Hugged and hated by Hitler, cheered by Churchill, traumatized by Tracy and Turner, loved and wounded by luscious women--Paul Kuttner's life can only be described as an accumulation of sky-high adventurous summits and, on the other side of the human scale, an endless row of diabolically hard times. An early life of goo fortune turned when Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. Two meetings with the Gestapo, and an internment by the English on the Isle of Man for suspected spying later, and Mr. Kuttner made his way to the United States where he worked as a Hollywood reporter. This thrilling and poignant memoir recounts a sensational life filled with personal struggles and lingering memories of extraordinary encounters with Hollywood legends, a few saintly people, and some of the most heinous war criminals of the twentieth century.

With the mysterious event that devastated mankind now five months past, and winter fast approaching, Bobby, Becca and Myron hunt for game. Though life is not easy, it has at least settled into what now passes as normal. That is until they discover a band of hunters stalking human prey. For Mel, Caryn and Tara, the end of the world has been a constant struggle to survive. The new world has become chaotic and dangerous. Those with the power make the rules. Life has little value except in the depths of depravity in the minds of those who own you. Now, pursued by armed men, the three women are forced to flee or be sold into slavery. Bobby, Becca and Myron rescue the women, but are then hunted themselves. With time running out and the hunters closing in around them, the small band must find a place to make a stand, a place to survive.

This “excellent study of activist politics in the United States over the past century” challenges the conventional wisdom about participatory democracy (Times Literary Supplement). Freedom Is an Endless Meeting offers vivid portraits of American experiments in participatory democracy throughout the twentieth century. Drawing on meticulous research and more than one hundred interviews with activists, Francesca Polletta upends the notion that participatory democracy is worthy in purpose but unworkable in practice. Instead, she shows that social movements have often used bottom-up decision making as a powerful tool for political change. Polletta traces the history of democracy from early labor struggles and pre-World War II pacifism, through the civil rights, new left, and women’s liberation movements of the sixties and seventies, and into today’s faith-based organizing and anti-corporate globalization campaigns. In the process, she uncovers neglected sources of democratic inspiration—such as Depression-era labor educators and Mississippi voting registration workers—as well as practical strategies of social protest. Polletta also highlights the obstacles that arise when activists model their democracies after nonpolitical relationships such as friendship, tutelage, and religious fellowship. She concludes with a call to forge new kinds of democratic relationships that balance trust with accountability, respect with openness to disagreement, and caring with inclusiveness. For anyone concerned about the prospects for democracy in America, Freedom Is an Endless Meeting will offer abundant historical, theoretical, and practical insights.

In this collection of essays, interviews, and speeches, the renowned activist examines today’s issues—from Black Lives Matter to prison abolition and more. Activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis has been a tireless fighter against oppression for decades. Now, the iconic author of Women, Race, and Class offers her latest insights into the struggles against state violence and oppression throughout history and around the world. Reflecting on the importance of black feminism, intersectionality, and prison abolitionism, Davis discusses the legacies of previous liberation struggles, from the Black Freedom Movement to the South African anti-Apartheid movement. She highlights connections and analyzes today’s struggles against state terror, from Ferguson to Palestine. Facing a world of outrageous injustice, Davis challenges us to imagine and build a movement for human liberation. And in doing so, she reminds us that “freedom is a constant struggle.” This edition of Freedom Is a Constant Struggle includes a foreword by Dr. Cornel West and an introduction by Frank Barat.

Polk is an old semi-literate Greek immigrant and disillusioned Communist who hungers for respect, especially from young Rudy, whom he likes to think of as his son. Rudy, whose father died young, hungers for the life experience of this strangely appealing social misfit. The two spend a day in Coney Island seeking not so much amusement as each other. Polk's resistance to telling the unpalatable truth about himself is matched by the boy's insistence on hearing it, as well as by his youthful dream of a perfect revolutionary society, even if that must trample hapless individuals like Polk. The comedy of Polk's antics in his quest for admiration leads time and again to defeat throughout the day, from which Rudy tries to rescue him. Polk is in the end rescued only by his acceptance of his fate and by the devotion of "his son". But not even the life experience he has wrested from the old man can keep Rudy from his youthful Utopian illusions.

The Descent is the story of a woman who, crushed by a devastating separation, sets off on an inner journey to discover her true self, her heart, and free it from its shields, shackles and chains to be able to live her life fully, with joy and passion. Sophia is guided by her dreams. When she experiences her entire life crashing down around her, she finds herself buried under debris, mud and darkness. She crawls her way deeper into the darkness, to find what is hidden there. Each chapter begins with a dream, image and sometimes internal bodywork, followed by meaning, understanding and real life events and feelings around what is happening. Sophia, guided by her dreams, peels layer after layer of abuse-driven protection and barriers, unblocking constrictions and delving deep into darkness and pain to find the innermost beauty of a shining soul, trapped under many layers of protection, self-hate, guilt and fear, created from suffering to provide self-defence. Her dreams reveal the truth about herself, helping her understand who she truly is. She starts to understand her truth and her hidden unconscious. Sophia is drawn down into investigating her shadow, curious about what is hidden there, desiring to live a more fulfilled, aware, whole and happy life. What she encounters is at times surprising and heartbreaking, at times hopeful and joy-releasing. Discovering what has been hidden leads her to a new life, full of joy and understanding, compassion and forgiveness, contentment and peace. The Descent is written in a way that shows how dreams can lead us, how their symbolism can be interpreted and how they can be used to help guide us in our lives. It is a fascinating read for those who are feeling lost in life, as well as anyone who enjoys the story of an ordinary woman’s discovery of herself.

This inspiring, insightful new text provides a practical guide to helping clients live a meaningful and satisfying life despite the challenges they may be facing. Divided into three parts, it starts by drawing on empirical research to demonstrate the effectiveness of meaning-oriented practice and reviews a large body of literature on meaning in a wide-range of psychological and philosophical approaches, translating this into specific recommendations for practitioners. It continues by exploring the basic skill set required for working effectively in this area – from how to assess clients' needs and address issues of meaning, to specific existential, phenomenological and mindfulness skills. Finally, it provides a step guide to applying the skills to clinical practice with the support of examples and case studies from a range of professions. In what is still an emerging area of practice, this text stands alone as a comprehensive source of reference for both students and practitioners across the full range of people professions.