[close] Jim Green: never one for keeping his light under a bushel...miscellany of published writings, watercolors, online activities. [close]

[close] The story of the young sociologist who studied a Chicago crack-dealing gang from the inside captured the world's attention when it was first described in Freakonomics. Gang Leader for a Day is the fascinating full story of how Sudhir Venkatesh managed to gain entrance into the gang, what he learned, and how his method revolutionized the academic establishment. When Venkatesh walked into an abandoned building in one of Chicago's most notorious housing projects, he was looking for people to take a multiple-choice survey on urban poverty. A first-year grad student hoping to impress his professors with his boldness, he never imagined that as a result of the assignment he would befriend a gang leader named JT and spend the better part of a decade inside the projects under JT's protection, documenting what he saw there. Over the next seven years, Venkatesh got to know the neighborhood dealers, crackheads, squatters, prostitutes, pimps, activists, cops, organizers, and officials. From his privileg [close]

[close] BETTER, not bigger. This video explores how "biggering our life" has gotten the best of us, yet it offers an inspiring vision for a BETTER world filled with renewable energy, community, and organic food. It reflects a world where making a life is about living with purpose and meaning, where people share in the common wealth and return to a time where we operate our own enterprises locally that restore the planet and foster fair trade relationships amongst neighbors. In various ways, the video reflects the movement of people who operate their own restorative small enterprises captured in the book, ECOpreneuring: Putting Purpose and the Planet before Profits by Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko (www.ecopreneuring.biz). [close]

[close] Web sites like Facebook and MySpace are changing how people connect. The Church of Facebook takes an inside look at social networks and what they say about God, people, and the church. Find out more about this book http://tinyurl.com/JesseRiceChurchofF... Religion/ Christian Life/ General [close]

[close] From the 2007 Girls Write Now Spring Reading, Feministing.com founder and executive editor Jessica Valenti speaks out in favor of Girls Write Now, the first community-based nonprofit organization in the U.S. to combine mentoring with creative writing within the context of all-girl programming. [close]

[close] The relaxed vibe of shopping and cooking on a Wednesday afternoon--teaching my daughter how to shuck corn, packaging the soup for delivery to neighbors. [close]

[close] A peek at the handy-dandy Compatibility Survey in the back of our book. [close]

[close] Sandra Cisneros - Community ActivismSandra Cisneros talks about the importance of volunteering and community activism in her life. And don't miss the 25th anniversary edition of her classic novel The House on Mango Street, now with a new introduction by the author. http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/displ... http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/displ... ...From:knopfgroupViews:320 4ratingsTime:09:12More inEntertainment [close]

[close] A book trailer by Pam Bachorz for her debut novel CANDOR (Egmont USA Sept. 22, 2009). CANDOR is about a teenage boy who lives in a Florida community where everyone is brainwashed--except him, secretly. Find out more about the book, including a sneak peek at the first chapter, at http://www.pambachorz.com. [close]

[close] Accountable provides real-life examples of how crucial issues -- including health care, education, the economy, unequal justice, and the environment -- manifest themselves in our communities. The book demonstrates the urgent need to hold politicians and ourselves responsible, because the stakes have never been higher. Accountable examines present-day conditions and the consequences for America. At its core, this book is a tool with which the community can evaluate the successes or failures of its political leaders and of itself. This insightful book acknowledges the mistakes of the past while offering hope and inspiration for a better future. [close]