It Needs To Look Like We Tried

"Todd Robert Petersen is crazy–talented, and the wild, weird, hilarious stories of It Needs to Look Like We Tried are just what’s called for in these bizarre, frightening times." —Richard Russo, author of Empire Falls and Trajectory A domino chain of failures draws Todd Robert Petersen's characters together in these interconnected stories, despite hopes, dreams, and their best–laid plans Everyone has a dream, an idea, a goal. But what happens when those desires are thwarted, when dreams and goals fall apart? In It Needs to Look Like We Tried, Todd Robert Petersen explores the ways in which our failures work on the lives of others, weaving an intricate web of interconnected stories. A fastidious man takes a detour on the way to his father’s wedding and kicks off a series of events that ricochets from the bride to her real estate clients; to a crazed former homeowner and his sister–in–law’s reality TV lover; to a hoarding family whose lives are wrecked by their appearance on the second–rate show. Their daughter decides to escape the gravity of her tiny town with the help of her boyfriend who has a not–quite–legal plan to scrape together enough money to fund their departure. On their way across the country, these star–crossed lovers encounter our fastidious man, and the Rube Goldberg machine of life continues. Their fling has petered out, and they are driving home, whatever home is left after walking away from everything they abandoned months before.

George Orwell set out ‘to make political writing into an art’, and to a wide extent this aim shaped the future of English literature – his descriptions of authoritarian regimes helped to form a new vocabulary that is fundamental to understanding totalitarianism. While 1984 and Animal Farm are amongst the most popular classic novels in the English language, this new series of Orwell’s essays seeks to bring a wider selection of his writing on politics and literature to a new readership. In Why I Write, the first in the Orwell’s Essays series, Orwell describes his journey to becoming a writer, and his movement from writing poems to short stories to the essays, fiction and non-fiction we remember him for. He also discusses what he sees as the ‘four great motives for writing’ – ‘sheer egoism’, ‘aesthetic enthusiasm’, ‘historical impulse’ and ‘political purpose’ – and considers the importance of keeping these in balance. Why I Write is a unique opportunity to look into Orwell’s mind, and it grants the reader an entirely different vantage point from which to consider the rest of the great writer’s oeuvre. 'A writer who can – and must – be rediscovered with every age.' — Irish Times

The visionary behind the million-strong IF:Gathering challenges Christian women to discover what it means to do life with God rather than always striving to impress him, in this trade paperback edition of her perspective-shifting work, which now includes bonus material to enhance your book club experience, including discussion questions and easy-to-create recipes. All too many of us struggle under the weight of life, convinced we need to work harder to prove to ourselves, to others, and to God that we are good enough, smart enough, and spiritual enough to do the things we believe we should. Author and Bible teacher Jennie Allen invites us into a different experience, one in which our souls overflow with contentment and joy. In Nothing to Prove she calls us to… * Find freedom from self-induced pressure by admitting we’re not enough—but Jesus is. * Admit our greatest needs and watch them be filled by the only One who can meet them. * Make it our goal to know and love Jesus, then watch what He does in and through us. As you wade into the refreshing truth of the more-than-enough life Jesus offers, you’ll experience the joyous freedom that comes to those who are determined to discover what God can do through a soul completely in love with Him. * * * * * “These pages are what your soul is begging for" —Ann Voskamp “Nothing to Prove takes us on a journey toward freedom from the need to measure up.” —Mark Batterson We love this glorious and universally resounding message.” —Louie and Shelley Giglio “This book will help you take your eyes off your problems and put them back on God’s promises.” —Christine Caine

By the time women reach their fifties, they've seen a lot of life. Many say it's the best time of their lives, filled with inner peace and contentment. For some, it's a jarring realization that their past is longer than their future. This leads them to think differently about the time they have left and what they want to do with it. In If No One's Looking, Do We Have to Try as Hard?, author Mary Hemlepp provides a snapshot of how some women over fifty think, what they look forward to, what advice they'd give to younger women, and how happy they are at this stage of life. It also includes life stories of women who've blazed trails, overcome adversity, and raised the bar. She explores issues relating to female health and fitness, relationships, finance, work life, and well-being. Based on interviews and informal discussions with hundreds of women, If No One's Looking, Do We Have to Try as Hard? communicates that getting older doesn't have to slow women down. Women over fifty are vibrant, busy women who enjoy life to the fullest.

Why does knowing more mean believing—and doing—less? A prescription for change The more facts that pile up about global warming, the greater the resistance to them grows, making it harder to enact measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare communities for the inevitable change ahead. It is a catch-22 that starts, says psychologist and economist Per Espen Stoknes, from an inadequate understanding of the way most humans think, act, and live in the world around them. With dozens of examples—from the private sector to government agencies—Stoknes shows how to retell the story of climate change and, at the same time, create positive, meaningful actions that can be supported even by deniers. In What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming, Stoknes not only masterfully identifies the five main psychological barriers to climate action, but addresses them with five strategies for how to talk about global warming in a way that creates action and solutions, not further inaction and despair. These strategies work with, rather than against, human nature. They are social, positive, and simple—making climate-friendly behaviors easy and convenient. They are also story-based, to help add meaning and create community, and include the use of signals, or indicators, to gauge feedback and be constantly responsive. Whether you are working on the front lines of the climate issue, immersed in the science, trying to make policy or educate the public, or just an average person trying to make sense of the cognitive dissonance or grapple with frustration over this looming issue, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming moves beyond the psychological barriers that block progress and opens new doorways to social and personal transformation.

Students and staff from KCL’s Social Sciences BA programme turn the research lens back on their own world and together explore the many challenges of ‘trying to do things differently’ in Higher Education. In doing so, they grapple with fundamental questions in education such as: how to meaningfully foreground democracy, partnership, and emotional care; the role and limits of free speech; and how to deconstruct enduring inequality and marginalisation. In a period of considerable change and challenge for education, there is surely no better time to be critically analysing the principles guiding our universities through the lens of real-life practice. "In a period when university arrangements are being rethought in the wake of COVID-19 and the resurgence of Black Lives Matter, this compelling text is both timely and forward looking. ‘We’re trying to do things differently’ successfully brings together first year undergraduates and lecturers to research, analyse and document how students and staff co-create meaningful educational experiences. The authors offer a nuanced picture of the centrality of relationships and recognition to the degree course. It shows how the students foreground love, kindness and social justice, rather than curriculum and outcomes, while being alert to the politics of difference and absence in higher education classrooms. The book draws on well-worn and innovative writing styles to produce analyses and arguments that are eye-opening, persuasive and raise difficult questions for future educational practices. This book is a must for anyone interested in championing excellence and social justice in higher education." Ann Phoenix, Professor of Psychosocial Studies, UCL Institute of Education "This is a book with a difference. It is based on critical scholarship and draws on reflexive analysis but – and this is the important and unique part - it is a book written mainly by university students about how to enact meaningful relationships in the academy. It takes as its substantive focus one new undergraduate programme but the agenda is about change, social justice and the hard work of real inclusion. This book stands as a wake-up call to all of us who care deeply about socially just education and democracy in our institutions of higher education. It is also a wonderful example of how to write something that really matters!" - Meg Maguire, Professor of Sociology of Education, King’s College London

"Today, about 98 percent of scientists affirm that climate change is human made, and about 2 percent still question it. Despite that overwhelming majority, though, about half the population of rich countries, like ours, choose to believe the 2 percent. And, paradoxically, this large camp of deniers grows even larger as more and more alarming proof of climate change has cropped up over the last decades. This disconnect has both climate scientists and activists scratching their heads, growing anxious, and responding, usually, by repeating more facts to 'win' the argument. But, the more climate facts pile up, the greater the resistance to them grows, and the harder it becomes to enact measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare communities for the inevitable change ahead. Is humanity up to the task? It is a catch-22 that starts, says psychologist and climate expert Per Espen Stoknes, from an inadequate understanding of the way most humans think, act, and live in the world around them. With dozens of examples, he shows how to retell the story of climate change and apply communication strategies more fit for the task."--Publisher's description.