Community Development

In this inspiring book, founders of The Holistic Life Foundation Ali Smith, Atman Smith, and Andres Gonzalez describe how they have spent the past twenty years teaching yoga, meditation, and breathwork to thousands of at-risk kids in Baltimore schools helping them to develop deep reserves of patience, empathy, resolve, and—when needed—the righteous anger that fuels deep structural change. Their work has received wide national attention due to their remarkable results.

You are meant to be in relationships that bring joy and connection—that help you know soul-deep peace and leave you feeling loved instead of lonely. Instead, surface-level friendships, filtered social media feeds, unresolved conflicts, and unhealthy relationships can often seem to harm our self-worth, spiritual growth, and mental health—and keep us from the very relationships that could bring that true connection.

Author and pastor David Kim shares his experiences with loneliness as a Korean American immigrant and delivers compelling research about belonging that includes the revolutionary five anchors for developing meaningful relationships.

Living in a neighbourhood means sharing your space and your life with others. Being a good and caring neighbour can make all the difference in creating a harmonious and enjoyable living environment. Whether you've just moved in or have been living in your neighbourhood for years, it's essential to know how your actions and behaviours affect those around you.

Drawing on dozens of intimate audio interviews with families from all across the country, award-winning psychologist and writer Andrew Solomon redefines what it means to be an “ideal family” in America today. Solomon observes that America, led in large part by the women’s, civil rights, and gay rights movements, has undergone a radical social shift in the last few decades. Although the structure of family has changed, economic and legal structures lag behind and need to adapt to accommodate this explosive new reality.

Listen to How to Be a Mindful Drinker: a practical support plan to help you take control of your alcohol intake, with tools to track progress, deal with triggers, social stresses, and stay on track for the long term. Fed up with weekend hangovers? Motivated by budgetary or health concerns? Or just want to feel your best every day of the week? Without preaching or waffling, How to Be a Mindful Drinker will help you to understand your drinking behavior and plan your self-moderation goals.

Are you consumed with a busy life but unsure how to slow down? Do you desire connection within your community and think, Absolutely, but I don't have time for that or I can't create that? What if there was another way through it all, a way to find those moments of peace and to create a time for honest, comfortable connection? What if meeting neighbors and connecting with friends was as simple as showing up and being available?

Bitterness often grows out of a small offense. Perhaps a passing word, an accidental shove, or a pair of dirty socks left in the middle of the living room floor. Yet, when bitterness takes root in our hearts, its effects are anything but small.

We are ready to rise up. But how, exactly, do we do this? How does one reconcile? What we need is a clear sense of direction. Based on her extensive consulting experience with churches, colleges and organizations, Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil has created a roadmap to show us the way. She guides us through the common topics of discussion and past the bumpy social terrain and political boundaries that will arise. In this revised and expanded edition, McNeil has updated her signature roadmap to incorporate insights from her more recent work.

Life changes dramatically for the entire family when the decision is made to move a person who has dementia from home to community care. Rachael Wonderlin - a gerontologist, dementia care expert, and popular dementia care blogger - helps caregivers cope with the difficult behaviors, emotions, and anxieties that both they and their loved one may experience.

You matter. Not because of what you earn or how you look or what you’ve achieved, but because you are inherently valuable. Author Matthew Emerzian takes this seemingly simple premise and shows listeners how truly understanding their own worth will change every aspect of their lives. You Matter is a call to empathy and a joyous celebration of the value of each and every person. You Matter is a manifesto of self-esteem and call to action for people to find their meaning and live fully - and change the world while doing so.

David Korten argues that global corporate consolidation of power is but one manifestation of what he calls "Empire", the organization of society by hierarchies of dominance that have held sway for the past 5,000 years. Empire has always resulted in misery for the many and fortune for the few. Now it threatens the very future of humanity. The Great Turning traces the ancient roots of Empire and charts its long evolution from monarchies to the transnational institutions of the global economy.

Social isolation can shatter our confidence. In isolating times, we're not only lonely, but we're ashamed of our loneliness because our society stigmatizes people who are alone without support. As a single, 58-year-old woman who finds herself stranded after major surgery, Val Walker has woven into the narrative her own story. A well-established rehabilitation counselor, she was too embarrassed to reveal on social media how utterly isolated she was by asking for someone to help, and it felt agonizingly awkward calling colleagues out of the blue.

Structured into three sections - "belonging," "resistance," and "acceptance" - and informed by personal history, community stories, and deep research, Fat Girls in Black Bodies breaks down the myths, stereotypes, tropes, and outright lies we've been sold about race, body size, belonging, and health. Cox's razor-sharp cultural commentary exposes the racist roots of diet culture, healthism, and the ways we erroneously conflate body size with personal responsibility.

There is an epidemic that is going on. It is estimated that one out of every two mothers are affected by it. No one is talking about it, but a lot of women feel it. Intense fatigue, emotional fluctuations, memory issues, hormonal and other health complications, which for some, can be debilitating and even life-threatening.

The Listening Coach is a practical audio guide. It will help you coach yourself through the elements of listening that are critical in life, in business, and in your community. It is easy to listen to and digest and packed with practical ideas, so you can convert its insights into deeper ways of listening. Peppered with conversations and real-world case studies, you will discover the transformational impact of deep and generative listening. The Listening Coach will help you make a positive difference in the lives you encounter as you answer five key questions.

Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is a priceless tool for anyone who identifies as transgender, questions their gender identity, or wants to learn more about and support the transgender community. This comprehensive book equips listeners with the knowledge, compassion, and resilience they need to successfully manage their particular journeys through its wealth of facts, personal accounts, and helpful advice.

Do you wake up in the morning and still feel tired? Do your supposedly relaxing activities actually just feel like another thing to check off that to-do-list? Do you feel like you never really have time to recharge? It’s time to rethink rest! Rest is no longer about just getting a good night’s sleep or taking an evening to relax on the couch and watch TV. It’s a radical act of self-care that asks you to take into account all the different aspects of yourself that need to rest and take a break. And The Little Book of Rest has everything you need to get started.

The Brave and Fearless Community is a new awakening and movement to an unknown pathway of encouraging others, living free of regrets, loving one another and being in the present. It provokes thought about challenging the unknowns to discover your greatest talents and gifts. How many times has fear prevented you from living your best life? How many times has fear left you questioning or doubting yourself for years or even decades? Why is it that we back away from what scares us so much? Why is it difficult to have fear of confronting past hurts to start living in the present?

A companion to the acclaimed film Bully, this audiobook brings the story of the documentary beyond the closing credits, continuing the national conversation inspired by the film. Personal anecdotes from prominent antibullying activists and celebrities alongside essays from renowned experts, authors, government officials, and educators offer powerful insights, resources, and concrete steps to combat the bullying epidemic. An essential part of any campaign to decrease bullying and increase empathy, the audiobook also follows the stories of the families featured in the film beyond the big screen.