Journalist and applied behavioral scientist Elizabeth Weingarten charts a new path to embrace the questions of our lives instead of seeking fast, easy answers.What do you do when faced with a big, important question that keeps you up at night? Many people, understandably, seize answers dispensed by “experts,” influencers, gurus, and more. But these fast, easy, one-size-fits-all solutions often fail to satisfy, and can even cause more pain.What if our questions—the ones we ask about relationships, work, meaning, identity, and purpose—are not our tormentors, but our teachers? Inspired by 150-year-old advice from Austrian poet Rainier Maria Rilke and backed by contemporary science, Elizabeth Weingarten offers a fresh approach for dealing with these seemingly unsolvable questions. In her quest, Weingarten shares her own journey and the stories of many others, whose lives have transformed through a different, and better, relationship with uncertainty.Designed to inspire anyone who feels stuck, powerless, and drained, How to Fall in Love with Questions challenges us to unlock our minds and embark on the kind of self-discovery that’s only possible when we feel most alive—that is, when we don’t know what will happen next.
#1 New York Times BestsellerOver5 million copies soldIn this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be "positive" all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.For decades, weve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "F**k positivity," Mark Manson says. "Lets be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it." In his wildly popular Internet blog, Mason doesnt sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it isa dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, lets-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up. Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited"not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault." Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek. There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.
From award-winning author Gary D. Schmidt, a warm and witty novel in the tradition of The Wednesday Wars, in which a seventh grader has to figure out how to fulfill a seemingly impossible school assignment—and learns about friendship, community, and himself along the way.Herc Beal knows who he's named after—a mythical hero—but he's no superhero. He's the smallest kid in his class. So when his homeroom teacher at his new middle school gives him the assignment of duplicating the mythical Hercules's amazing feats in real life, he's skeptical. After all, there are no Nemean Lions on Cape Cod—and not a single Hydra in sight.Missing his parents terribly and wishing his older brother wasn't working all the time, Herc figures out how to take his first steps along the road that the great Hercules himself once walked. Soon, new friends, human and animal, are helping him. And though his mythical role model performed his twelve labors by himself, Herc begins to see that he may not have to go it alone.
It was the election America dreaded, a rematch between the two oldest men to serve as president. But somewhere along the way, the 2024 battle for the White House became the most jaw-dropping, heart-pounding, head-turning contest in American history. The ride was so wild that it forced a sitting president to drop his re-election bid, a once and future president to survive felony convictions and a would-be assassin’s bullet, and a vice president, unexpectedly thrust into the arena, to mount an unprecedented 107-day campaign to lead the free world. Fight is the backstage story of bloodsport politics in its rawest form—the clawing, backstabbing, and rabble-rousing that drove Donald Trump into the White House and Democrats into the wilderness. At every turn, the combatants went for the jugular, whether they were facing down rivals in the other party or their own. Bestselling authors Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes give readers their first graphic view of the characters, their motivations, and their innermost thoughts as they battled to claim the ultimate prize and define a political era. Based on real-time interviews with more than 150 insiders—from the Trump, Harris, and Biden inner circles, as well as party leaders and operatives—Fight delivers the vivid and stunning tale of an election unlike any other.In the end, Trump overcame voters’ concerns about his personal flaws by tapping into a deep vein of dissatisfaction with the direction of the country. At the same time, Democrats struggled to connect with an electorate that felt gaslit by Biden’s insistence that he had delivered economic prosperity—and his pledge to be a “bridge” president. He tore his party asunder, leaving destroyed personal relationships in his wake, as he clung to power. And when he gave it up, he kneecapped Harris by demanding unprecedented loyalty from her.As Allen and Parnes have done in the #1 New York Times bestseller Shattered and Lucky, they provide readers with a skeleton key to the rooms where it all happened, revealing a story more shocking than previously reported.
An Instant New York Times Bestseller!A revealing account of National Security Advisor H.R. McMasters turbulent and consequential thirteen months in the Trump White House.At War with Ourselves is the story of helping a disruptive President drive necessary shifts in U.S. foreign policy at a critical moment in history. McMaster entered an administration beset by conflict and the hyper partisanship of American politics. With the candor of a soldier and the perspective of a historian, McMaster rises above the fray to lay bare the good, the bad, and the ugly of Trumps presidency and give readers insight into what a second Trump term would look like.While all administrations are subject to backstabbing and infighting, some of Trumps more unscrupulous political advisors were determined to undermine McMaster and others to advance their narrow agendas. McMaster writes candidly about Cabinet officials who, deeply disturbed by Trumps language and behavior, prioritized controlling the President over collaborating to provide the President with options.McMaster offers a frank and fresh assessment of the achievements and failures of his tenure as National Security Advisor and the challenging task of maintaining ones bearings and focus on the mission in a hectic and malicious environment.Determined to transcend the war within the administration and focus on national security priorities, McMaster forged coalitions in Washington and internationally to help Trump advance U.S. interests. Trumps character and personality helped him make tough decisions, but sometimes prevented him from sticking to them. McMaster adroitly assesses the record of Trumps presidency in comparison to the Obama and Biden administrations.With the 2024 election on the horizon, At War with Ourselves highlights the crucial importance of competence in foreign policy, and makes plain the need for leaders who possess the character and intellect to guide the United States in a tumultuous world.
NAACP nominee andUSA Todaybestselling author Beverly Jenkins celebrates her beloved Blessings series with a heartwarming novel set in Henry Adams, Kansas.If you havent yet gotten your hands on [this] authors work, you should do so immediately.ShondalandTamar July, town matriarch of Henry Adams, KS, is being haunted by dreams of her humiliating wedding day, sixty years ago, when she discovered her intended, Joel Newton, was already married. The truth left her furious, heartbroken, and carrying a child, her son Malachi Mal July. Why are these dreams coming to her now? And is the great horned owl perched on her backyard shed somehow connected? When Joels legitimate son comes to Henry Adams wanting to meet his half-brother, Mal, Tamar must deal with her past, her anger, and explore what it means to truly forgive.Tamar isnt the only one being tested.Teenager Devon July wants to be anyone but himself. When he first arrived in Henry Adams, as an eight-year-old foster child, he wanted to be a preacher. Then, to be like his adopted brother, Amari. Now, hes decided to be a variant of James Brownwig includedrather than who he really is, a boy who lost his beloved grandmother and is the son of a mentally challenged woman. Will Tamar be able to guide his spirit quest and place him on the road to finally being at peace within himself?As the big August 1st celebration nears, town owner Bernadine Brown has a lot on her plate, chief among them, what to do with former mayor Riley Currys monstrous tribute to his hog Cletus. There are no secrets in Henry Adams, but theres never a dull moment either.
The first comprehensive English collection from one of the worlds most influential mysticsAttarthe twelfth-century Sufi the poet Rumi called his master.Twelfth-century Persian poet Attar (11451221) was Rumis teacher and, though his work is beloved around the world, he is mostly unknown to English readers. Translated in simple, elegant language by award-winning poet Sholeh Wolpone among generations of poets influenced by Attar's poetryThe Invisible Sun is a beautiful treasury of Attars most prescient poetry, offering comfort and inspiration.Attar was one of the most important Sufi poets in the East, comparable in stature and influence to John Milton in the West. In Western thought there is a sharp separation between day-to-day human experience and the transcendence of religion and spirituality. But Sufi philosophy teaches that while the soul awaits its release from the confines of the body, it can experience the other world through mystic union achieved by an inward journey to purify the self.The Invisible Sun widely introduces the work of Attarthe master Rumi called the spirit and himself its shadowto American readers as never before. Profound yet exquisite in its simplicity, bringing comfort and wisdom, Attars poetry continues to resonate today:Everything, large and small, honors your existence,dont look at yourself with contempt.There is nothing greater than you.
USA Todaybestselling author Charis Michaels concludes her delicious Hidden Royals series in this enchanting romance between a young woman, unaware of her royal birth, and the rugged sea captain who comes to claim her as his future wife.Princess Danielle Allard dOrleans grew up believing that she was a simple village girl raised in Kent by surrogate parents. That simple life vanishes when she discovers shes actually a princess in hiding especially as the first order of royal business is to marry a war hero shes never met.Captain Luke Bannock wasnt trying to become a heroand even less so, a husband. But he shows selfless courage in a fierce Naval battle and the Crown offers him a reward for valor. His chosen prize? The hand in marriage of an obscure princess, living in exile. The reason? Revenge against his sworn enemy.What begins as an arranged marriage between a village girl and a cynical captain evolves into dance of passion and self-discovery. As Luke helps Dani reckon with her secret royal blood, his thirst for revenge is replaced by desire for his new wife. The shock and hurt burn away, and an all-consuming love sails this fated couple into their happily ever after.
From New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman, a thrilling and moving chapter in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series involving several emotionally complex cases that will test the detectives in different ways.
From the bestselling author of The Spellshop comes the award-winning first book in an adult epic fantasy series of malevolent nature spirits, a young woman's uncertain destiny, a deadly competition, and family found along the way-available in trade paperback for the first time. Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . . Only those spirits want to kill you. It's the first lesson that every Renthian learns. What is a queen?In Renthia, the queen is the one human with enough magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. For the very spirits the humans rely on to live-wood, earth, water, air, fire, and ice-at the same time possess an instinctual drive to exterminate them. The queen is chosen for her ability to control the spirits, but she is also mortal, so to ensure the humans' survival, potential heirs to the queen's role are rigorously trained to take her place. And there is concern that Fara, the current queen, is weakening. What is a champion?With the stakes literally life and death, competition at the academy is fierce and demanding. Years ago, spirits slaughtered almost everyone in her village until young Daleina was able to drive them off with power she didn't know she possessed. Now struggling to equal the magical strength of her fellow trainees at the academy, she comes under the tutelage of a disgraced champion, Ven, who has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks, and the mysterious healer Hamon. What is a family?Joining forces, they embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits' restlessness-a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand together against both enemies and friends to save their land...before it's bathed in blood.
A visual portrait commemorating Kamala Harris's historic role as Vice President of the United States and her hard-fought run for the highest office in the land--selected from the official White House photographers and beautifully curated in the spirit of Pete Souza's #1 New York Times bestseller, Obama: An Intimate Portrait. With an introduction by New York Times bestselling author Joy Reid.Kamala Harris has helped lead the United States through monumental crisis and change, and few have had fuller access to the most important moments in her career than the Official White House Photographers. From her four years in office as Vice President to her exuberant campaign for the Oval Office, their photographs capture American history as it unfolds.Featuring more than 200 photographs in rich full-color, Kamala Harris is the first book to gather the official photographs of Harris's historic career. They include pivotal moments like defending the Affordable Care Act and the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, and solemn moments of duty, like calling Tyre Nichols's mother in the wake of yet another murder at the hands of police. We see Harris alongside the American people, in expressions of solidarity with the queer community in her native California, and in a selfie with recent grads of Howard University. There are quieter moments, too, with her husband Doug Emhoff, and with her friends Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Harris's own words accompany these beautifully reproduced photographs. From the White House and Air Force Two to visits with the American people in towns and cities across the country, here is Kamala Harris behind the scenes.Carefully curated by the editors of Mariner Books and reproduced to the highest standards, this visual celebration of Kamala Harris's groundbreaking political career is perfect for anyone living through this monumental moment in American history.
“This is a beautiful book, full of ideas that could help restore America’s genius for freedom and promise.” —Thomas Moore, New York Times bestselling author of Care of the SoulA lifelong Emersonian scholar, teacher, and spiritual seeker reveals how American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson’s twelve essential teachings hold the answer to living an authentic and fulfilling life, one that is in harmony with our souls.Ralph Waldo Emerson was a spiritual revolutionary whose profound vision of human potential came to define the American character. Known as America’s original Stoic, he offered a radical message of optimism, authenticity, and self-realization that is more necessary today than ever.In this timely, remarkable book, noted memoirist and teacher Mark Matousek reveals the depths of Emerson’s extraordinary wisdom, demonstrating how his timeless philosophy can help us navigate the challenges of contemporary life. Using personal stories, psychological research, and life lessons from Emerson and his contemporaries—including Thoreau and Whitman—he offers practical lessons in the art of living.They include:ON ORIGINALITY—Character is everythingON PERSPECTIVE—You are how you seeON NONCONFORMITY—Build your own worldON RESILIENCE—Without confidence, the universe is against youON VITALITY—A stream of power runs through youAnd moreEmerson’s far-reaching vision of excellence and spiritual flourishing is the medicine we need to heal ourselves. “Trust yourself,” he teaches. “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” This philosophy of hope, known as transcendentalism, is the vein of gold in the American psyche. Lessons from an American Stoic helps us to reclaim our national treasure.
The Investigators meet The First Cat in Space in this hilarious graphic novel. Fairy and Mouse will forever change young readers' perspectives on stepmothers, princes, and pumpkins as they help Cinderella set things right when her carriage veers off course.Every fairy tale needs a fairy. Because sometimes stories go off the rails, and this fairy knows just what to do to fix them.Actually, he doesn't . . . He makes it up as he goes along.And sometimes he needs help. A lot of help. Which is where Mouse comes in.Together, she and Fairy will make sure this tale has a happily ever after--just maybe not the one you expect.
A poignant coming-of-age story with the sensitivity and haunting power of What Belongs to You and Swimming in the Dark, about a young boy wrestling with his sexuality as war breaks out in modern Ukraine. In many ways, twelve-year-old Artems life in Chernihiv, Ukraine, is normal. He spends his days helping on his grandfathers sunflower farm, drawing in his sketchbooka treasured gift from his father, who works in Americaand swimming in the river with his little brother, Yuri. In secret, Artem has begun wrestling with romantic feelings for his best friend, Viktor. In a country where love between two boys is unthinkable, Artem has begun to worry that growing up, his life will never be normal.Then, on a February night, Artem and Yuri are woken by explosionsthe beginning of a war that will tear their life in two. The invading Russians destroy their home, killing their mother and grandfather, and leaving young Artem and Yuri to fend for themselves.Fleeing in hopes of somehow reuniting with their father, the brothers traverse the country their ancestors once fought and died for, with nothing but their backpacks and eachother. Surrounded by death and destruction, Artem is certain of one thingthat whatever may come, he must keep himself and his brother alive.A harrowing and gorgeous tale of love, identity, lost innocence, and survival set in a time of devastating war, The Sunflower Boys is a powerful, heartrending exploration of young queer love, the Ukrainian spirit, and a familys struggle to survive.
From Denne Michele Norris and Electric Literature, a vital anthology of essays by trans and gender-nonconforming writers of color, sharing stories of joy, heartbreak, rage, and self-discovery.Featuring fifteen new essays by trans people of color--spanning writers, scientists, actors, activists, and drag queens--Both/And explores what it means to live as a trans or gender nonconforming person of color today.Acclaimed authors Akwaeke Emezi, Tanaïs, Meredith Talusan, and J Wortham, share their stories alongside activist and organizer Raquel Willis and RuPaul's Drag Race star Peppermint, as well as a host of rising literary talent. Each story is told with honesty, authenticity, and beauty. A nonbinary molecular biologist has nightmares about their estranged father transitioning. A writer revisits a casual hook-up when she discovered her womanhood. And a woman vacations in Hawaii with her wife, where she gets in touch with the fire goddess within. These stories depict real trans lives from trans points of view, at a time when these perspectives are most urgent and valuable.Inspired by Electric Literature's groundbreaking series and edited by the first Black, openly trans editor-in-chief of a major literary publication, Both/And uplifts and amplifies stories of queer joy, heartbreak, rage, and self-discovery.
A nuclear historian gives a new, surprising account of one of the most controversial actions in historyhow the United States deployed the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War IIand the fallout that continues to haunt us.In the eight decades since the United States deployed the most destructive weapon ever used, conventional wisdom has held that American leaders were faced with a difficult choice: Invade Japan, which would have cost millions of Japanese and Allied lives in bloody combat, or use the fearsome atom bomb in the hopes of convincing the Japanese emperor to surrender. President Trumanin what many have come to regard as an immoral decisionordered the military to drop the bomb.Now, historian Alex Wellerstein offers a revisionist narrative of what happened in the spring of 1945, uncovering new research that points to a very different chain of events. Wellerstein reveals a much more complex situation in which American leaders, limited by time, knowledge, and authority, and under great secrecy, each jockeyed to influence if and how the bomb would be used. Refuting previous accounts, Wellerstein explains how there was no official decision to use the bomb, nor did President Truman likely know that Hiroshima or Nagasaki were heavily populated cities. Once the bombs were dropped, Truman began a years-long struggle for control of the awesome power of atomic weapons, the ramifications of which are still felt today.The Atomic President documents the little-known truth of the circumstances leading to this momentous event, painting a more complete picture of the end of World War II and of Truman himself. It is essential reading for all who want to truly understand not only why the bomb was dropped on Japan, but also why it has not been used since.
For the 75th anniversary, a new edition ofThe Human Use of Human Beingsthe landmark book that delves into the relationship between humans and computers, and presciently anticipates many contemporary dilemmas surrounding AI technology. With a new introduction by Brian Christian, author of the bestsellingAlgorithms to Live By.In 1950, mathematician-philosopher Norbert Wiener ended this classic book on the place of machines in society with a warning: We shall never receive the right answers to our questions unless we ask the right questions.... The hour is very late, and the choice of good and evil knocks at our door.Wiener, the founder of the science of cyberneticsthe study of the relationship between computers and the human nervous systemwas widely mislabeled as an advocate for the automation of human life. As The Human Use for Human Beings reveals, his vision was much more complex and interesting, and is more relevant in todays world of AI than anyone could have anticipated.In his new introduction, Brian Christian aptly calls Wiener the progenitor of contemporary AI-safety discourse.Wiener hoped that machines would release people from relentless and repetitive drudgery to achieve more creative pursuits, yet he anticipated the danger of dehumanizing and displacement.His pioneering views on the human-machine relationship as a communicative process are only more crucial now, as we carry in our pockets AI devices that we can literally speak to. His prescient warnings illuminate our contemporary relationships with language, art, and even social media.The Human Use of Human Beingsexamines the implications of cybernetics for education, law, language, science, technology, as Wiener anticipates the enormous impactin effect, a third industrial revolutionthat the computer has had on our lives.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFrom the first content creator to interview President Biden, leading progressive voice Brian Tyler Cohen takes a step back from the day-to-day news cycle to explain how American politics has turned into such a dumpster fireand what Democrats need to do to get us out of it.In Shameless, Brian Tyler Cohen lays bare the long con of the modern Republican Party. While the radical right continues hiding behind gaslighting maneuvers, artificial slogans, and hollow catchphrases, Cohens unflinching narrative illuminates the realities and dangers of the ever-widening gulf between the vaunted Republican brand and their actual behavior.With a foreword by Congressman Jamie Raskin, drawing on interviews and insights from Pete Buttigieg, Mehdi Hasan, Jen Psaki, and other luminaries of the Left, Cohen reveals:How Republicans have leaned on their histor-ical branding to give themselves a permission structure to behave antithetically to everything they say;Why the mainstream media has proved itself a willing participant in this ongoing farce particularly since the rise of toxic, sensational-ist MAGA mania; andWhat lessons Democrats can glean from a clear-eyed view of the landscape were operating inand the steps we must take to rebalance our political landscape.During this all-hands-on-deck moment in our his-tory, Shameless is essential reading for those seeking to understand our dire situation, and a rallying cry for those fighting to preserve democracy.
"A charming literary-themed novel about a young woman determined to save her great-aunt's beloved bookshop from extinction by the shiny new competition-which also happens to be run by the handsome son of her family's rivals"--
Casey McQuiston meets Jen Ferguson in this cross-country journey of identity, love, and friendships as Zoe tries to figure out her life, one train stop at a time.Sometimes, looking at him was like looking in a funhouse mirror.Zoes life has gone off the rails.When she left Seattle to go to college in New York, she was determined to start fresh, to figure out what being a lesbian meant to her, to experiment with clothes and presentation away from home for the first time.Instead, she lost touch with her freshman orientation friend group, skipped classes, and failed completely at being the studious premed student her parents wanted her to be.But the biggest derailment of all? Her newly minted ex-boyfriendand the fact that she had a boyfriend to begin with. When she met Alden, he made her feel wanted, he made her feel free. He made her feel . . . like she could be like him, which was exciting and confusing all at once.So Zoe decides a second fresh start is in order: Shes going to take a cross-country train from New York to Seattle for fall break. There, no one will know who she is, and she can outrun her mistakes.Or so she thinks, until she meets Oakley, whos the opposite of Zoe in so many ways: effortlessly cool and hot, smart, self-assured. But as Zoe and Oakley make their way across the county, Zoe realizes that Oakleys life has also gone off the railsand that they just might be able to help each other along before that train finally leaves the station.
A page-turning epic of loss and redemption in the vein of Rebecca Makkais The Great Believers and Elena Ferrantes Neapolitan novels, about a group of four women who formed a deep friendship in the turbulent years leading up to and after Georgias independence from the Soviet Union.As the turbulent twentieth-century nears its end, calls for independence grow increasingly louder in the Soviet Georgia. During this period of great upheaval, childhood friends Keto, Dina, Nene, and Ira grow up in one of the many Italian courtyards that define Tbilisis Sololaki neighborhood. The four girls are as different as can be: Dina, the rebellious, daughter of an unconventional mother; Ira, the clever outsider; Nene, the romantic, and niece of the most powerful criminal in the city; and Keto, the sensitive, motherless waif. Rising up to challenges both personal and political a first love that can only blossom in secret, violence that erupts in the wake of national independence, bloody street battles and civil wars, food rationing and power cutsthe four womens friendship seems indestructible, until an unforgivable act of betrayal and a tragic death shatters their bond.Decades later, the three survivors are reunited at a major retrospective of their late friends photographs in Brussels. The pictures document not only their story, but that of their country. Confronted by the evidence of their shared past, the trio must contend with memories that emerge from the shadows of their minds. Unexpectedly, something new is glimpsed, and forgiveness seems within reach. Like the International Booker Prize nominated The Eighth Life before it, Nino Haratischwilis The Lack of Light is an explosive, decades-spanning novel in which to lose yourself, brought to life by the vibrant colors of Georgian culture and its people, and told in the classic style of an epic. It is a glorious book readers will return to again and again.Tumbling down the years, and across vast expanses of longing and loss, generation after generation of this compelling family hears echoes and sees reflections. Great characters and greater relationships come and go and come again; the world shakes, and shakes some more, and the reader rejoices to have found at last one of those glorious old books in which you can live and learn, be lost and found, and make indelible new friends.Translated by Charlotte Martin and Ruth Martin
A magnificent cultural biography that charts the life of one of our greatest writers, situating her alongside the key historical and social moments that shaped her work. As the first Black woman to consistently write and publish in the field of science fiction, Octavia Butler was a trailblazer. With her deft pen, she created stories speculating the devolution of the American empire, using it as an apt metaphor for the best and worst of humanityour innovation and ingenuity, our naked greed and ambition, our propensity for violence and hierarchy. Her fiction charts the rise and fall of the American projectthe nations transformation from a provincial backwater to a capitalist juggernautmade possible by chattel slaveryto a bloated imperialist superpower on the verge of implosion.In this outstanding work, Susana M. Morris places Butlers story firmly within the cultural, social, and historical context that shaped her life: the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, womens liberation, queer rights, Reaganomics. Morris reveals how these influences profoundly impacted Butlers personal and intellectual trajectory and shaped the ideas central to her writing. Her cautionary tales warn us about succumbing to fascism, gender-based violence, and climate chaos while offering alternate paradigms to religion, family, and understanding our relationships to ourselves. Butler envisioned futures with Black women at the center, raising our awareness of how those who are often dismissed have the knowledge to shift the landscape of our world. But her characters are no magical martyrs, they are tough, flawed, intelligent, and complicated, a reflection of Butlers stories.Morris explains what drove Butler: She wrote because she felt she must. Who was I anyway? Why should anyone pay attention to what I had to say? Did I have anything to say? I was writing science fiction and fantasy, for Gods sake. At that time nearly all professional science-fiction writers were white men. As much as I loved science fiction and fantasy, what was I doing? Well, whatever it was, I couldnt stop. Positive obsession is about not being able to stop just because youre afraid and full of doubts. Positive obsession is dangerous. Its about not being able to stop at all.
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