A Glorious Liberty


Book Description

2021 Choice Outstanding Academic Title In this timely and provocative book, Damon Root reveals how Frederick Douglass's fight for an antislavery Constitution helped to shape the course of American history in the nineteenth century and beyond. At a time when the principles of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence were under assault, Frederick Douglass picked up their banner, championing inalienable rights for all, regardless of race. When Americans were killing each other on the battlefield, Douglass fought for a cause greater than the mere preservation of the Union. "No war but an Abolition war," he maintained. "No peace but an Abolition peace." In the aftermath of the Civil War, when state and local governments were violating the rights of the recently emancipated, Douglass preached the importance of "the ballot-box, the jury-box, and the cartridge-box" in the struggle against Jim Crow. Frederick Douglass, the former slave who had secretly taught himself how to read, would teach the American people a thing or two about the true meaning of the Constitution. This is the story of a fundamental debate that goes to the very heart of America's founding ideals--a debate that is still very much with us today.




Reconstructing Damon


Book Description

Fifth-century Athenian musical and political theorist Damon was the first to study music's psychological, behavioural, and political effects, profoundly influencing debates on music theory throughout antiquity. Considered by Isokrates to be the most intelligent Athenian of his age, Damon worked alongside Perikles during the most vibrant decades of Athens' democracy. Probably using fourth-century BC sources, Olympiodoros records that 'Damon taught Perikles the songs through which Perikles harmonized the city'. However, musical and political entanglements caused this teacher-theorist to be ostracized from Athens for ten years, at the height of Perikles' power. Reconstructing Damon is the first comprehensive study of the most important theorist of music and poetic meter in ancient Athens, detailing his extensive influence, and providing the first systematic collection, translation, and critical examination of all ancient testimonia for him. In doing so, this volume makes an important contribution to a number of key fields, including classical Greek music and music theory, fifth-century philosophy (particularly the sophists), political history including the growth of democracy, and the life and career of Perikles.




The Coffee Bean


Book Description

From bestselling author Jon Gordon and rising star Damon West comes The Coffee Bean: an illustrated fable that teaches readers how to transform their environment, overcome challenges, and create positive change. Life is often difficult. It can be harsh, stressful, and feel like a pot of boiling hot water. The environments we find ourselves in can change, weaken, or harden us, and test who we truly are. We can be like the carrot that weakens in the pot or like the egg that hardens. Or, we can be like the coffee bean and discover the power inside us to transform our environment. The Coffee Bean is an inspiring tale that follows Abe, a young man filled with stress and fear as he faces challenges and pressure at school and home. One day after class, his teacher shares with him the life-changing lesson of the coffee bean, and this powerful message changes the way he thinks, acts, and sees the world. Abe discovers that instead of letting his environment change him for the worse, he can transform any environment he is in for the better. Equipped with this transformational truth, Abe embarks on an inspirational journey to live his life like the coffee bean. Wherever his life takes him, from school, to the military, to the business world, Abe demonstrates how this simple lesson can unleash the unstoppable power within you. A delightful, quick read, The Coffee Bean is purposely written and designed for readers of all ages so that everyone can benefit from this transformational lesson. This is a book and message that, when read and shared, has the power to change your life and the world around you. You just have to decide: are you a carrot, egg, or coffee bean?




What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker


Book Description

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 An NPR Best Book of the Year A Washington Independent Review of Books Favorite of the Year From the host of podcast "Stuck with Damon Young," cofounder of VerySmartBrothas.com, and one of the most read writers on race and culture at work today, a provocative and humorous memoir-in-essays that explores the ever-shifting definitions of what it means to be Black (and male) in America For Damon Young, existing while Black is an extreme sport. The act of possessing black skin while searching for space to breathe in Americais 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. What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker chronicles Young’s efforts to survive while battling and making sense of the various neuroses his country has given him. It’s a condition that’s sometimes stretched to absurd limits, provoking the angst that made him question if he was any good at the “being straight” thing, as if his sexual orientation was something he could practice and get better at, like a crossover dribble move or knitting; creating the farce where, as a teen, he wished for a white person to call him a racial slur just so he could fight him and have a great story about it; and generating the surreality of watching gentrification transform his Pittsburgh neighborhood from predominantly Black to “Portlandia . . . but with Pierogies.” And, at its most devastating, it provides him reason to believe that his mother would be alive today if she were white. From one of our most respected cultural observers, What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker is a hilarious and honest debut that is both a celebration of the idiosyncrasies and distinctions of Blackness and a critique of white supremacy and how we define masculinity.




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.




Static


Book Description

After two years together, Alex has been dreading the inevitable moment when Damon learns the truth: that Alex is a shifter, part of a small percentage of the population able to switch genders at will. Thanks to a forced implant, though, Alex is suddenly static—unable to shift—and male. Overnight, he’s out to a world that neither understands nor tolerates shifters . . . and to his heterosexual boyfriend. Damon is stunned to discover his girlfriend is a shifter, and scared to death of the dangers the implant poses to Alex’s health. He refuses to abandon Alex, but what about their relationship? Damon is straight, and with the implant both costly and dangerous to remove, Alex is stuck as a man. Stripped of half his identity and facing serious physical and social ramifications, Alex needs Damon more than ever, but he doesn’t see how they can get through this. Especially if he’s static forever. This book was previously published. Note: This book was written several years ago, and since that time, the author's understanding of gender identity has evolved. Were Static to be written today, it would include (for example) non-binary identities rather than a male/female binary.




The Love Game


Book Description

Damon Holden hit me with his car. The gorgeous fool was drunk. So I did what any obsessed fan would’ve. I kidnapped him. After I first got over the shock that it was truly him; dreamy and delicious behind those mirrored shades, it was obvious what I had to do. I shoved him in my car, slammed the door, and drove away. As I zoomed around the streets of Paris, beside me dozing was the one and only bad boy tennis superstar. And, I know what you’re thinking: of course I activated the child-locks so he couldn’t fall out or escape! My hands were shaking and my heart was racing. It was crazy, I must’ve lost my ever-loving mind, but I didn’t dare turn back. There was only one problem. I didn’t plan it, it just happened. I was supposed to be on a relaxing vacation! What on earth was I going to do once I got him back to my apartment? Keep him? Handcuff him to the bed and have my wicked way with him? I wish… But a small, very naughty, voice inside my head was telling me to do just that. The Love Game is a full length contemporary sports romance novel set in Emilia Beaumont’s Damaged Bad Boy series. Perfect for fans of Lauren Blakely, Marquita Valentine, and Vi Keeland.




Corrupt Savior


Book Description

The monarch of Manhattan has met his match, but will he lose his crown... This is enemies-to-lovers romance at its most ruthless. I am a corrupt king, ruling a sinful empire. I wasn’t born to the crown. Nevertheless, I wear it well. Aislinn Granville is the Crown Jewel of my empire—my queen. To my enemies, she’s my Achilles heel—a perfect pawn. Without her, I am a wounded warrior. A ruthless, relentless beast. There is nowhere she can be taken that I won’t find her. No adversary I won’t crush to get her back. Even if I have to burn this city to the ground.




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."




Craved


Book Description

A seduction most deadly… Incubus Damon Cubins is running out of time. He must find a coveted crystal or face an eternity as the thing he hates most: a full-fledged demon. And while he’s tempted by the charms of Renee Maxwell, his curvy assistant, he has no time for desire and even less for love. But when he finds out his future is literally in her capable hands, he must choose between romancing the stone from her to save himself—or walk away to save her life and turn his back on everything he never thought he wanted. Scroll up and buy your copy today of Craved. The Incubus Desires Series is a collection of stand-alone, steamy paranormal romance that can be purchased separately and read in any order. Check out all four!