Other books that might interest you

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  Jean Toomer - Writer for a New...

  George Hutchinson

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  A critical biography of Harlem Renaissance writer Jean Toomer and his lifelong struggle to transcend race, by an award-winning author 
   
  The poet and novelist Jean Toomer (1894–1967) was among the most influential figures of the Harlem Renaissance, inspiring generations of Black writers with his 1923 modernist masterwork Cane. Yet his mission was to awaken Americans to the formation of a new "American" race that would supersede the "old" racial categories. Award-winning biographer George Hutchinson reveals how Toomer's racial theory shaped both his literary genius and his personal struggles. 
   
  Born into the Black elite in Washington, D.C., Toomer was highly sensitive to the color line and able to move across it. Toomer engaged in a lifelong struggle to be released from this system, reinventing himself racially, spiritually, and artistically not as a Black man but as a "superman." From his early attraction to physical culture through his search for Cosmic Consciousness, Toomer aspired to shape a new modern sensibility alongside his bohemian contemporaries Georgia O'Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz, Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen. Yet his refusal to identify as Black, in tandem with his messianic calling, came at the cost of his literary career and the women who loved him. 
   
  Hutchinson shows how the tortures of American racism shaped Toomer's life—and how the struggle to birth a new "American" identity marks his art.

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  The Eight Spiritual Breaths

  Santosh Sachdeva

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  Breathing Exercises and Affirmations that transform your life "It is good of you to have come to pay homage to your Master and be with him in his final hours. But what would have been even better is that you would have continued with your practice." - The Buddha to his disciples When Padmasambhava, the renowned yogi and teacher at the University of Nalanda migrated to Tibet with a select group of disciples, he continued to share his knowledge with those he considered worthy to receive it. According to legend, among his teachings was a set of powerful Breathing Exercises designed to help human beings realise their highest potential. Centuries later, a spiritual seeker from the West journeyed to Tibet to learn this sacred knowledge. After returning, he formulated a course based on these Breathing Exercises that he taught to his students, and also offered through correspondence to spiritual aspirants everywhere. In 1977, this course of Breathing Exercises was taught by Swami K. S. Ramanathan, founder of the Brahma Vidya Mission in Mumbai. The author herself completed this course under the guidance of her guru, Justice M. L. Dudhat. A sincere and dedicated practise of the Eight Breathing Exercises, along with their respective Affirmations, can result in: * enhancement of creative potential * increased levels of calmness * improved health and higher energy levels * achievement of personal goals in an effortless manner. The course provides one with all the necessary steps required to achieve mastery of one's life across all dimensions. The Eight Spiritual Breaths is intended to serve as a guide to aspirants on the spiritual path and enable an increased and better understanding of who we are, and why we are here. This book has come at a time when we are now ready to take the challenge and responsibility of our own personal and spiritual growth.

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  Working Together to Restore...

  Margaret J. Wheatley

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  In this 2025 interview with Justine Willis Toms, Wheatley discusses the importance of creating "islands of sanity" in disruptive times to restore and awaken the human spirit. She emphasizes the need to face reality, understand the current landscape, and contribute meaningfully. Wheatley outlines five stages for solving complex problems: cooling (listening), enrichment (understanding diverse perspectives), magnetizing (inviting missing voices), compassionate destruction (letting go of old patterns), and pattern language (creating healthy groups). She advocates for conscious communities based on shared values and human qualities, and stresses the importance of being present, curious, and grateful. 
  Margaret J Wheatley, Ph.D. is an internationally acclaimed writer, speaker, and teacher. She began caring about the world's peoples in 1966 as a Peace Corps volunteer in postwar Korea. She is cofounder and President Emerita of The Berkana Institute, a charitable foundation that works with people around the world to strengthen their communities using the wisdom and wealth already present in their people, traditions, and environment. She is a guide in leading people back to understanding who we are as humans, being able to create the conditions for our basic qualities of generosity, contribution, community, and love. She is a grand contributor in creating an Island of Sanity in the midst of wildly disruptive seas.   
  Her books include: 
  Leadership and the New Science (Berrett-Kohler 1998) 
  Turning To One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope in the Future (Berrett-Kohler 2009) 
  Perseverance (Berrett-Kohler 2010)  
  Restoring Sanity: Practices to Awaken Generosity, Creativity & Kindness in Ourselves and Our Organizations (Berrett Kohler 2024) 
  Opening to the World As It Is: Poems of Experience (Berkana Publications 2024)

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  The Southernization of America -...

  Frye Gaillard, Cynthia Tucker

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  Pulitzer Prize-winner Cynthia Tucker and award-winning author Frye Gaillard reflect on the role of the South in America's long descent into Trumpism. In 1974, Southern author John Egerton published his seminal work, The Americanization of Dixie, reflecting on the double-edged reality of the South becoming more like the rest of the country and vice versa. Tucker and Gaillard dive deeper into that reality from the time that Egerton published his book until the present. They explore the "birtherism" of Donald Trump and the roots of the racial backlash against President Obama; the specter of family separation on our southern border, with its echoes of similar separations in the era of slavery; as well as the rise of the Christian right, demonstrations in Charlottesville, the death of George Floyd, and the attack on the capital—all of which, they argue, have roots that trace their way to the South. But Tucker and Gaillard see another side too, a legacy rooted in the civil rights years that has given us political leaders like John Lewis, Jimmy Carter, Raphael Warnock, and Stacy Abrams. The authors raise the ironic possibility that the South might lead the way on the path to redemption. They bring a multi-racial perspective and years of political reporting to bear on a critical moment in American history, a time of racial reckoning and of democracy under siege.

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  Madurai - The Eternal City Where...

  T Palanimuthu

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  Madurai is not just a city—it is a living timeline. 
  In Madurai: The Eternal City Where Time, Culture, and Soul Converge, T. Palanimuthu takes listeners on a journey across thousands of years, from the earliest human settlements to the vibrant modern city that stands today. 
  Blending history, storytelling, and reflection, this audiobook explores Madurai through ancient civilizations, Sangam literature, powerful dynasties, colonial resistance, political movements, and cultural identity. 
  Each chapter unfolds like a moment in time—revealing voices, emotions, and lived experiences that shaped one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. 
  This is not just history. 
  It is a narrative journey through culture, memory, and the enduring spirit of Madurai. 
  For listeners who love history, travel, and cultural storytelling, this audiobook offers an immersive experience that continues long after the final chapter.

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  Voices of Baseball's Shot Heard...

  Ralph Branca, Eddie Stankey,...

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  On October 3, 1951, the New York Giants’ Bobby Thomson hit a dramatic ninth inning game-winning home run off the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Ralph Branca at the Polo Grounds in the decisive third game of a three-game playoff to win the National League pennant. 
  It would be known in baseball lore as the "Shot Heard 'Round the World." 
  The game — the first ever televised nationally—was seen by millions of viewers across America and heard on radio by millions more, including thousands of American servicemen stationed in Korea, listening on Armed Forces Radio. 
  ©2015 Bobby Thomson (P)2015 Bobby Thomson

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