For a complete list of our book titles in this department, click on the categories on the toolbar in the left margin. The majority of our titles are listed in this department. But some books appear in the "Notable Books" and "Our Authors" departments. "Notable Books" are those which we feel are especially significant. The "Our Authors" department features writers who have an association with the Church of the Saviour who we also feel have written books of major significance.
All books in our inventory can be ordered either online through this web site or by calling the store at (202) 232-5483.
What impresses the reader initially is the breadth of is Berry's knowledge, his grasp of the connectedness of all things. And so the wide-ranging interviews touch on the writing process, meetings with Trappist monk and author Thomas Merton ("He had a lot of humor, and I think he knew something about how to be happy"), childrearing, negotiating a long marriage, and why certain breeds of sheep thrive only on hillsides. We meet his neighbors, past and present, human and animal, in the Port Royal, Kentucky farming community where he has lived for forty years.
Understanding deeply this interconnectedness, Berry avoids easy or faddish solutions. Although committed to the agrarian life, Berry does not advocate a wholesale "return to the country." As he points out, "We need people to stay in the cities and make them decent and livable again in order to have a healthy nation." Part of restoring health, as he emphasizes, is confronting how economic consolidation -- of land, enterprises, even schooling -- threatens democratic society. He does not underestimate the entrenched interests confronting diverse, human scale (and citizen-controlled) enterprise: "You've got to confront the very difficult economic problem of making a local supply and a local demand come into existence simultaneously. I don't know if that's ever been done before in the way we will have to do it. And nobody knows how well it's going to succeed. But there are hopeful signs." (p. 170)
Community is central to Berry's concerns as a farmer, writer and citizen. And for him, community is anchored in long residence in a specific location. To Berry, however, a true "native citizen" is not just someone occupying a space in any given locale; it implies both effort and commitment. As he writes about himself, on settling in Port Royal:
To live here responsibly meant that you had to accept responsibility for those blunders and errors and find, if you could, suitable remedies and corrections. So the word "citizen" occurs in that sentence because of its implications of responsibility. A citizen consciously assumes responsibilities that belong to the place, responding to the problems of the place…[It's] a very complex process, becoming consciously native. You ask where you are and how you should behave within the local circumstances and limits. (pp. 154-5)
As in many anthologies, some topics are repeated among the selections in this book. Sadly, too, many of the same problems Berry discusses as far back as 1973 - such as rising food costs, loss of land to development, and the ruinous social and ecological results of corporate farming -- are still with us and even intensifying, adding lost time and opportunity to the environmental challenges our country and world face.
Nevertheless, reading Berry is not a joyless experience. The felicity of his phrasing fills the book with beauty as well as bracing common sense and liveliness. For this reason, the book counts versatility as another of its virtues. It is a suitable introduction to the author for courses in literature, history, sociology and even economics. It would be ideal for discussion groups or paired with films on the environment. A brief introduction, reference list of Berry's published works, and a topical index add to the book's usability.
Wholeness, commitment and the hard work of real life are the qualities that shine through in Conversations with Wendell Berry. They are the components of this remarkable author's life and craft and, through this book, his gift to readers.
Reviewed by Gerri Williams Price: $22.00 In Stock Ships in one day.
Life at the beginning of the twenty-first century presents us with a disturbing reality. Otherness, the simple fact of being different in some way, has come to be defined as in and of itself evil. Miroslav Volf contends that if the healing word of the gospel is to be heard today, Christian theology must find ways of speaking that address the hatred of the other. Reaching back to the New Testament metaphor of salvation as reconciliation, Volf proposes the idea of embrace as a theological response to the problem of exclusion.
Increasingly we see that exclusion has become the primary sin, skewing our perceptions of reality and causing us to react out of fear and anger to all those who are not within our (ever-narrowing) circle. In light of this, Christians must learn that salvation comes, not only as we are reconciled to God, and not only as we "learn to live with one another," but as we take the dangerous and costly step of opening ourselves to the other, of enfolding him or her in the same embrace with which we have been enfolded by God.
Miroslav Volf is Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale University Divinity School. A native Croatian, he writes out of his own firsthand experience of teaching in Croatia during the war in former Yugoslavia.
Price: $26.50 In Stock Ships in one day.
Price: $18.95 In Stock Ships in one day.
In this book Paul Hawken looks at the ways in which people are using imagination, conviction and resilience to redefine their relationship to the environment and to one another. It is the story of what is going right in the world, what he describes as "coherent, organic, self-organized congregations involving tens of millions of people dedicated to change."
Says David James Duncan: "Many books describe the world in ways that break our hearts. Blessed Unrest invokes a heartbreak from which light pours....This is a work of enormous love and consequence. Every compassion-driven soul who reads it will be stunned by the scope and power of the movement we've inadvertently formed." Price: $24.95 In Stock Ships in one day.
In Dead Wrong: Violence, Vengeance & the Victims of Capital Punishment, Stack focuses on death penalty cases in which individuals were wrongly convicted and later exonerated. But the book also sheds light on some ways that these cases impact victims and their families.
Going beyond moral and political arguments against the death penalty, the author -- who also is a lawyer -- presents case studies and events that highlight the very personal dimensions of capital cases and their impact on the individuals involved. The book centers on three compelling stories of individuals who were wrongly convicted and then finally, after many years had passed and new information emerged, were exonerated. Each case offers illustrations of major factors that contribute to the miscarriage of justice in death penalty cases: mistaken eyewitness identification, ineffective defense counsel, and systemic misconduct and corruption, all frequently colored by aspects of racism.
The first story, which concerns a defendant wrongly convicted on the basis of mistaken identity, actually does not involve the death penalty. It is included as a case study here because it documents the problems associated with inaccurate eyewitness identification and faulty human memory of crime details that often are part of wrongful convictions in death penalty cases. The end of this story features a moving reconciliation between the crime victim and the wrongly accused.
The second account is a graphic demonstration of misconduct and systemic corruption, influenced significantly by racial attitudes, in the criminal justice system. The third case highlights the role of inadequate defense counsel.
The book also provides appropriate historical context and background on the death penalty issue to give the reader a good reference point for the case studies. In that regard, the chapter describing Illinois governor George Ryan's deliberations leading up to his dramatic commutation of 167 death penalty sentences in his state in January, 2003, is fascinating. The reader comes away with a good feel for the complexities, emotions, and differing perspectives of the sides involved in this most emotional issue.
From this chapter, you get the sense that Governor Ryan engaged himself in a sincere and gut-wrenching process of fact-finding and soul-searching on the death penalty, a process that encompassed to some degree basically his entire four-year term of office. This account also describes the views of other parties involved-the victims' families, the families of death row inmates, defense attorneys and prosecuting attorneys. The reader gains some sense of the respective viewpoints in the process, with the role that the feelings of victims' families played in Ryan's internal struggle especially well represented.
Throughout his narratives, Stack includes important background information and research that sheds further light on the issues and undercurrents involved in capital cases. He also offers a chapter with a thorough discussion summarizing causes and proposed remedies for wrongful convictions.
The book concludes with another compelling piece-an Afterword written by a representative of Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights, an organization of family members of victims of murder and state execution working to oppose the death penalty from a human rights perspective. The Afterword is enlightening in its discussion of the many ways the death penalty affects victims' families. It also presents viewpoints that contradict conventional wisdom and common assumptions about how victims' feel and react in dealing with the loss of loved ones through violence.
Stack comes to the death penalty issue through personal experience of pro bono work for the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. He also had experience working in the Public Defender's Office in Missouri. He spent three years researching and writing the book, which is based on personal interviews with individuals involved in the cases, media accounts of the cases, public documents and published research relevant to criminal justice issues.
"The best part of working on the book for me," Stack said in an interview, "was meeting all these amazing people, and getting a sense of the life experience and also the profound sadness which has touched, in different ways, the lives of both the wrongly accused and the victims. Their stories enriched my journey through this book."
In all, the book succeeds in its aims of giving a human face to this controversial issue and raising the visibility of the death penalty's problems, and it does a credible job of synthesizing some of the recurring reasons for wrongful convictions. Stack has made a significant contribution to death penalty literature and the book merits a thoughtful reading.
Reviewed by Tom Taylor, Potter's House Bookstore Manager Price: $39.95 In Stock Ships in one day.
A deeply moving and intimate portrayal of one woman’s life, her battle with cancer, and eventual death, recounted through both her husband’s and her own journal entries.
Book Description “This book has become not only a poignant tale of a husband caring for his dying wife and the process of healing following her death, but also a book about a relationship awakening, about longed-for intimate moments found, and about the imprints Teresa’s life has left on those she left behind.” —From the Foreword by Henriette Kellum
Bruce Lugn lost his wife of fifteen years, Teresa Wilk, to inflammatory breast cancer in 2000. For fifteen months, the couple had climbed mountains of hope and descended into valleys of despair. Together, they share their emotionally charged journey in this deeply moving collection of journal entries and letters written by both husband and wife during Teresa’s illness and after her death.
Teresa was many things, a social worker, mother, stepmother, friend, artist, writer and wife. She was strong, smart, talented, independent, compassionate and always curious about life. For Bruce, Teresa’s death marked the beginning of a powerful pilgrimage of grieving and rebuilding. Their struggles and triumphs, in their own unedited words, celebrate a loving marriage and family, honor both life and death, and express gratitude for the continuance of life after the unimaginable loss of a beloved spouse.
From the Heart is a meaningful tribute not only to Teresa, but also to the memories and lives of the many courageous women and families who have faced breast cancer. Price: $18.95 In Stock Ships in one day.
BOOK REVIEW
In November 2001, Bev Cosby asked if I would read a manuscript on centering prayer. He explained that the author was a young man serving a life sentence in prison who was hungry for feedback on his work. I knew very little about centering prayer and was not drawn to the practice. Bev persisted, explaining that my background on a seminary faculty could provide a fresh perspective. I agreed.
THE WAY OF THE PRISONER spoke to me with its integrity and passion. I was struck by the author's grasp of the biblical, theological and spiritual foundations of the contemplative tradition. The book reflects a pastoral sensitivity and a generous spirit. By using his life as an example of integrating the principles of centering prayer, he points out how readers can transform their crosses, their prisons, whatever they may be, into the means of their salvation.
Soering's authenticity moved me, emerging out of his own despair and brokenness. His embrace of centering prayer enabled him not only to survive, but even to benefit from eighteen years of hard time. Quite an achievement! Now his prayer practice shapes his Christian discipleship, offering him a new way of understanding, a new way of living as self-emptying service (Philippians 2).
It is one thing to write about prayer in a monastery or even in a parish setting. It is quite another to approach the task within a daunting prison context. The issues discussed in the book are of immense importance, yet the author writes in a readily understandable style with a light touch and a wry sense of humor. I was so inspired by the book that I began practicing centering prayer and continue to this day. The book serves as an invaluable spiritual guide to me. Soering has a rare gift - the ability to deal with deep issues of the human spirit. He affirms that prayer does not lead to withdrawal but rather to move out into the world with renewed compassion and strength.
THE WAY OF THE PRISONER has been used as a text in our Servant Leadership School. I hope you will read and work with my friend's book. It is a rare treasure for hungering spirits.
Reviewed by Dick Busch, Friends of Jesus Church Price: $19.95 In Stock Ships in one day.
From the creators of More-with-Less and Extending the Table comes a new World Community Cookbook that provides recipes and reasons to eat seasonal foods grown locally.
Sponsored by the creators of More-with-Less and Extending the Table, Simply in Season elaborates on the physical and moral benefits of eating in season—much like More with Less elaborated on world hunger. Some benefits with these recipes are better taste and nutrition, local variety, better environmental impact, and supporting local farmers.
The book is divided into seasons rather than food categories. One of the recipes that is a favorite culinary memory of my childhood is listed in the Spring section: Dandelion Bacon Salad. We never called it a salad; it was just “Dandelion Greens”. My mother served it as a vegetable which we put on boiled potatoes that we smashed on our plates with our forks. Dandelion Greens with Bacon Dressing was one of the things we loved about springtime.
Each recipe has an appropriate comment below the name of the recipe. Also included in the book are comments by the contributors as well as the editors. With more than 450 contributors and volunteer recipe testers from around the world, there is a wealth of good eating and helpful suggestions contained in this 352-page book.
Culinary arts guru Graham Kerr (Galloping Gourmet and The Gathering Place, both of PBS) says, “No matter where you live there is a farm within a drivable distance, and...increasing numbers of farmers’ markets sell fresh produce in the center of many large cities. These farmers….around the world…are people we need to cherish and support.” Kerr goes on to say that eating simply and in season is a positive choice we make that will aid in “the healing and rebirth of all that is part of God’s creation. [In Simply in Season] expect to be lovingly challenged in your decision to eat what is fresh and in season….always know that someone somewhere can have life and hope because of your choices.”
Reviewed by Audrey A. Metz, Potter’s House Bookservice Price: $24.99 In Stock Ships in one day.
Faith and justice always has been a major theme in the book selections at the Potter’s House. With our center city location, much of the focus has been on injustice faced in inner city neighborhoods and on issues of poverty, hunger and racial reconciliation. The issues of peace, nonviolence, international justice and the environment also have received a strong emphasis.
With Fatal Harvest Reader, which the Potter’s House has been carrying for the past year, our book selection moves into a too-often neglected area of social justice – agriculture and the agrarian economy. This anthology takes us beyond urban limits to reveal the great problems that the industrialized system of agriculture now dominant in the global economy presents for the world at large, including urban areas.
In more than 30 essays by leading agrarian and ecological thinkers, the devastating effects of industrial agriculture and agribusiness are thoroughly presented and explained. The book begins by debunking seven popular myths promulgated by supporters of industrial agriculture. It then moves on to examine the paradigm thinking behind agribusiness and compares it to the possibilities for a more healthy and whole agriculture involved with a renewed agrarian consciousness and ethic.
That agrarian mindset is best defined by its most articulate defender, Wendell Berry, in one of the essays he contributed which leads off the book’s discussion of the agrarian ethic.
“The agrarian mind is, at bottom, a religious mind,” writes Berry. “It prefers the Creation itself to the powers and quantities to which it can be reduced.” Elsewhere in the same essay, Berry states: “The fundamental difference between industrialism and agrarianism is this: whereas industrialism is a way of thought based on monetary capital and technology, agrarianism is a way of thought based on land.”
“The agrarian mind,” he goes on to say, “begins with the love of fields and ramifies in good farming, good cooking, good eating, and gratitude to God. The…arts of farm and forest…are taken for granted or ignored or held in contempt by the powers of the industrial economy. But in fact they are inescapably the foundation of human life and culture…”
Having made the case for the agrarian approach to agriculture, the book details the great environmental – and human – costs that result from the industrialized and corporate approach. Along the way, we learn about the “disconnect” between food consumers and the agricultural system, the ill effects on human health and the substantial loss of topsoil, biodiversity and farm communities that are the consequences of dependence on industrial agriculture. The essays ably illustrate how these costs are felt well beyond the rural and agrarian world – ultimately affecting urban as well as rural communities, the developed as well as the developing nations, human existence as well as animal and plant existence.
One contributor, Debi Barker of the International Forum on Globalization, ties food and resource scarcity in Third World countries to disruptions in local ecosystems caused by the globalized industrial agriculture system. This scarcity, she says, has contributed to the violent ethnic and tribal conflicts in regions of Africa and in the Indian state of Punjab.
The collection concludes with a group of essays presenting an alternative vision for agriculture, involving the growing organic farming movement and other alternative agricultural practices. The goal, in the words of book editor Andrew Kimbrell, who is executive director of the Center for Food Safety, is “a food system that respects farmers, communities, the land, biodiversity, and the wild.” He hopes the book will help readers “truly understand that each action we take in deciding which foods to buy, grow, or eat creates a very different future for ourselves and the earth.”
For anyone concerned about root causes of injustice in the modern world, the Fatal Harvest Reader is a sobering book that makes an extremely important contribution to the discussion.
Reviewed by Tom Taylor, Potter’s House Bookservice Price: $19.95 In Stock Ships in one day.
CCBot/1.0 (+http://www.commoncrawl.org/bot.html) /POTTERSHOUSE/wc.dll Using:2.4.10 Since:07/28/10 06:06:30 AM
