Current e-Journal

This week's eJournal is a special one
 Great Reads for Summer or Winter

People are always asking us for book recommendations. As we head into the depths of the season - whether you find yourself in mid-winter (in the southern part of the world) or mid-summer (up north) -  we thought we would take a moment to share 10 of our favorites.

Rather than suggest books that everyone is reading right now, we thought it would be fun to highlight some of these older favorites, as we find many people have not read them. Keeping the list to only 10 books wasn’t easy!

(Note: If possible, we urge you to ask your local, independent bookstore to get these books for you. If you prefer to purchase online, the links here are to Amazon, where a portion of your purchase will benefit Creating the Future.)

Here are our 10 picks for the season, wherever you are:

Rules for Radicals: A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals 
by Saul Alinsky 
First published in 1971, this is the bible of community organizing.

America in the King Years (3 book series) 
by Taylor Branch
The comprehensive story of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement, told by the people who were there, sharing their own personal take on those events. Through this Pulitzer Prize winning trilogy, you will relive what happened step by step via those 1^st person accounts.

From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want 
by Rob Hopkins 
This inspiring book is a call to action for unleashing our collective imagination. The book is filled with stories of individuals and communities around the world who are creating what is possible. Did we mention it is absolutely inspiring?

The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex
edited by INCITE: Women of Color Against Violence
A biting critique of the systems within which nonprofits operate, and the role those systems play in determining the degree to which change happens (or not). A must-read to navigate the issues our sector faces every day.

The Last Gift of the Master Artists
by Ben Okri
Ben Okri brings to life the magic and beauty that has been lost to history, as he imagines life in Nigeria immediately before the arrival of the Atlantic slavers. The only work of fiction on this list, this book is so beautiful and lyrical (and ultimately heartbreaking because we know how it ends) we just had to include it.

The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefine Democracy 
by Raj Patel
A pathway to thinking about economics and the choices we will all need to make in order to create a sustainable economy and society. Published during the aftermath of the 2008 economic crash, The Value of Nothing feels even more relevant today.

The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People
by Jonathan Schell
Offering a viable alternative to our planet’s continued reliance on war, Schell provides evidence that in addition to causing great harm, war is actually an ineffective way to address our problems. Given all that is happening right now in Ukraine, in Palestine, in Sudan, and elsewhere, this feels more relevant every day.

Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered
by E.F. Schumacher 
Named one of the Times Literary Supplement’s "100 Most Influential Books Since World War II," “Small Is Beautiful” presents logical arguments for building our economies around the needs of communities, not corporations. Rooted in the history that has led to our current crises, it is easy to see why Small is Beautiful remains a touchstone for creating a more sustainable world.

All That We Share: How to Save the Economy, the Environment, the Internet, Democracy, Our Communities and Everything Else that Belongs to All of Us 
by Jay Walljasper 
Collective Enoughness is on display on every page of this book! Filled with solutions for today's economic, political, and cultural issues, All That We Share is a practical field guide to the world of the commons.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley
Originally published in 1964, this is Malcolm X’s story in his own words.

Happy reading, everyone!