Motivated by a deeply rooted sense of place and community, Appalachian women have long fought against the damaging effects of industrialization. In this collection of interviews, sociologist Shannon Elizabeth Bell presents the voices of twelve Central Appalachian women, environmental justice activists fighting against mountaintop removal mining and its devastating effects on public health, regional ecology, and community well-being. Each woman narrates her own personal story of injustice and tells how that experience led her to activism. The interviews--many of them illustrated by the women's "photostories"--describe obstacles, losses, and tragedies. But they also tell of new communities and personal transformations catalyzed through activism. Bell supplements each narrative with careful notes that aid the reader while amplifying the power and flow of the activists' stories. Bell's analysis outlines the relationship between Appalachian women's activism and the gendered responsibilities they feel within their families and communities. Ultimately, Bell argues that these women draw upon a broader "protector identity" that both encompasses and extends the identity of motherhood that has often been associated with grassroots women's activism. As protectors, the women challenge dominant Appalachian gender expectations and guard not only their families but also their homeplaces, their communities, their heritage, and the endangered mountains that surround them. 30% of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to organizations fighting for environmental justice in Central Appalachia.

Our Roots Grow Deep- The Story of Rodale by Rodale, Inc. Hailed by some as a "visionary" and others as a "quack," Jerome Irving Rodale and his wife, Anna, moved from New York City to the rural community of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, where they bought a farm and lived the life they had only dreamed about. J. I.'s interest in chemical free food and his own health led to the creation of Organic Farming and Gardening magazine in 1942, and in 1950, to Prevention magazine. After J. I. suffered a fatal heart attack on the Dick Cavett Show in 1971, his son, Robert, took over and incorporated organic gardening and farming and preventive health care into more far-reaching areas of organic living, active lifestyles, and regenerative agriculture. After Bob died tragically in 1990, Ardie, Bob's widow, and their family carried on the tradition. The company, still privately owned and run, brought the concepts of organic food, healthy active living, and environmental responsibility to the mainstream, and now reaches some 25 million customers through Prevention, Organic Gardening, Men's Health, Women's Health, Best Life, Bicycling, Mountain Bike, Runner's World, and Running Times magazines; best-selling books such as An Inconvenient Truth, The South Beach Diet, The Doctors Book of Home Remedies, and Eat This, Not That!; multimedia Web sites; and numerous philanthropic activities. In this gorgeous, full-color volume loaded with photos and memorabilia, the story of the modest beginnings of this fascinating family and their sixty-plus years of tireless work that now helps millions of people worldwide live a more whole life is now available for the first time.

Understanding Roots uncovers one of the greatest mysteries underground—the secret lives and magical workings of the roots that move and grow invisibly beneath our feet. Roots, it seems, do more than just keep a plant from falling over: they gather water and nutrients, exude wondrous elixirs to create good soil, make friends with microbes and fungi, communicate with other roots, and adapt themselves to all manner of soils, winds, and climates, nourishing and sustaining our gardens, lawns, and woodlands. Understanding Roots contains over 115 enchanting and revealing root drawings that most people have never seen, from prairies, grasslands, and deserts, as well as drawings based on excavations of vegetable, fruit, nut, and ornamental tree roots. Every root system presented in this book was drawn by people literally working in the trenches, sketching the roots where they grew. The text provides a verydetailed review of all aspects of transplanting; describes how roots work their magic to improve soil nutrients; investigates the hidden life of soil microbes and their mysterious relationship to roots; explores the question of whether deep roots really gather more unique nutrients than shallow roots; shares the latest research about the mysteries of mycorrhizal (good fungal) association; shows you exactly where to put your fertilizer, compost, water, and mulch to help plants flourish; tells you why gray water increases crop yields more than fresh water; and, most importantly, reveals the science behind all the above (with citations for each scientific paper). This book contains at least eighty percent more new information, more results of the latest in-depth and up-to-date explorations, and even more helpful guidelines on roots than the author’s previous book (Roots Demystified: Change Your Garden Habits to Help Roots Thrive). This is not a revised edition—it’s a whole new stand-alone book.

Gathers stories and essays about Pennsylvania childhoods, cities, heritage, and state history.

"Takes theology out of the ivory tower and enables you to apply it to where you live every day."--Back cover.

Beset by such controversies as whether they have the right to search students' lockers for guns and drugs, big city schools are making adjustments unimaginable in earlier eras, when detention was still sufficient for keeping order. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is one city trying to cope with the educational challenges of the twentieth century. Seeds of Crisis examines the ways in which these challenges have affected the politics of education, the curriculum, the work of teachers and principals, and the everyday lives of students in Milwaukee. Since the problems facing urban schools are similar from city to city, a close and careful look at the historical roots and origins of the situation in Milwaukee can serve as a model for those working on solutions in other places. The contributors touch on topics from curriculum to desegregation in the Milwaukee public schools, setting the schools' histories within a broader context of the changing urban scene and educational policy issues. Taken together, these essays offer an unusual perspective on the development of a major urban school system as it prepares to face the future.

A child’s sandbox is a place where creativity and fun are synonymous. Likewise, our ministries should be fun, inspiring, and challenging. Leading from the Sandbox is a how-to manual for developing high-impact teams in your ministry or church. A great leader’s resource, it is ideal for the pastor or leader who wants to deal with team members in a positive way, determine a central ministry focus, mentor others, and much more.

We live in a polarized time. Christians are quick to conceive of themselves either as theologically-minded or worship-minded; either thinking Christians or feeling Christians. The results are damaging: theology without worship is muted, stifled, and cold, and worship without theology is ungrounded, unrooted, and uninformed. This is not the way it was meant to be. Theology (our study and knowledge of God) should always lead to doxology (our worship of Him). Worship should always be rooted in theology. When we study the nature and character of God as revealed in his Word, we are invited to respond in the affectionate, obedient discipleship of worship. How can we keep our theology from being mere head knowledge? How do we give our worship roots that will last? By fixing our eyes on God Himself—the object of our study and the object of our worship. Fix Your Eyes is an invitation to understand core doctrines of the Christian faith and apply them in our daily worship of God. It walks believers through key theological concepts and shows how each can be lived out in daily life.

Morgan Matson meets Maggie Stiefvater in a story that will make you believe in friendship, miracles, and maybe even magic. Cottonwood Hollow, Kansas, is a strange place. For the past century, every girl has been born with a special talent, like the ability to Fix any object, Heal any wound, or Find what is missing. To best friends Rome, Lux, and Mercy, their abilities often feel more like a curse. Rome may be able to Fix anything she touches, but that won’t help her mom pay rent. Lux’s ability to attract any man with a smile has always meant danger. And although Mercy can make Enough of whatever is needed, even that won’t help when her friendship with Rome and Lux is tested. Follow three best friends in this enchanting debut novel as they discover that friendship is stronger than curses, that trust is worth the risk, and sometimes, what you’ve been looking for has been under your feet the whole time.

The African proverb states, "When the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind." A complementary precept is, "When the branches are strong, there is no reason to fear climbing higher."Trees are the ideal metaphor for the growth and development of individuals and families across generations. Sturdy trees have deep roots and strong branches, and when exposed to threatening winds, trees grow stress wood, making them even more resilient.Previous generations have nurtured our life's tree, and we then assume stewardship and the responsibility to tend the tree for future generations-further deepening roots and strengthening branches. We can best do this if we develop a sense of self, mindfully answering three questions: 1) Who am I? 2) How did I become this person? 3) How will I affect future generations?In Deep Roots; Strong Branches, Alan Spector reflects on his answers to these questions and prompts the reader to do the same. He uses his life's stories and lessons learned, combines them with the stories and lessons of many others, and invites stories and learning from the reader. Hence the subtitle, Reflecting on Life Lessons Learned; A Mindful Multi-Memoir.