takes as the springboard for his book a modern meaning of the word “Jack,” as a synonym for an all-around likable and trustworthy man, compassionate, caring, and completely dependable. He extends this general term into the realm of modern Christianity. “I see it,” he writes, “as an apt moniker for a spiritually healthy and emotionally intelligent man.” Throughout the work, the author directly tackles the challenges and pitfalls of contemporary Christianity as it’s experienced by men. “Real men give God control of their private, inner, and public spiritual lives by making prayer, personal Bible study, and fellowship priorities in their lives,” he writes. “And a real man isn’t afraid of connecting with other men for mutual support and accountability.” Unfortunately, Clubb decides to briefly outline what he refers to as reasons to trust the Bible, all of which are questionable. He claims the Bible provides “extensive detailed prophecies relating to the rise and fall of individuals and empires … with incredible accuracy”; Noah’s Ark was found on Mount Ararat; and the Bible was “written by eyewitnesses.” Fortunately, these digressions are limited. The bulk of the book is devoted to the author’s captivating meditations and advice to his (presumably exclusively male) readers about how the duties of their gender are reflected in the Bible. The author is an animated and very readable guide to everything from the story of King David to the Epistles of St. Paul. He skillfully intersperses these explorations with vivid stories from his own walk of faith.
An engaging, rousing study of Christian manhood with a few knotty digressions.Pub Date: Dec. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-973680-39-0
Page Count: 230
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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