Ten Little Astronauts


Book Description

The U.N. Owen is adrift in interstellar space. With no lights, no life support, no help for ten trillion miles, it seems as though things can't get any worse. Then, they find a body. Ten astronauts are woken from suspended animation to deal with a crisis on board their ship. Selected from a crew of thousands, none of them knows any of the others: all they know is that one of their number is a murderer. And until they work out who it is, none of them can go back to sleep.




What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker


Book Description

“A blazing memoir in essays” (Entertainment Weekly) that explores the ever-shifting definitions of what it means to be black (and a man) in America. An NPR Best Book of the Year A Washington Independent Review of Books Favorite of the Year A Finalist for the NAACP Image Award A Finalist for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Nonfiction A Finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor Longlisted for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay For Damon Young, existing while black is an extreme sport. The act of possessing black skin while searching for space to breathe in America is enough to induce a ceaseless state of angst, where questions such as “How should I react here, as a Professional Black Person?” and “Will this white person’s potato salad kill me?” are forever relevant. Both a celebration of the idiosyncrasies and distinctions of blackness and a critique of white supremacy and how we define masculinity, What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker is a hilarious and honest debut that chronicles Young’s efforts to survive while battling and making sense of the various neuroses his country has given him. “Young delivers a passionate, wryly bittersweet tribute to Black life in majority-white Pittsburgh . . . A must read.” —Booklist (starred review) “Young’s charm and wit make these essays a pleasure to read; his candid approach makes them memorable.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)




Matt Damon


Book Description

Looks at the life and career of the popular actor, describing his childhood in Massachusetts, friendship with actor and co-writer Ben Affleck, love life, work on Good Will Hunting, and plans for the future.




Damon, Pythias, and the Test of Friendship


Book Description

Outside of ancient Syracuse on the island of Sicily, there lived a cruel ruler named Dionysius. He trusted no one. Nearby lived two best friends, Damon and Pythias. One day Pythias spoke out against Dionysius, who quickly ordered his execution, to take place in one month. Pythias wanted to return to his elderly parents to say goodbye and arrange for their care. Dionysius laughed, not trusting that Pythias would return. Damon stood up and offered to take Pythias' place until he returned. The ruler agreed only after stipulating that if Pythias did not come back, Damon would die instead. When the execution day arrived, Pythias had not returned, but Damon still believed that his friend would be there if he could. Just in time, Pythias ran in, offering up his own life for his friend's.




The Worth of Water


Book Description

From the founders of nonprofits Water.org & WaterEquity Gary White and Matt Damon, the incredible true story of two unlikely allies on a mission to end the global water crisis for good On any given morning, you might wake up and shower with water, make your coffee with water, flush your toilet with water—and think nothing of it. But around the world, more than three-quarters of a billion people can’t do any of that—because they have no clean water source near their homes. And 1.7 billion don’t have access to a toilet. This crisis affects a third of the people on the planet. It keeps kids out of school and women out of work. It traps people in extreme poverty. It spreads disease. It’s also solvable. That conviction is what brought together movie actor Matt Damon and water expert and engineer Gary White. They spent years getting the answer wrong, then halfway right, then almost right. Over time, they and their organization, Water.org, have found an approach that works. Working with partners across East Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, they’ve helped over 40 million people access water and/or sanitation. In The Worth of Water, Gary and Matt take us along on the journey—telling stories as they uncover insights, try out new ideas, and travel between the communities they serve and the halls of power where decisions get made. With humor and humility, they illuminate the challenges of launching a brand-new model with extremely high stakes: better health and greater prosperity for people allover the world. The Worth of Water invites us to become a part of this effort—to match hope with resources, to empower families and communities, and to end the global water crisis for good. All the authors’ proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to Water.org.




The Chief Diversity Officer


Book Description

This volume addresses the role of chief diversity officers as coordinating and integrating diversity leaders in higher education and other sectors.Having established in a companion volume the parameters for an effective diversity strategy, the authors address such questions as: What is a chief diversity officer? How might we create dynamic chief diversity officer infrastructures? What models of CDO structure exist in the academy? What misperceptions often confound the work of officers and the institutions they work within? What key competencies are necessary to lead as a CDO? How does the CDO role compare across higher education, non-profit, and corporate sectors? And how might the role serve as an important contributor to a collaborative vision for change and transformation in the academy?This book begins by delineating the evolution of the chief diversity officer role in the academy. Drawing on extensive qualitative and quantitative research on CDOs conducted for the purposes of this volume, it describes how the scope and responsibilities are variously defined at the organizations where the position has been created, and offers insights into the complexities and challenges of the role.On the basis of this data and the literature on organizational design and change management, the authors define the requisite skills, knowledge and background to be effective, review the alternative organizational and governance structures under which CDOs operate, and in so doing present the Chief Diversity Officer Development Framework as a basis for recruiting candidates, for structuring the position to succeed, and for providing prospective and incumbent CDOs with a realistic sense of the scope of the role.This title is also available in a set with its companion volume, Strategic Diversity Leadership.




The God Who Riots


Book Description

For thousands of years, religious messages have been used to either uphold the status quo or upend it. And while we are all very familiar with the kind of conservative Christianity that suppresses liberation and justifies oppression, progressive Christians are just as guilty of upholding unjust systems when we prioritize harmony and unity over justice. True justice requires us to choose sides. True justice requires action. When we look at Scripture, we see that the God of the Bible was never neutral. Again and again God chooses the side of the oppressed. Jesus said the Spirit of the Lord anointed him "to let the oppressed go free," and those of us who claim to follow Jesus today must commit to this radical mission of liberation. In The God Who Riots, popular YouTuber and public theologian Damon Garcia uses his frank, tell-it-like-it-is style to connect us with the Jesus who flipped tables in the temple and led an empire-destabilizing movement for liberation. The spirit of this God is embodied in today's protests, riots, and strikes. As we join this struggle for liberation, we are joining the God who riots alongside us, within us, and through us.




The New Analog


Book Description

An NPR Best Book of 2017 "This is not a book about why vinyl sounds better; it's way more interesting than that . . . it] is full of things I didn't know, like why people yell into cellphones . . . Ultimately, it's about how we consume sound as a society - which is, increasingly, on an individual basis." --NPR "If you're a devoted music fan who's dubious about both rosy nostalgia and futuristic utopianism, Damon Krukowski's The New Analog is for you." --The New York Times Book Review "A pointedly passionate look at what's been lost in the digital era." --Los Angeles Times What John Berger did to ways of seeing, well-known indie musician Damon Krukowski does to ways of listening in this lively guide to the transition from analog to digital culture Having made his name in the late 1980s as a member of the indie band Galaxie 500, Damon Krukowski has watched cultural life lurch from analog to digital. And as an artist who has weathered the transition, he has challenging, urgent questions for both creators and consumers about what we have thrown away in the process: Are our devices leaving us lost in our own headspace even as they pinpoint our location? Does the long reach of digital communication come at the sacrifice of our ability to gauge social distance? Do streaming media discourage us from listening closely? Are we hearing each other fully in this new environment? Rather than simply rejecting the digital disruption of cultural life, Krukowski uses the sound engineer's distinction of signal and noise to reexamine what we have lost as a technological culture, looking carefully at what was valuable in the analog realm so we can hold on to it. Taking a set of experiences from the production and consumption of music that have changed since the analog era--the disorientation of headphones, flattening of the voice, silence of media, loudness of mastering, and manipulation of time--as a basis for a broader exploration of contemporary culture, Krukowski gives us a brilliant meditation and guide to keeping our heads amid the digital flux. Think of it as plugging in without tuning out.




Pain Drives Change


Book Description

"Off the Charts! Grand slam home run!" Greg Von Tobel, President and Founder of Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministries All of us have pain.....most of us waste it As he sat in the back of the police car, hands cuffed and heading to jail, Damon was abandoning his young family like he'd been abandoned so many times as a child. Could what happened on this night finally help him overcome 30+ years of hell and heartache, or would the generational curses he so desperately wanted to stop continue through his children? Damon grew up with alcoholism, divorce, homelessness, life in foster homes, sexual abuse, and deep rooted anger towards his parents. As an adult he struggled with bipolar, domestic violence, time in jail, depression, addiction, failed relationships, divorce, homelessness, and a teenage daughter struggling with addiction. In Pain Drives Change Damon shares how embracing this pain in his life transformed him. His story offers a path and practical tools for personal change in our times of pain. Endorsements: "A riveting story of God's redemptive power. I have used Damon's story to help hundreds of my clients." Dr. Jim A. Talley, drtalley.com, author Reconcilable Differences, Too Close Too Soon, and multiple other books "I'm honored to endorse Pain Drives Change because I was an eyewitness to much of it. What makes this book unique-it's not just a riveting story but the author actually takes you on the journey with him and in so doing encompasses your own journey. All of us have pain in our lives, but this book shows us how pain can propel us into our greatest victories in life." Dr. Don Ross, author "Turnaround Pastor" and Leader of Northwest Ministry Network "I have always loved Damon's transparency, his passion for Jesus, and his ability to see things in life-changing ways other people just plain miss. All of us have pain. Most of us waste it. In Pain Drives Change, Damon will show you, from his life experience, how to maximize it for God's great purpose in your life." Boyd Pelley, Co-founder & President Churchteams.com, member of Damon's online men's group "A brilliant book! Damon opens up and tells the story of the difficult experiences he had growing up lost, damaged, and poor; he digs down to the pain and looks it in the eye. In so doing, he creates a clear path for the reader to do the same. What follows is a template for breaking the damaging cycles that often get passed on to the next generation. As a father, he essentially earns the right to be heard with his children because he is filled with love, courage, self-control, wisdom, and forgiveness. Children, preteens, and adolescents watch their parents to see if they can respect them. Because of his courageous choices, he has a chance with his kids. Read on If you want to learn how to build a stable marriage relationship, blend a family, and lead your preteen out of drugs while being held in the faithful embrace of a loving God." Sharon Hartnett, Ph.D. Emerita Faculty in the School of Education at Seattle Pacific University "An incredibly motivating story. There are few people one meet's in their life who have the gift to listen more than they talk. With Damon, this trait is profound, genuine and authentic. He has been a 'difference maker' in my life and has provided me with constant and consistent motivation though his wisdom, his passion for life, his love of the Lord, and now his incredible story as told in his book Pain Drives Change! This book will certainly make you look both spiritually and conceptually at the relationships that are placed in your life's journey, and how reflection can lead to redemption and ultimately internal and eternal peace. " Bill Marsh, Head Football Coach Cedar Park Christian Schools "Amazing - courageous and moving. It will inspire many to action and to dare hope." Dr. Pam Bryan "I was in tears while reading it. I need my whole family to read your story. Very inspiring and priceless."




Igniting Movements


Book Description

Creating Awareness Is Not Enough Drawing upon historical movements and movement theory, interviews with the executive leadership of today's most exciting global nonprofits, real world experience leading humanitarian operations, and a career as a decorated Special Ops officer in the United States military, in Igniting Movements author Damon Friedman provides a model for building effective movements, inspiring people to come together under a singular vision to make the world a better place. Hope, drive, and faith is not alone enough to spark a global movement. Visionary leadership, a shared cohesive ideology, effective organizational structure, and powerful strategic messaging--these are the "Four Pillars" around which effective movements are built and real positive change is made.