The Way It Is And The Way It Never Will Be

The definitive edition of the classic, myth-shattering history of the American family Leave It to Beaver was not a documentary, a man's home has never been his castle, the "male breadwinner marriage" is the least traditional family in history, and rape and sexual assault were far higher in the 1970s than they are today. In The Way We Never Were, acclaimed historian Stephanie Coontz examines two centuries of the American family, sweeping away misconceptions about the past that cloud current debates about domestic life. The 1950s do not present a workable model of how to conduct our personal lives today, Coontz argues, and neither does any other era from our cultural past. This revised edition includes a new introduction and epilogue, exploring how the clash between growing gender equality and rising economic inequality is reshaping family life, marriage, and male-female relationships in our modern era. More relevant than ever, The Way We Never Were is a potent corrective to dangerous nostalgia for an American tradition that never really existed.

From Best-Selling Author R. T. Kendall What if I told you the "new normal" is that nothing will be normal again? As recent events have unfolded, not only America but the entire world has been brought to the precipice of the most challenging moments of our lifetimes. But while these times seem unprecedented and unchartered to us, they are not to God. Much like He said to Joshua and the children of Israel standing on the edge of the Promised Land, God now says to us: "You have never been this way before" (Josh.3:4). God's word is tender, challenging, and scary. God knows where we've been and where we are going. As we cope with extraordinary new outbreaks of disease, racism, and cultural upheaval, we have been forced to recognize that we are not prepared for this. Nobody is. Yet there is hope. In this timely message, trusted theologian R. T. Kendall helps you navigate the way forward by exploring how God led His people in the past. Along the way, he answers questions such as: Where is God in all this? What do Christians have to offer the rest of the world during these times? Did the devil cause these things? Did God cause them? If God allowed these things to happen, then why? Just like today's Christians, the people of great faith listed in Hebrews 11 had to grapple with things that had not been encountered before. They needed unprecedented faith to accomplish God's purpose in unprecedented times. Join R. T. Kendall on this journey to understand what God is saying to His people in this critical hour, the ways He has already equipped you to face these uncertainties, and how to know His plan for your future. This book will help you understand what God is saying to us during this time of uncertainty and change.

“I can see this book helping estranged parties who are equally invested in bridging a gap—it could be assigned reading for fractured families aspiring to a harmonious Thanksgiving dinner.” —New York Times “Like all skills, these techniques take practice. But anyone who sincerely wants to bridge the gaps in understanding will appreciate this book. Guzmán is emphatic about making an effort to work on difficult conversations.” —Manhattan Book Review We think we have the answers, but we need to be asking a lot more questions. Journalist Mónica Guzmán is the loving liberal daughter of Mexican immigrants who voted—twice—for Donald Trump. When the country could no longer see straight across the political divide, Mónica set out to find what was blinding us and discovered the most eye-opening tool we’re not using: our own built-in curiosity. Partisanship is up, trust is down, and our social media feeds make us sure we’re right and everyone else is ignorant (or worse). But avoiding one another is hurting our relationships and our society. In this timely, personal guide, Mónica, the chief storyteller for the national cross-partisan depolarization organization Braver Angels, takes you to the real front lines of a crisis that threatens to grind America to a halt—broken conversations among confounded people. She shows you how to overcome the fear and certainty that surround us to finally do what only seems impossible: understand and even learn from people in your life whose whole worldview is different from or even opposed to yours. Drawing from cross-partisan conversations she’s had, organized, or witnessed everywhere from the echo chambers on social media to the wheat fields in Oregon to raw, unfiltered fights with her own family on election night, Mónica shows how you can put your natural sense of wonder to work for you immediately, finding the answers you need by talking with people—rather than about them—and asking the questions you want, curiously. In these pages, you’ll learn: How to ask what you really want to know (even if you’re afraid to) How to grow smarter from even the most tense interactions, online or off How to cross boundaries and find common ground—with anyone Whether you’re left, right, center, or not a fan of labels: If you’re ready to fight back against the confusion, heartbreak, and madness of our dangerously divided times—in your own life, at least—Mónica’s got the tools and fresh, surprising insights to prove that seeing where people are coming from isn’t just possible. It’s easier than you think.

The Way It Is (And The Way It Never WIll Be) is a novel. Somewhat able to be considered a so-called "novel of ideas" The Way It Is deals with the possibility of creation and the way art reflects - and becomes one with - reality.