What We Ve Lost Is Nothing

In her “keenly observed” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis) debut, Rachel Louise Snyder author of the award-winning No Visible Bruises, chronicles the twenty-four hours following a mass burglary in a Chicago suburb and the suspicions, secrets, and prejudices that surface in its wake. Nestled on the edge of Chicago’s gritty west side, Oak Park is a suburb in flux. To the west, theaters and shops frame posh houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. To the east lies a neighborhood still recovering from urban decline. In the center of the community sits Ilios Lane, a pristine cul-de-sac dotted with quiet homes that bridge the surrounding extremes of wealth and poverty. On the first warm day in April, Mary Elizabeth McPherson, a lifelong resident of Ilios Lane, skips school with her friend Sofia. As the two experiment with a heavy dose of ecstasy in Mary Elizabeth’s dining room, a series of home invasions rocks their neighborhood. At first the community is determined to band together, but rising suspicions soon threaten to destroy the world they were attempting to create. Filtered through a vibrant pinwheel of characters, Snyder’s tour de force evokes the heightened tension of a community on edge as it builds towards an explosive conclusion. Incisive and panoramic, What We’ve Lost Is Nothing illuminates the evolving relationship between American cities and their suburbs, the hidden prejudices that can threaten a way of life, and the redemptive power of tolerance in a community torn asunder. “Ideas abound in this thoughtful story, a demonstration of the author’s years of experience as a community organizer. What We’ve Lost Is Nothing has the stamp of authenticity” (The Washington Post).

Only one generation in history (ours) will experience life both with and without the Internet. For everyone who follows us, online life will simply be the air they breathe. Today, we revel in ubiquitous information and constant connection, rarely stopping to consider the implications for our logged-on lives. Michael Harris chronicles this massive shift, exploring what we’ve gained—and lost—in the bargain. In this eloquent and thought-provoking book, Harris argues that our greatest loss has been that of absence itself—of silence, wonder and solitude. It’s a surprisingly precious commodity, and one we have less of every year. Drawing on a vast trove of research and scores of interviews with global experts, Harris explores this “loss of lack” in chapters devoted to every corner of our lives, from sex and commerce to memory and attention span. The book’s message is urgent: once we’ve lost the gift of absence, we may never remember its value.

Is the church of the twenty-first century supposed to regain its former glory, or is it too late? Are the people of God in exile yet again? Have we lost our cultural footing and are now in desperate need to find a new way for the present millennium? Daniel was born into a nation of God-fearers, where the Scriptures were embraced and biblical values espoused. But that all changed with the Babylonian exile. Daniel's God, his values, and his faith had become irrelevant and even despised in his society. With the erosion of Christendom, Daniel's story has become the church's story! We've Lost. What Now? offers a clear, insightful, and relevant exposition of Daniel in order to empower believers to minister more effectively than ever before from the social and cultural margins the church now inhabits.

The acclaimed editor of The New York Times Book Review takes readers on a nostalgic tour of the pre-Internet age, offering powerful insights into both the profound and the seemingly trivial things we've lost. NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY CHICAGO TRIBUNE AND THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS • “A deft blend of nostalgia, humor and devastating insights.”—People Remember all those ingrained habits, cherished ideas, beloved objects, and stubborn preferences from the pre-Internet age? They’re gone. To some of those things we can say good riddance. But many we miss terribly. Whatever our emotional response to this departed realm, we are faced with the fact that nearly every aspect of modern life now takes place in filtered, isolated corners of cyberspace—a space that has slowly subsumed our physical habitats, replacing or transforming the office, our local library, a favorite bar, the movie theater, and the coffee shop where people met one another’s gaze from across the room. Even as we’ve gained the ability to gather without leaving our house, many of the fundamentally human experiences that have sustained us have disappeared. In one hundred glimpses of that pre-Internet world, Pamela Paul, editor of The New York Times Book Review, presents a captivating record, enlivened with illustrations, of the world before cyberspace—from voicemails to blind dates to punctuation to civility. There are the small losses: postcards, the blessings of an adolescence largely spared of documentation, the Rolodex, and the genuine surprises at high school reunions. But there are larger repercussions, too: weaker memories, the inability to entertain oneself, and the utter demolition of privacy. 100 Things We’ve Lost to the Internet is at once an evocative swan song for a disappearing era and, perhaps, a guide to reclaiming just a little bit more of the world IRL.

When the hen lays her eggs, the shells are soft and pliable, forming their durable armour as they experience the outside world. Each of us enters the world, with similar flawed and weak shells. Our shells are not broken and cracked by life, but are formed of the fragments that we encounter, piece by piece, growing more complete with each experience. What We Have Lost is a series of disconnected anecdotes in the lives of a family shaped by extreme poverty. These individual narratives chronicle the slow sculpting of the characters, as they fuse with their world, enveloped in mental illness. Molded by their mother’s paranoia, social isolation and obsessive drive to instill the hunger for learning and sense of duty to others, the four siblings evolve in unique and often pathological ways. Not knowing or understanding the bonds of familial love, Garry, Judy, Rob and Roger need to discover their own path to personal peace. None may make it. What We Have Lost exposes the cruelty of poverty. It opens up the heart of that world, in surprising and convoluted ways. The pathos is clear, the hidden pleasures need unearthing. What We Have Lost is a collection of anecdotes, but, as you read, you will find that they are far from disconnected, after all.

“A mock self-help book designed not to help but to provoke . . . to inveigle us into thinking about who we are and how we got into this mess.” (Los Angeles Times Book Review). Filled with quizzes, essays, short stories, and diagrams, Lost in the Cosmos is National Book Award–winning author Walker Percy’s humorous take on a familiar genre—as well as an invitation to serious contemplation of life’s biggest questions. One part parody and two parts philosophy, Lost in the Cosmos is an enlightening guide to the dilemmas of human existence, and an unrivaled spin on self-help manuals by one of modern America’s greatest literary masters.

“An essential guide for anyone experiencing loss.” —Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Life Grief is a journey that can lead to powerful, personal growth. With contributions from grief experts Russ Harris, Alexandra Kennedy, Sameet Kumar, Mary Beth Williams, and Soili Poijula, this thoughtful compilation will help you heal the pain of loss—no matter the cause—and move forward in life with a renewed sense of meaning and purpose. Grief comes in many forms. You may grieve a loved one who has passed on, a romantic relationship which has ended, the loss of a job you loved, or even a place you used to go that no longer exists or has changed. You may also be dealing with another kind of loss—a sense of who you are and how you can live your life in an increasingly uncertain and changed world. But what if you could transform your grief into lasting positive growth? Featuring excerpts from the authors’ previously published works, How to Grieve What We’ve Lost offers effective therapeutic tools based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and more. In the book, you’ll find strategies for immediate relief, including present-moment awareness and mindful breathing. You’ll learn to create a safe sanctuary for your grief, so you can honor your feelings and give them the space they deserve. And you’ll discover ways to create a support network, give voice to your sorrow, and share your humanity with others. This heartfelt guide also includes simple tools to help you: Identify the things that really matter to you Honor your grief Prioritize your mental health and self-care Learn and grow from your loss Whether you are struggling with your own loss or a collective sense of grief, the evidence-based skills in this book will help you mourn in healthy and resilient ways—leading to profound personal growth and a renewed sense of meaning and purpose in life.