The Color of Abolition: How a Printer, a Prophet, and a Contessa Moved a Nation

Historian and legal scholar Linda Hirshman builds upon her track record in relaying women-centered stories as she chronicles the movement that ended slavery in the United States. The Color of Abolition: How a Printer, a Prophet, and a Contessa Moved a Nation shares the story of the interracial alliance that fueled abolitionist activism in the years leading up to the Civil War. In this page-turner, Hirshman focuses on the significant events and dynamics in the abolitionist movement that brought together journalist William Lloyd Garrison, wealthy financier Maria Weston Chapman, and riveting orator Frederick Douglass.

The Color of Abolition is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn about the interracial alliance that changed the moral course of a nation. Hirshman does an excellent job of providing ample background on key personalities as she draws parallels between abolitionist tactics and the modern-day movement for racial equity. Then as now, Black women played a pivotal role in supporting the movement. The Black church was central to resistance against slavery. Abolitionists used the cutting-edge technology of the time – the printing press – to disseminate fugitive slave narratives in an effort to change hearts and minds.

Well-intentioned White abolitionists worked toward eliminating the mortal sin of slavery from the continent, but challenges remained. Readers and reformers who are well-versed in the history of justice-oriented, multicultural coalitions will recognize the all-too-familiar machinations of White dominance.

Editor's Note: This review was originally published in San Francisco Book Review.

Planting Our World

Quality human life is only possible with the biological, chemical, neurological, and even cultural benefits of co-existing with plants. Renowned botany expert Stefano Mancuso shares his high esteem for our plant relatives through essays depicting how plants have influenced humanity in Planting Our World. Originally written in Italian, the book was translated into English by Gregory Conti. Mancuso shares memorable stories about plant life, its relationship with human achievement, and history in various fields. The author’s storytelling approach is nuanced and engaging, as he anchors the poignant contributions of greenery to humanity’s past and future.

As a novice gardener, I reveled in Mancuso’s sincere fascination with plants. The vignettes highlighted in the book are awe-inspiring and informative. I learned that concentric rings of trees are linked with solar activity, and the importance of botany in forensic investigations. Mancuso has a distinctive storytelling style, often causing the vignettes to meander a bit. However, he always brings back the story to the topic at hand, making the throughlines visible.

Planting Our World is a timely read for anyone concerned about climate change threatening our finite resources, with forests at the center stage of ecological demise. Mancuso’s latest love letter to plants is a call to action to ensure the survival of our species.

Editor's Note: This review was originally published in Manhattan Book Review.

The Practice of Belonging

Isolation, separateness, and lack of openness to diverse perspectives have created what Lisa Kentgen calls a “crisis of connection.” Many Americans suffer from loneliness and poor mental and physical health because of the deterioration of social bonds, aided by a global public health crisis and political strife. In The Practice of Belonging, Kentgen unveils her findings about the qualities of vibrant and intentional communities that provide safety, inclusion, and healing. Kentgen conducted case studies among communities built around serving the chronically unhoused, people with disabilities, and incarcerated women to understand the impacts of acceptance, commitment to care, diversity, handling conflict, celebration, and hospitality on transforming how people relate to each other.

This book is an inspiring read for anyone looking to be a part of an intentional community: whether through transformation or creation. Kentgen conducted numerous interviews with community members of The Harmony Project, Community First! Village, L’Arche, and others to understand how people needed to change their way of thinking about relationships. Kentgen highlighted diverse voices in the well-researched and well-reasoned treatise. In addition, Kentgen also writes about what gets in the way, including lack of trust, unhealthy power dynamics, and unwillingness to confront racism and xenophobia. The balanced view helps to tell the whole story of the hard work required to create vibrant participatory communities.

Editor's Note: This review was originally published in Tulsa Book Review.

The Coach's Way

Prolific author Eric Maisel offers sound advice and food for thought throughThe Coach’s Way, a dynamic guide designed for business and personal coaches of various experience levels. The work of coaching others to realize their goals and improve performance requires disciplined strategies for introspection and self-reflection. With self-awareness as the grounding lesson in becoming a better coach, the book offers helpful tips for folks considering coaching as a profession and a refresher for those who want to enhance their craft. He shares examples from the business world, but his primary audience is people seeking to maximize their creative pursuits.

People work with coaches because they want to improve an aspect of their life. Coaches help others to navigate challenges and cultivate novel approaches to solving problematic patterns of behavior. I serve as a leadership coach for organizations looking to enhance diversity and inclusion efforts. The book is a helpful guide in seeing how I may enhance my interactions with clients. I appreciated Maisel’s emphasis on helping others as the foundational purpose of coaching. There are important lessons on how to encourage and hold people accountable to sustain the practice of newly adapted skills. The learnings also are relevant for people managers who help improve the performance of work teams.

Editor's Note: This review was originally published in Nashville Book Review.