text:
Edmonton Oilers audition several talented rookies
By Kady Hobbins
Photo: The Edmonton Oilers gave Leon Draisaitl half a season of experience at the NHL level (courtesy of Steven Alkok/Icon Sportswire)
The Oilers' roster has been somewhat of a revolving door when it comes to prospect call-ups, with a number of young talented players earning a cup of coffee at the NHL level.
Most notable in 2014-15 was Leon Draisaitl, who was a topic of hot debate regarding whether or not he should remain with the Oilers beyond the nine-game trial mark, and then whether nor not he should be released to play for Germany at the World Junior Championships (he was not), or returned to his junior squad before hitting the 40 game mark (he was). Also of note is Brandon Davidson's NHL debut and Darnell Nurse's impressive WJC performance for Team Canada.
Leon Draisaitl, C, 19
Third overall 2014 draft selection Leon Draisaitl began his 2014-15 season with the Edmonton Oilers, remaining with the big club well beyond the nine-game tryout period. However, the Oilers elected not to keep Draisaitl beyond the 40-game mark, which would activate his free-agent status a year earlier. Draisaitl originally looked like he was adjusting well to the NHL game, even as a 19-year-old, his size and strength often working in his favour. Unfortunately, his play regressed somewhat, and his minutes were cut, often playing less than 10 minutes a night as the Oilers' record continued to plummet.
The decision to return Draisaitl to his junior club was a sound one, allowing him the opportunity to continue to develop amongst his peers. Draisaitl was traded shortly following from the Prince Albert Raiders to the Kelowna Rockets, who sit atop the Western Conference WHL standings and are in a strong position to contend for the WHL championship this season.
Brandon Davidson, D, 23
Brandon Davidson's NHL debut was discussed at length in our December update. He earned a four-game stint with the Oilers in mid-December, where he seemed to steadily improve with each shift as he got a feel for the NHL pace. Davidson was returned to his AHL club on December 20th and has since continued to be a regular contributor, notably earning the game-winning goal in Oklahoma City's victory over the San Antonio Rampage on December 27th.
Oscar Klefbom, D, 21
Spending the majority of the 2013-14 season in Oklahoma City developing at the minor-league level seems to have paid off for defenseman Oscar Klefbom. The Swedish rearguard has been a bright spot on most nights for the Edmonton Oilers, earning time as one-half of the team's top defensive unit. Strong on the puck, sure of his defensive positioning and noticeably bigger and stronger, this season's NHL stint has been a stark contrast to his short appearance in 2013-14, which is a true testament to the crucial development time that one additional year in the minors can often afford a young talented player. Klefbom shouldn't expect to see a return ticket to Oklahoma any time soon, as long as he can keep up this level of play.
Brad Hunt, D, 26
Brad Hunt began the 2014-15 season with the Edmonton Oilers after appearing in a short three-game stint at the conclusion of the 2014-15 season. A useful blueliner with a hard shot and a heavy presence on the ice, Hunt has shuttled between Oklahoma City and Edmonton, unable to quite maintain the pace and consistency needed to remain at the NHL level, but often looking a step ahead of his AHL opponents. He was recently selected to play in the AHL all-star game.
Bogdan Yakimov, C, 20
Bogdan Yakimov made his NHL debut in mid-October when the Oilers ran into injury trouble, appearing in only one game before returning to the Oklahoma City Barons of the AHL. Yakimov has had a relatively strong rookie professional (and North American) season with the Barons, logging 13 points in 33 games.
Iiro Pakarinen, RW, 23
Although the European free-agent route yielded only limited success in the past (Anton Belov, Lennart Petrell), the Oilers decided to gamble again on Pakarinen, a 2011 draft pick of the Florida Panthers. Pakarinen made his NHL debut in November, scoring a goal in his second game with the team. He stayed around for just five games, although he handled himself well in limited ice time. The 20 goal scorer for HIFK last season has been a very solid addition at the AHL level, putting up 22 points in 33 games.
Darnell Nurse, D, 19
After an impressive fall training camp, Darnell Nurse remained with the Edmonton Oilers at the beginning of the 2014-15 season. Despite early season losses and lineup shuffles, Nurse didn't see NHL ice until nearly two weeks into the season, and understandably looked a bit in over his head on a team with perennial defensive struggles, Nurse's performance notwithstanding. He was ultimately returned to his junior squad before reaching the nine-game limit, where he has dominated his competition on a nightly basis and is on track for his best season yet with the Soo Greyhounds, notching 23 points in 22 games.
Darnell Nurse was also part of this year's powerhouse Canadian squad at the 2015 U20 World Junior Championships. Nurse while he only contributed one assist through seven outings, Nurse shone in his own end and earned player of the game in the final match-up against Russia, after Canada's gold medal-winning 5-4 victory. After being overlooked for the 2014 team, Nurse looked incredibly impressive in his 2015 appearance, earning praise for his ability to handily shut down both the Russians' and Americans' attack on nearly every shift.
The other Oilers prospect to represent his country at the World Juniors was Swedish defenseman William Lagesson. He registered one assist for a somewhat underwhelming squad, and played mainly in a shutdown role.
Prospect of the month
After a somewhat disappointing and injury-plagued 2013-14 season, all eyes were on Marc-Olivier Roy to bounce back in 2014-15, and he has managed to do just that. He currently has 33 points in 35 games after being traded from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada to the Quebec Remparts in May 2014. Roy has earned four points in his last five outings for the Remparts.
Follow Kady Hobbins on Twitter via @kadydh


A flagship project to improve notoriously poor police IT is still not operational - and there is no date for its introduction.
It is close to four years since Home Secretary Theresa May promised a new company, run by the police, to help forces drive down their £1.2bn annual technology bills.
The idea was for the firm to be fully owned by the recently elected police and crime commissioners (PCCs) and to sell its services to the 43 English and Welsh forces.
But a new report by the Home Affairs select committee notes that the company - despite being incorporated back in 2012 - is "not yet operating".
Last week, the PCCs finally approved a proposal to establish the company, arguing it could save forces "up to £465m a year". They announced they had "formed a board, working alongside senior police officers and Home Office officials to review the requirements for a company".
However, the Home Office has refused to set a target date for the company to be up and running - with the general election just 11 weeks away.
A spokesman said only: "The Home Secretary has been clear that the way police forces buy and manage ICT contracts is chaotic and wasteful. Police and crime commissioners pay for police IT and are accountable to the public for the decisions they make and we welcome their work to date to shape the Police ICT Company."
But the statement did hint at frustration, adding: "Those decisions, particularly about what specific functions the company will take on initially, need to be made now."
The further delay is certain to increase criticism of a project which Labour warned "has all the signs of becoming an expensive white elephant".
Keith Vaz, the Home Affairs Committee's Labour chairman, said: "Since 2010, the Home Secretary has set out an ambitious plan for the new landscape of policing.
"However, more progress has to be made to declutter the landscape and ensure that the organisations created meet the rapidly evolving challenges facing 21st century policing."
Protests about poor technology have been led by Tom Winsor, the chief inspector of constabulary, who has said officers were left "screaming" with frustration. He has claimed that some have been forced to use their own smartphones for voice recording, photography and obtaining information, even though the devices do not meet high security standards.
He has appealed for a "single national champion" to deal with police technology and to replace the current set-up of more than 2,000 different IT systems.


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In previous Decca CD restorations of Pierre Monteux's Rosamunde incidental music, the Ballet Music No.1 has been missing. This has been a cause of some debate and consternation, not least for those who invested in the 20-CD Monteux/Decca box or the Original Masters Decca set. Its absence has been rectified in releases on other labels, but this is the first official Decca-associated release of this music and worth noting given the company's previous, inexplicable omission.
The music was recorded in stereo in Vienna in November 1957 and the Philharmonic plays with expected warmth and refinement for Monteux. There's a real sense of languor in the most famous piece, the Entr'acte No.3, an Andantino of limpid grace in this performance, and a sense of sure plotting in the two Ballet music scenes, not least the restored No.1.
The coupling was also recorded in the city but several years earlier. Carl Schuricht's Mendelssohn overture sequence, four monos from April 1954, is quite well known but makes a reasonable disc-mate for the Monteux Schubert. Schuricht was a level-headed but flexible Mendelssohnian and these well-balanced, thoughtful and occasionally rousing examples of his art have been heard before on a Schuricht Decca box charting the years 1949-56. The Hebrides also featured in the relevant Great Conductors of the Century release. It is indeed a fine reading, exciting but detailed, the winds distinguishing themselves in the ample acoustic of the Great Hall of the Musikverein. The orchestra's basses, deep and resonant, lay a rich carpet in the Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt overture, the percussion striding through the mono sound to acoustic prominence, and the brass rich and rounded. After an expert reading of Die schöne Melusine, Schuricht lets rip on Ruy Blas; stentorian brass and athletic strings ensure a central, recommendable reading not short of excitement, though arguably lacking the sheer panache and wit of Beecham's reading with the RPO made just three years earlier.
The Monteux was originally released on RCA in 1958 and was issued by Decca in their 'The World of the Great Classics' series in 1973, where he shared all-Schubert disc space with Schuricht and Knappertsbusch. The Mendelssohn overtures were released in 1954. Both labels, nicely reproduced in miniature, are reprinted in the booklet.


text:
Vláda Vachtanga Kolbaji, jež spravovala záležitosti Gruzií uznané Autonomní republiky Abcházie, vzešla poté, kdy 8. dubna 2013 podala demisi předchozí vláda Giorgiho Baramiji. Tato vláda de jure sídlila v Suchumi, de facto však vládla z exilu v Tbilisi a na záležitosti uvnitř nezávislé Abcházie neměla žádný praktický vliv, neboť tam na počátku funkčního období vládla separatistická vláda prezidenta Ankvaba a po jeho rezignaci dále vláda Raula Chadžimby. Předsedou Nejvyšší rady Autonomní republiky Abcházie byl Vachtang Kolbaja a jednalo se o v pořadí šestou de jure vládu, uznávanou jako nedílná součást Gruzie.

Seznam členů vlády

Reference

 Oficiální stránky - rusky, gruzínsky, abchazsky, anglicky

Exilové vlády Autonomní republiky Abcházie
Zaniklo 2019
Vlády jmenované roku 2013

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We have noticed some behaviour when connecting a Clavister SGW to Draytek firewalls, in which Draytek has issues establishing tunnels during IKE Phase 1 and specifically agreeing on PSK during key exchange.
connection: 829e5734 is dial-out and NOT for dynamic client; in_index=0, out_index=-2. U can try to reduce phase1 lifetime..
Here Draytek's own logging gives a clue with "U can try to reduce phase1 lifetime...".
To solve this problem, try lowering the IKE Phase 1 lifetime from the default value of 28800. Keep in mind that as Draytek can be quite sensitive with IPsec/IKE lifetime values, both must match between cOS and Draytek. In tests, we've seen 15000 work without issues, although Draytek may still output log events similar to what's listed above. Even so, tunnels come up and traffic is allowed to pass.


text:
Q: ValueError with multilingual pre-trained Wiki word vectors I'm trying to use multilingual pre-trained Wiki word vectors from FastText (https://fasttext.cc/docs/en/pretrained-vectors.html).
I scraped the vectors from the website in the following way:
import requests

# link to vector file for German
url = 'https://dl.fbaipublicfiles.com/fasttext/vectors-aligned/wiki.de.align.vec'
r = requests.get(url, stream = True)

if r.encoding is None:
    r.encoding = 'utf-8'

with open('/Users/LNV/OneDrive/Desktop/Jupiter_Notebook/Intro to ML/vector-biases/data/extract_DE.txt', 'w', encoding="utf-8") as fp:
    for line_num, vector in enumerate(r.iter_lines(decode_unicode = True)):
        fp.write(vector)
        fp.write('\n')
        # first 20,000 words
        if line_num == 20_001:
            break

And removed the first line:
deu_input = open('/Users/LNV/OneDrive/Desktop/Jupiter_Notebook/Intro to ML/vector-biases/data/extract_DE.txt', 'r', encoding="utf-8").readlines()
with open('/Users/LNV/OneDrive/Desktop/Jupiter_Notebook/Intro to ML/vector-biases/data/extract_DE_nofirstline.txt', 'w', encoding="utf-8") as deu_output:
    for index, line in enumerate(deu_input):
        if index != 0:
            deu_output.write(line)

What I'm doing works well with some languages or with a certain number of vectors, but for some other languages or over a certain number of elements I get the following error:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "explorer_ES.py", line 22, in <module>
    ns = neighbours(vectors,w,20)  # neighbours is what I imported from utils, w is the word I entered, and I get 20 examples of nearest neighbours
  File "/mnt/c/Users/LNV/OneDrive/Desktop/Jupiter_Notebook/Intro to ML/vector-biases/utils.py", line 31, in neighbours
    cos = cosine_similarity(dm, w, k)
  File "/mnt/c/Users/LNV/OneDrive/Desktop/Jupiter_Notebook/Intro to ML/vector-biases/utils.py", line 21, in cosine_similarity
    num = np.dot(dm[w1],dm[w2])
  File "<__array_function__ internals>", line 5, in dot
ValueError: shapes (300,) and (299,) not aligned: 300 (dim 0) != 299 (dim 0)

For instance I get this error when trying this code with a file in German that I have previously scraped (I also removed the first line). I get the same error with other languages, but not with some others.
from utils import readDM, cosine_similarity, neighbours
import sys

fasttext_vecs="./data/extract_DE_nofirstline.txt"
print("Reading vectors...")
vectors = readDM(fasttext_vecs)

f = ""

while f != 'q':
    f = input("\nWhat would you like to do? (n = nearest neighbours, s=similarity, q=quit) ")

    while f == 'n':
        w = input("Enter a word or 'x' to exit nearest neighbours: ")

        if w == 'x':
            f = 'x'
        else:
            ns = neighbours(vectors,w,20)  # neighbours is what I imported from utils, w is the word I entered, and I get 20 examples of nearest neighbours
            print(ns)

    while f == 's':
        w = input("Input two words separated by a space or 'x' to exit similarity: ")

        if w == 'x':
            f = 'x'
        else:
            w1,w2 = w.split()   # splits a string into a list
            if w1 in vectors and w2 in vectors:
                sim = cosine_similarity(vectors,w1,w2)
                print("SIM",w1,w2,sim)
            else:
                print("Word(s) not found in space.")

A: Since you're only using the plain-text full-word vectors, you could use a off-the-shelf library like Gensim to read the vectors.
Its loading function has a limit option to read just the first N vectors from the front of the file, to save memory. So, you'd not have to modify any files (with potential risks of encoding/rewriting issues).
For example:
from gensim.models import KeyedVectors

# read 1st 20k word vectors
vecs_de_align = KeyedVectors.load_word2vec_format('wiki.de.align.vec', binary=False, limit=20000)

# get 20 nearest-neighbors of a word
similars = vecs_de_align.most_similar('Apfel')
print(similars)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The universities in the UK are very popular among the international students. They get the opportunity of learning competitive skills. They achieve an all-round growth in terms of their personalities, careers and their intellectual abilities.
Apart from the fact that the UK qualifications are recognized globally, the benefits of studying in UK are numerous. The international students find the criteria for qualifying for the UK universities very simple. These prerequisites are far friendlier than the ones that are found in other countries. For example, in most countries, the international students should have completed 16 years of education before they can get admission in the postgraduate degree courses. On the contrary, the universities of the UK require only 15 years of education for qualifying for the same courses.
Once they are admitted in the educational institutions in the UK, the foreign students can take employment of 20 hours in a week and work full time during the holidays. Certainly, they will require valid visa permission to work.
When the duration of the course is bigger than 6 months, the international students are eligible for medical treatment at no cost or at discounted rates under the National Health Scheme. Those students who cannot qualify for this health benefit should get health insurance coverage.
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The universities in the UK endeavour to provide maximum support to the international students studying in UK. Those students who are above 16 years and studying at any institution that is affiliated with the NUS are entitled to a student discount program. By paying mere £10, the students can buy NUS Extra cards for purchasing stationary items, books, food, drink, CDs and DVDs at reduced rates.
The universities in the UK are very popular among the international students. They get the opportunity of learning competitive skills. The universities in Scotland do not charge any fees from the EU students.


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Rory Vaden and I talk about the power of telling a story. In this show, we discuss the critical elements that make up a great story and the most common mistakes people make.
The Rory Vaden Show is a weekly podcast that Rory hosts every Wednesday, which is regularly in the Top 25 of Business News Podcasts and has listeners from all around the world. The show shares "insights and inspiration for movers and shakers in the world of business"™. Each week Rory shares ideas on how to increase your self-discipline and make better use of your time to help you achieve your goals in life. He also interviews one very special expert guest and thought leader every week. Subscribe on iTunes and please leave a rating and review!


1.08 +/- acres of commercial zoned land with public water and sewer available in a new retail development area at t he entrance to Forest Oaks community and country club. This site is adjacent to Subway and across the road from Dollar General and a new retail strip center. It is an excellent site for bank development, additional retail development or general office development. Property currently has a rental house that can generate income until commercial development is started.


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text:
From the Editor, Spring 2019
Craig Biddle February 21, 2019 Audio PDF In Spring 2019
Welcome to the Spring 2019 issue of The Objective Standard. This issue begins our fourteenth year of publication, and I want to begin by thanking you—our subscribers and donors—for making possible not only the production of this vital journal, but everything TOS does. Without your business and support, this independent voice of reason simply would not exist.
So, from everyone at TOS to all of you who support what we do, thank you!
First up in this issue is "Heroes of Great Literature," in which Andrew Bernstein zeroes in on the essential, distinguishing characteristics of heroes, and then, using these criteria, examines and compares five protagonists: Odysseus from Homer's epic poem The Odyssey; Cyrano de Bergerac from Edmond Rostand's play by that name; Thomas Stockmann from Henrik Ibsen's play An Enemy of the People; Shane from Jack Schaefer's novel of that name; and Howard Roark from Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead. If you appreciate heroes, you're in for a treat.
Next is a special feature (and, in the print edition, a tear-out handbook), "Intelligent Disobedience for Children: A Handbook for Parents and Caregivers," by Ira Chaleff. You may recall that I reviewed Chaleff's book, Intelligent Disobedience: Doing Right When What You're Told to Do Is Wrong, in the Winter 2017 issue of TOS. Since then, Chaleff has applied principles from that book to the problem of trusted adults—such as relatives, priests, teachers, or coaches—molesting or otherwise abusing children. The workbook is designed to teach children about intelligent disobedience and to provide them with a protective tool for use in the event that an adult takes inappropriate actions or makes inappropriate requests. That tool, in essence, is the child's own independent judgment combined with a mnemonic to help him employ and voice it. If you have children, or care for children, or know people who do, please check out this workbook and share it. It could avert unspeakable abuses.
In "Marva Collins, Her Method, and Her 'Philosophy for Living'," Carrie-Ann Biondi tells the remarkable story of how this heroic woman helped thousands of students who had been written off as "unteachable" to learn deeply, develop their minds, and lead meaningful, productive lives.
In "Robert Morris: America's Financial Atlas," Robert Begley tells of this little-known, self-made immigrant who helped make the American Revolution possible and then laid the foundation for America's essentially capitalist financial policies.
Next, in "Liberty: What Is It? Why Is It Good? On What Does It Depend?," Carl Barney and I provide a brief introduction to Ayn Rand's views on liberty and how they differ from conventional views. We wrote this article initially as a pamphlet for distribution at Students for Liberty conferences, and we hope you find it clarifying and useful. If so, please share it widely. The pamphlet is available as a PDF, linked atop the online version of this article, for ease of distribution.
In "Four Fallacies Regarding the Political Spectrum," I consider ways in which enemies of capitalism, as well as some mistaken advocates of capitalism, misconceptualize the political spectrum in ways that harm the cause of freedom.
In "The Moral Courage of Rosa Parks," Jon Hersey tells "the rest of the story," as Paul Harvey would say, surrounding Parks's seminal refusal to give her seat to a white man on a public bus. (This one brought my wife to tears, so be advised.)
Next, in "Tal Tsfany on the State and Future of the Ayn Rand Institute," Tsfany reports on his first eight months as president and CEO of ARI and his plans for the future of the organization.
The final feature item in this issue is a compilation of "Seven Poems Celebrating Free Will" by various authors (compiled by Sarah Biddle). These gems are spiritual fuel for adults and children. Enjoy!
The shorts in this issue are:
"John Singer Sargent: Master of Elevated Grace" by Timothy Sandefur;
"Why Conservatives Are Defenseless against Ocasio-Cortez's Lethal Moral Code" by Anders Ingemarson;
"A New Window on Scriabin" by Timothy Sandefur;
"Why a 'Right' to Health Care is a Moral Travesty" by Jon Hersey;
"Joseph Conrad: No Faltering, No Shame, No Regret" by Timothy Sandefur;
"Environmentalists' Marching Orders for Human Extinction" by Craig Biddle;
"Millard Sheets and the Art of Banking" by Timothy Sandefur;
"Minding Your Time: Three Ideas" by Jon Hersey; and
"Celebrating Slack Key and the Sweetness of Life" by Timothy Sandefur.
Books reviewed in this issue are:
John Adams and the Spirit of Liberty by C. Bradley Thompson (reviewed by Jon Hersey);
A Saturnalia of Bunk: Selections from The Free Lance 1911–1915 by H. L. Mencken (reviewed by Jeffrey Falk);
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear (reviewed by Jonathan Townley);
In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park with Maryanne Vollers (reviewed by Anna Franco); and
The Illusion of Determinism: Why Free Will Is Real and Causal by Edwin A. Locke (reviewed by Jeffrey Falk)
Finally, if you've not yet registered for TOS-Con 2019: Philosophy for Freedom and Flourishing, be sure to reserve your spot soon! This year's conference will be in Park City, Utah, and speakers include:
Alex Epstein
Andy Bernstein
Bryan Larsen
Craig Biddle
Jon Hersey
Lisa VanDamme
Mark Pellegrino
Richard Salsman
Robin Field
Tal Tsfany
Tim Chermak
Timothy Sandefur
Sharpen your mind. Fuel your soul. Excel in life. Fight for liberty. If those are your goals, this conference is for you!
It will be the most life-enhancing conference of the year. I hope to see you there. —Craig Biddle
Virtue as the Art of Human Flourishing
A Dozen Great Apps for Children Learning Math
Bezos and Jobs Revolutionized Industries they Loved
For a Soul-Fueling Experience, Check out Quent Cordair Fine Art at TOS-Con
A Report on "Capitalism: Unlocking Human Potential"
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
About Craig Biddle
Craig is cofounder and editor in chief of The Objective Standard, cofounder and director of education at Objective Standard Institute, and executive director of Prometheus Foundation. He is the author of Loving Life: The Morality of Self-Interest and the Facts that Support It; Rational Egoism: The Morality for Human Flourishing; and the forthcoming Moral Truths Your Parents, Preachers, and Teachers Don't Want You to Know. He is currently working on his fourth book, "Thinking in Principles." For updates on his work, join his mailing list at CraigBiddle.com.
View all articles by Craig Biddle →
Heroes of Great LiteratureSpring Issue of TOS & New Subscription Offerings
× From the Editor, Spring 2019 (pdf) $4.95 $4.95

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text:
London named one of the best cities for entrepreneurial millennials
Written by Anisa Choudhary
Student accommodation aggregator website Nestpick has named London as one of the best cities for entrepreneurial millennials, with the city earning a place in the top ten.
More than 100 cities were included in the research, which was conducted as part of Nestpick's larger Millennial City Ranking.
Business ecosystem
Nestpick looked at a number of key factors to rank the cities, including start-up ecosystem and employment.London was the only European city to make the company's top ten cities for business ecosystem list, with the city earning eighth place.
Nestpick looked at the cities that are attracting millennials and revealed the top 20 best millennial cities as part of its larger study, giving each city a score out of ten based on factors such as business ecosystem and openness.
London was ranked highly on this list for its business ecosystem, openness and recreation, with the city receiving a score of 8.1, 8.7 and 7.2 respectively. This gave the city a total score of 6.71, earning it third place on the list.
Manchester and Bristol were the only other UK cities to make the list, coming in 10th and 12th place respectively.
Valuable insights
Commenting on the rankings, Nestpick's Managing Director Ömer Kücükdere said: "We must learn to adapt to the needs of younger people in order to have a thriving economy, and we believe that this ranking offers valuable insights to those cities looking for regeneration from a younger demographic."
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It's easy to feel powerless these days. So much is changing. Life can seem too big, too complex, and out of control.
This sense of powerlessness fosters hopelessness, helplessness, depression, anxiety, and apathy. We think there's no point in doing anything, since it won't fix everything. In reality, no one has the power to change the world by themselves, even Bill Gates. It's an illusion that we have no power at all, though. Each of us has some area in which we can have an impact.
To rediscover our sense of power in the world, it helps to look at one aspect of how power works. There are four dynamics of power between two people: I have power and you don't, you have power and I don't, neither of us has power, or both of us has power.
We see the results all around us of the power imbalance when one or the other has power: The assumption that richer people are smarter and more capable than those with less money, regardless of whether the rich people were born into wealth or had a lucky break. Bosses who demand more work are often exploiting a power imbalance, exhorting their underlings to put in sixty hours a week or more.
When neither of us owns our power, it creates a vacuum into which a third party is attracted to wield power over both of us. Many of us have been involved in a work situation where a coworker exerts undue influence when the boss is unwilling to act.
We can group these first three types of interactions as examples of power-over. When one person (or group) has more power than the other, there is a subtle or blatant perception that the one with power is better than the other – smarter, more capable, more deserving, even more blessed by God. This seldom ends well. Power imbalances leave the less-powerful one feeling exploited and resentful, so conflicts inevitably arise.
Power-over scenarios are the basis for the saying "power corrupts": those with power over others, or who assume power over others, begin to feel entitled, even obliged, to run the lives of others and ignore their desires.
The fourth dynamic, power-with, has more potential for helping us get along. Power-with is based on mutual respect. It acknowledges that we all bring skills, ideas, and energy to a situation. Using that power together brings more creativity to solving problems, creating better systems, and making positive changes in our world.
This is not to say that there should be no leaders, no hierarchy, and no distribution of tasks. It just means that we can all be responsible for bringing respect to those around us, regardless of the structure. I may lead in one area and you in another. And we can combine our power and work together to accomplish changes that will foster a well-functioning community. Shared power breeds cooperation and synergy.
It's important that we recognize and use the power that we have. Each of us can make a difference. When frustrated with a national or international issue, we can channel that energy into addressing a local example of the same issue. Small actions empower us and empower others who see our behavior. Do something small and non-violent to promote the kinds of changes you'd like to see made on a larger scale. Have conversations. Share your concerns. Vote.
Power dynamics are much more complex than this model, but as we use well the power we do have, it will tend to increase our actual power to get along better.


text:
Books by Black Authors Coming Out in 2020
Listen, we need to be reading more diversely. I know so many people who are making it a goal to read more poc authors in 2020. Every year, I share with you some of the biggest releases and I always want to make sure I'm doing this diversely. So, here's a list of 2020 releases written entirely by black authors.
1. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
"A striking and surprising debut novel from an exhilarating new voice, Such a Fun Age is a page-turning and big-hearted story about race and privilege, set around a young black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer, and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both.
Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living showing other women how to do the same. A mother to two small girls, she started out as a blogger and has quickly built herself into a confidence-driven brand. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains' toddler one night. Seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, a security guard at their local high-end supermarket accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year-old Briar. A small crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is furious and humiliated. Alix resolves to make it right.
But Emira herself is aimless, broke, and wary of Alix's desire to help. At twenty-five, she is about to lose her health insurance and has no idea what to do with her life. When the video of Emira unearths someone from Alix's past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know about themselves, and each other.
With empathy and piercing social commentary, Such a Fun Age explores the stickiness of transactional relationships, what it means to make someone "family," the complicated reality of being a grown up, and the consequences of doing the right thing for the wrong reason."
* this book actually came out December 31st but listen, it's close enough lol
2. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett [June 2nd, 2020]
"From The New York Times -bestselling author of The Mothers , a stunning new novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white.
The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Ten years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect?
Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.
As with her New York Times-bestselling debut The Mothers, Brit Bennett offers an engrossing page-turner about family and relationships that is immersive and provocative, compassionate and wise."
3. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi [September 15th, 2020]
"Yaa Gyasi's stunning follow-up to her acclaimed national best seller Homegoing is a powerful, raw, intimate, deeply layered novel about a Ghanaian family in Alabama.
Gifty is a fifth year candidate in neuroscience at Stanford School of Medicine studying reward seeking behavior in mice and the neural circuits of depression and addiction. Her brother, Nana, was a gifted high school athlete who died of a heroin overdose after a knee injury left him hooked on OxyContin. Her suicidal mother is living in her bed. Gifty is determined to discover the scientific basis for the suffering she sees all around her.
But even as she turns to the hard sciences to unlock the mystery of her family's loss, she finds herself hungering for her childhood faith, and grappling with the evangelical church in which she was raised, whose promise of salvation remains as tantalizing as it is elusive. Transcendent Kingdom is a deeply moving portrait of a family of Ghanain immigrants ravaged by depression and addiction and grief–a novel about faith, science, religion, love. Exquisitely written, emotionally searing, this is an exceptionally powerful follow-up to Gyasi's phenomenal debut.
4. Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles [January 21st, 2020]
"In his first contemporary teen novel, critically acclaimed author and two-time Edgar Award finalist Lamar Giles spotlights the consequences of societal pressure, confronts toxic masculinity, and explores the complexity of what it means to be a "real man."
Del has had a crush on Kiera Westing since kindergarten. And now, during their junior year, she's finally available. So when Kiera volunteers for an opportunity at their church, Del's right behind her. Though he quickly realizes he's inadvertently signed up for a Purity Pledge.
His dad thinks his wires are crossed, and his best friend, Qwan, doesn't believe any girl is worth the long game. But Del's not about to lose his dream girl, and that's where fellow pledger Jameer comes in. He can put in the good word. In exchange, Del just has to get answers to the Pledgers' questions…about sex ed.
With other boys circling Kiera like sharks, Del needs to make his move fast. But as he plots and plans, he neglects to ask the most important question: What does Kiera want? He can't think about that too much, though, because once he gets the girl, it'll all sort itself out. Right?"
5. Black Sunday by Tola Rotimi [February 4th, 2020]
"Following the fate of one family over the course of two decades in Nigeria, this debut novel tells the story of each sibling's search for agency, love, and meaning in a society rife with hypocrisy but also endless life
"I like the idea of a god who knows what it's like to be a twin. To have no memory of ever being alone."
Twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike are enjoying a relatively comfortable life in Lagos in 1996. Then their mother loses her job due to political strife, and the family, facing poverty, becomes drawn into the New Church, an institution led by a charismatic pastor who is not shy about worshipping earthly wealth.
Soon Bibike and Ariyike's father wagers the family home on a "sure bet" that evaporates like smoke. As their parents' marriage collapses in the aftermath of this gamble, the twin sisters and their two younger siblings, Andrew and Peter, are thrust into the reluctant care of their traditional Yoruba grandmother. Inseparable while they had their parents to care for them, the twins' paths diverge once the household shatters. Each girl is left to locate, guard, and hone her own fragile source of power.
Written with astonishing intimacy and wry attention to the fickleness of fate, Tola Rotimi Abraham's Black Sunday takes us into the chaotic heart of family life, tracing a line from the euphoria of kinship to the devastation of estrangement. In the process, it joyfully tells a tale of grace and connection in the midst of daily oppression and the constant incursions of an unremitting patriarchy. This is a novel about two young women slowly finding, over twenty years, in a place rife with hypocrisy but also endless life and love, their own distinct methods of resistance and paths to independence."
6. Real Life by Brandon Taylor [February 18th, 2020]
"A novel of startling intimacy, violence, and mercy among friends in a Midwestern university town, from an electric new voice.
A novel of rare emotional power that excavates the social intricacies of a late-summer weekend–and a lifetime of buried pain. Almost everything about Wallace, an introverted African-American transplant from Alabama, is at odds with the lakeside Midwestern university town where he is working toward a biochem degree. For reasons of self-preservation, Wallace has enforced a wary distance even within his own circle of friends–some dating each other, some dating women, some feigning straightness. But a series of confrontations with colleagues, and an unexpected encounter with a young straight man, conspire to fracture his defenses, while revealing hidden currents of resentment and desire that threaten the equilibrium of their community.
Real Life is a gut punch of a novel, a story that asks if it's ever really possible to overcome our private wounds and buried histories–and at what cost."
7. the Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi [August 4th, 2020]
"This is the tale of Vivek Oji. It begins with his end, his naked body shrouded on his mother's doorstep, and moves backwards through time to unpick the story of his life and the mystery surrounding his death.
As compulsively readable as it is tender and potent, this is a fresh, engaging novel about the innocence of youth and how it clashes with culture and expectation. The Death of Vivek Oji is the story of a Nigerian childhood quite different from those we have been told before, as Emezi's writing speaks to the truth of realities other than those that have already been seen.
'Emezi's surreal prose shines . . . extraordinary.' Ayobami Adebayo, on Freshwater"
8. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo [May 14th, 2020]
"Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…
In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal's office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.
Separated by distance – and Papi's secrets – the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they've lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.
Papi's death uncovers all the painful truths he kept hidden, and the love he divided across an ocean. And now, Camino and Yahaira are both left to grapple with what this new sister means to them, and what it will now take to keep their dreams alive.
In a dual narrative novel in verse that brims with both grief and love, award-winning and bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives."
9. Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance by Zora Neale Hurston [January 14th, 2020]
"In 1925, Barnard student Zora Neale Hurston—the sole black student at the college—was living in New York, "desperately striving for a toe-hold on the world." During this period, she began writing short works that captured the zeitgeist of African American life and transformed her into one of the central figures of the Harlem Renaissance. Nearly a century later, this singular talent is recognized as one of the most influential and revered American artists of the modern period.
Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick is an outstanding collection of stories about love and migration, gender and class, racism and sexism that proudly reflect African American folk culture. Brought together for the first time in one volume, they include eight of Hurston's "lost" Harlem stories, which were found in forgotten periodicals and archives. These stories challenge conceptions of Hurston as an author of rural fiction and include gems that flash with her biting, satiric humor, as well as more serious tales reflective of the cultural currents of Hurston's world. All are timeless classics that enrich our understanding and appreciation of this exceptional writer's voice and her contributions to America's literary traditions."
10. The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin [March 26th, 2020]
"Five New Yorkers must come together in order to defend their city in the first book of a stunning new series by Hugo award-winning and NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin.
Every city has a soul. Some are as ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York City? She's got five.
But every city also has a dark side. A roiling, ancient evil stirs beneath the earth, threatening to destroy the city and her five protectors unless they can come together and stop it once and for all."
Which one are you looking forward to the most?
Find any of these at your local bookstore!
Posted on January 21, 2020 Categories books, diverse, literary fiction, new releases, young adultTags black authors, books, books by black authors, diverse, diverse books, fiction, literature, own voices, short stories, upcoming book releases, ya booksLeave a comment on Books by Black Authors Coming Out in 2020
Books I Want to Read That Nobody Cares About
I got this idea from Ariel Bissett's videos where she just talks about books she wants to read. I'm aware that most people might not know these books but that's okay. I still want to read them. Here's a link to her original video!
A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum
"This debut novel by an Arab-American voice, takes us inside the lives of conservative Arab women living in America.
In Brooklyn, eighteen-year-old Deya is starting to meet with suitors. Though she doesn't want to get married, her grandparents give her no choice. History is repeating itself: Deya's mother, Isra, also had no choice when she left Palestine as a teenager to marry Adam. Though Deya was raised to believe her parents died in a car accident, a secret note from a mysterious, yet familiar-looking woman makes Deya question everything she was told about her past. As the narrative alternates between the lives of Deya and Isra, she begins to understand the dark, complex secrets behind her community."
I love reading books set in the Middle East so when I saw this from the library, I had to pick it up. I actually read the description and decided not to get it but I had to go back because I just really want to read it. It sounds so interesting and I actually remember a customer talking about this book so I have high hopes!
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
"THINGS FALL APART tells two overlapping, intertwining stories, both of which center around Okonkwo, a "strong man" of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first of these stories traces Okonkwo's fall from grace with the tribal world in which he lives, and in its classical purity of line and economical beauty it provides us with a powerful fable about the immemorial conflict between the individual and society.
The second story, which is as modern as the first is ancient, and which elevates the book to a tragic plane, concerns the clash of cultures and the destruction of Okonkwo's world through the arrival of aggressive, proselytizing European missionaries. These twin dramas are perfectly harmonized, and they are modulated by an awareness capable of encompassing at once the life of nature, human history, and the mysterious compulsions of the soul. THINGS FALL APART is the most illuminating and permanent monument we have to the modern African experience as seen from within."
I'm reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie right now and it mentioned this book so I kinda want to read it. I've had it on my shelf forever and it seems like a book most people read and enjoy so maybe I'll pick it up!
A Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl
"Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Man's Search for Meaning has become one of the most influential books in America; it continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living.
I was looking up inspirational/life changing book lists last night and this seemed to be on a lot of them. I've been having a tough time so I've been on the look out for just really inspiring books that make you think so I picked this one up today!
Where I Lived, and What I Lived For by Henry David Thoreau
"Thoreau's account of his solitary and self-sufficient home in New England woods remains an inspiration to the environmental movement — a call to his fellow men to abandon their striving, materialistic existences of 'quiet desperation' for a simple life within their means, finding spiritual truth through awareness of the sheer beauty of their surroundings."
This is another one of the books I got because I was searching for short, inspirational books. I love this edition by Penguin so I bought it at work. It's from a set called Penguin Books: Great Ideas and I want all of them now. Anyways, the reason I picked this book specifically is because I love Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer and in that book, Thoreau is mentioned a lot so I thought I'd finally read something by him.
Posted on November 4, 2019 November 2, 2019 Categories books, literary fiction, TBRTags a mans search for meaning, a woman is no man, books, chinua achebe, classics, etaf rum, fiction, penguin books, penguin great minds, TBR, things fall apart, thoreau, victor frankl, where i lived and what i lived forLeave a comment on Books I Want to Read That Nobody Cares About
the Testaments [MINI REVIEW]
"More than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results.
Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third voice: a woman who wields power through the ruthless accumulation and deployment of secrets.
As Atwood unfolds The Testaments, she opens up the innermost workings of Gilead as each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she will go for what she believes.
"Dear Readers: Everything you've ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we've been living in." –Margaret Atwood"
Published: September 10th 2019
Publisher: Nan A. Talese / Double Day Books
"As they say, history does not repeat itself, but it rhymes." ― Margaret Atwood, The Testaments
As some of you might know, I finished The Testaments shortly after it's release! I got my book in the day of it's release (the same day I miraculously sprained my ankle leaving the bookstore) and I absolutely devoured it. My copy is full of green sticky tabs because there was SO many things I felt I needed to tab.
I decided to make this a mini review because I didn't critically read it and write notes like I do with books that I usually will write longer reviews for. I just read this one for pure enjoyment and it was wonderful. I ended up giving it five out of five stars over on Goodreads because it was that good. Let's talk about the things that I loved:
I thought the writing in this book was impeccable. I recently read the Handmaid's Tale this year and I loved Margaret Atwood's stand out writing in that novel as well. But, WOW. The writing in this novel makes it so much easier to binge-read. I found it much more entertaining and I didn't feel like I had to stop and re-read the page like I did with the first book. I don't know if it's because the Handmaid's Tale is such a popular feminist classic that it was daunting or I just simply enjoy this second book more. I definitely think there's a shift in the writing style so if you're looking for that same writing in the Handmaid's Tale, I don't think it's here.
Another thing that made this book even more entertaining is that we get three POVs instead of one. I was ecstatic when I realized this. You get to know Gilead much better because you're experiencing it in the eyes of three very different women. We follow a young girl growing up in Canada with a secret and mysterious link to Gilead, one girl growing up in Gilead (although to a wealthy family) and Aunt Lydia — a character we know from the first book. As much as I loved reading Aunt Lydia's POV, I found the other girls POVs just as interesting and intriguing.
There's a few scenes in this book that almost felt too real that it was scary. I think that's a huge reason why Margaret Atwood wrote this book because so many of these things you'd expect in Gilead, are happening here in the United States. For example, there's an Aunt Lydia scene where she's been questioned about her past life (abortions, divorces, etc.) by a man essentially hiring her and I was so on edge the entire time. It's upsetting how this way of thinking is real.
If you loved the Handmaid's Tale because of how feminist it was, I think you'll LOVE this novel. While the writing style isn't as dramatic as the first book, I think the impact is still the same and this book proves it's point. Also, if you're wanting to know more about Gilead, this is definitely the book for you!
Buy the Testaments at your local bookstore!
Posted on September 27, 2019 September 24, 2019 Categories books, feminism, feminist friday, literary fiction, new releasesTags book review, book reviews, books, feminism, feminist books, feminist friday, literature, margaret atwood, reading, the handmaids tale, the testaments, the testaments review3 Comments on the Testaments [MINI REVIEW]
Feminist Friday | The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Happy Feminist Friday! I decided there's no other book that I can shout out this week than the sequel to the Handmaid's Tale. I'm currently reading it (about 103 pages in) and I'm already enjoying it much more than the original. I love that she did this book in three different perspectives — it makes this book 10x more immersive.
It's been in the news recently since Amazon broke the embargo and released this book a week before the release date. I'm not shocked that they did this but it definitely kills the release day hype when everyone's already reading it. This is why you should shop indie instead!
It's also been in the news recently because it made the short list for a Man Booker Prize!
You can see the entire list here. I think the winner will be announced in October!
If you want to follow along with me as I read it, I will be updating Goodreads while reading! I'm also recording an entire vlog of my reactions while reading. I'm sure that'll be up in a few weeks! I'm aiming to edit and post it right when I finish but I have no idea when that'll be.
Have you read this book? Are you planning to? Let me know!
If you would like, here's a little button to add it to Goodreads:
Buy this book at your local bookstore!
Posted on September 13, 2019 September 13, 2019 Categories books, feminism, feminist friday, literary fiction, new releasesTags books, double day books, feminism, feminist friday, feminist lit, fiction, man booker prize, margaret atwood, nan a telese, new releases, sci fi, the handmaids tale, the testaments1 Comment on Feminist Friday | The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
September Book Releases | 2019
The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale #2) by Margaret Atwood [September 10th] **
The Institute by Stephen King [September 10th]
The Water Dancer by Te-Nehisi Coates [September 24th]
Well Met by Jen DeLuca [September 3rd, 2019]
Gideon the Ninth (The Ninth House, #1) by Tamsyn Muir [September 3rd]
Darkdawn (The Nevernight Chronicle, #3) by Jay Kristoff [September 3rd]
the Dutch House by Ann Patchett [September 24th]
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson [September 17th]
We Are Lost and Found by Helene Dunbar [September 3rd] ** My Review
Frankly in Love by David Yoon [September 10th] **
Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell [September 24th] **
Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove, #1) by Shelby Mahurin [September 3rd]
Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzie Lee [September 3rd] **
Suggested Reading by David Connis [September 17th]
Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi [September 3rd]
The Lady Rogue by Jen Bennett [September 3rd]
The Infinite Noise by Laura Shippen [September 24th]
The Tyrant's Tomb (Trials of Apollo #4) by Rick Riordan [September 24th] **
Tunnel of Bones (Cassidy Blake #2) by Victoria Schwab [September 3rd] **
Guts by Raina Telgemeier [September 17th]
** books that I'm anticipating myself!
Posted on September 2, 2019 Categories books, literary fiction, new releases, young adultTags ann patchett, books, fiction, literature, loki, mackenzie lee, margaret atwood, middle grade, new releases, rainbow rowell, rick riordan, september book releases, stephen king, trials of apollo, young adultLeave a comment on September Book Releases | 2019
Required Reading that I Loved
School is back in session and I'm so thankfully not attending high school ever again! I decided I would talk about some of the required reading that I loved in high school because it seems as if most people hated the books they read in high school. For me, some of these books became my favorites.
I want to clarify that I went to school in Florida and I took mostly advanced English, AP Lang, and a dual enrollment college course in high school. This means my required reading might be a little different than what some people may have read in high school. For example, I never had to read To Kill a Mockingbird. I know, shocker right? I've never read Animal Farm either! So, if you're wondering why I might've not mentioned one of your favorites or ones you remember, it's most likely because I didn't have to read them.
1. Hamlet by Shakespeare
"Among Shakespeare's plays, "Hamlet" is considered by many his masterpiece. Among actors, the role of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is considered the jewel in the crown of a triumphant theatrical career. Now Kenneth Branagh plays the leading role and co-directs a brillant ensemble performance. Three generations of legendary leading actors, many of whom first assembled for the Oscar-winning film "Henry V", gather here to perform the rarely heard complete version of the play. This clear, subtly nuanced, stunning dramatization, presented by The Renaissance Theatre Company in association with "Bbc" Broadcasting, features such luminaries as Sir John Gielgud, Derek Jacobi, Emma Thompson and Christopher Ravenscroft. It combines a full cast with stirring music and sound effects to bring this magnificent Shakespearen classic vividly to life. Revealing new riches with each listening, this production of "Hamlet" is an invaluable aid for students, teachers and all true lovers of Shakespeare – a recording to be treasured for decades to come."
Listen, I'm not a huge Shakespeare fan. But, I did read quite a few of his works throughout high school. I mean, didn't we all? I'm pretty sure I had read: Romeo & Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Hamlet. Hamlet was the last one I read since I read it in my Comp I class senior year of high school. When I tell you I loved Hamlet, I LOVED Hamlet. It's actually on my Favorites list on Goodreads. Hamlet is such a great character. The play is actually intriguing, family drama, literally everyone dies, and it's funny. What more could you ask for? Oh, and I know what he meant by "To be or not to be" now.
I also remember my English professor showing us this scene from the Simpsons to summarize Hamlet and it was golden. "Nobody out crazies Ophelia!" made me laugh so hard.
2. 1984 by George Orwell
Among the seminal texts of the 20th century, Nineteen Eighty-Four is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmare vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is Orwell's prescience of modern life–the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language–and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written.
I wanna say that I read this book during sophomore year of high school but honestly, I can't remember a damn thing about high school. I just remember we read a lot of dystopian and the only Orwell thing I ever had to read was 1984. To be quite frank with you, I loved everything about this book. I read ahead like I usually do and I remember being excited for the discussions. I'm finally glad to understand this book and all the references made in 2019.
3. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
"I believe that the reader will discover here the essential nature of one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history," Arthur Miller wrote of his classic play about the witch-hunts and trials in seventeenth-century Salem, Massachusetts. Based on historical people and real events, Miller's drama is a searing portrait of a community engulfed by hysteria. In the rigid theocracy of Salem, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town's most basic fears and suspicions; and when a young girl accuses Elizabeth Proctor of being a witch, self-righteous church leaders and townspeople insist that Elizabeth be brought to trial. The ruthlessness of the prosecutors and the eagerness of neighbor to testify against neighbor brilliantly illuminates the destructive power of socially sanctioned violence.
Written in 1953, The Crucible is a mirror Miller uses to reflect the anti-communist hysteria inspired by Senator Joseph McCarthy's "witch-hunts" in the United States. Within the text itself, Miller contemplates the parallels, writing, "Political opposition… is given an inhumane overlay, which then justifies the abrogation of all normally applied customs of civilized behavior. A political policy is equated with moral right, and opposition to it with diabolical malevolence."
We actually read this out loud in class as if we were the cast of characters. I remember being picked to read Elizabeth and my only other friend in that AP class read John Proctor. I wasn't usually excited to read aloud but it was so fun reading this play. Even though this events took place SO long ago, they were so fun to read about. I think I would probably re-read this today if I felt like it.
4. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.
Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir. In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his cash. He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and , unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented. Craving a blank spot on the map, McCandless simply threw the maps away. Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild.
Out of all the books I've read in my life, Into the Wild remains in the top three. It's funny because I originally only rated this book four stars and in my review, I mentioned not loving it. It's been a few years since I read this book (I think I read in it 2016?) and it still manages to stick with me. I think about it often and I like to re-read a few passages of this book whenever I'm feeling upset. I left this book feeling so much and learning so much from Jon Krakauer and Chris McCandless. This is my bookseller rec at work because I just want everyone to read it. I've seen the movie and it was okay but I'll never forget the feeling of reading it for the first time. I love this book for so many different reasons — it's so atmospheric, it reads like fiction even though it's not, it brings up the topic of transcendentalism, and some of the writing is just truly unforgettable.
What was your favorite required reading? Sometimes they're hit or miss but I ended up really loving these!
Posted on August 21, 2019 August 21, 2019 Categories books, literary fiction, recommendationsTags 1984, arthur miller, back to school, book reviews, books, classics, fiction, george orwell, hamlet, high school reading, into the wild, jon krakaeur, literature, nonfiction, reading, required reading, reviews, shakespeare, the crucibleLeave a comment on Required Reading that I Loved
Library Haul
Hello everyone! I finally got around to renewing my library card. I decided to check out a bunch of physical books this time. Some of these may or may not be for the Reading Rush but you'll just have to wait and see!
When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perry ★★★ (3) / ★★★★★ (5) stars
"Katie Daniels is a perfection-seeking 28-year-old lawyer living the New York dream. She's engaged to charming art curator Paul Michael, has successfully made her way up the ladder at a multinational law firm and has a hold on apartments in Soho and the West Village. Suffice it to say, she has come a long way from her Kentucky upbringing.
But the rug is swept from under Katie when she is suddenly dumped by her fiance, Paul Michael, leaving her devastated and completely lost. On a whim, she agrees to have a drink with Cassidy Price-a self-assured, sexually promiscuous woman she meets at work. The two form a newfound friendship, which soon brings into question everything Katie thought she knew about sex—and love.
When Katie Met Cassidy is a romantic comedy that explores how, as a culture, while we may have come a long way in terms of gender equality, a woman's capacity for an entitlement to sexual pleasure still remain entirely taboo. This novel tackles the question: Why, when it comes to female sexuality, are so few women figuring out what they want and then going out and doing it?"
the Handmaid's Tale: the Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood
"Everything Handmaids wear is red: the colour of blood, which defines us.
Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, where women are prohibited from holding jobs, reading, and forming friendships. She serves in the household of the Commander and his wife, and under the new social order she has only one purpose: once a month, she must lie on her back and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if they are fertile. But Offred remembers the years before Gilead, when she was an independent woman who had a job, a family, and a name of her own. Now, her memories and her will to survive are acts of rebellion.
Provocative, startling, prophetic, The Handmaid's Tale has long been a global phenomenon. With this stunning graphic novel adaptation of Margaret Atwood's modern classic, beautifully realized by artist Renee Nault, the terrifying reality of Gilead has been brought to vivid life like never before."
Circe by Madeline Miller
"In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.
But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love."
Anne Frank's Diary: the Graphic Novel
"The only graphic novelization of Anne Frank's diary that has been authorized by the Anne Frank Foundation and that uses text from the diary–it will introduce a new generation of young readers to this classic of Holocaust literature.
This adaptation of Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl into a graphic version for a young readership, maintains the integrity and power of the original work. With stunning, expressive illustrations and ample direct quotation from the diary, this edition will expand the readership for this important and lasting work of history and literature."
Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim
"At the news of her mother's death, Natalie Tan returns home. The two women hadn't spoken since Natalie left in anger seven years ago, when her mother refused to support her chosen career as a chef. Natalie is shocked to discover the vibrant neighborhood of San Francisco's Chinatown that she remembers from her childhood is fading, with businesses failing and families moving out. She's even more surprised to learn she has inherited her grandmother's restaurant.
The neighborhood seer reads the restaurant's fortune in the leaves: Natalie must cook three recipes from her grandmother's cookbook to aid her struggling neighbors before the restaurant will succeed. Unfortunately, Natalie has no desire to help them try to turn things around–she resents the local shopkeepers for leaving her alone to take care of her agoraphobic mother when she was growing up. But with the support of a surprising new friend and a budding romance, Natalie starts to realize that maybe her neighbors really have been there for her all along."
Posted on July 20, 2019 July 20, 2019 Categories book hauls, books, literary fictionTags anne franks diary, book haul, books, circe, fantasy, fiction, library haul, natalie tans book of luck and fortune, reading, romance, TBR, the handmaids tale, to be read, when katie met cassidyLeave a comment on Library Haul
5 Books I'm Extremely Excited About
Good afternoon! Here's a little list of all the books I am EXTREMELY excited for. I have pre-ordered almost all of these books and I am just awaiting their release. Are you looking forward to any of these? Let me know!
Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
"The story is supposed to be over.
Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after…
So why can't Simon Snow get off the couch?
What he needs, according to his best friend, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light…
That's how Simon and Penny and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West.
They find trouble, of course. (Dragons, vampires, skunk-headed things with shotguns.) And they get lost. They get so lost, they start to wonder whether they ever knew where they were headed in the first place…
With Wayward Son, Rainbow Rowell has written a book for everyone who ever wondered what happened to the Chosen One after he saved the day. And a book for everyone who was ever more curious about the second kiss than the first. It's another helping of sour cherry scones with an absolutely decadent amount of butter.
Come on, Simon Snow. Your hero's journey might be over – but your life has just begun."
Carry On is one of my favorite books and I'm so excited that it's getting a sequel. I wrote all about why I love this book in this blog post dedicated to it!
House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas
"Half-Fae, half-human Bryce Quinlan loves her life. By day, she works for an antiquities dealer, selling barely legal magical artifacts, and by night, she parties with her friends, savouring every pleasure Lunathion—otherwise known as Crescent City— has to offer. But it all comes crumbling down when a ruthless murder shakes the very foundations of the city—and Bryce's world.
Two years later, her job has become a dead end, and she now seeks only blissful oblivion in the city's most notorious nightclubs. But when the murderer attacks again, Bryce finds herself dragged into the investigation and paired with an infamous Fallen angel whose own brutal past haunts his every step.
Hunt Athalar, personal assassin for the Archangels, wants nothing to do with Bryce Quinlan, despite being ordered to protect her. She stands for everything he once rebelled against and seems more interested in partying than solving the murder, no matter how close to home it might hit. But Hunt soon realizes there's far more to Bryce than meets the eye—and that he's going to have to find a way to work with her if they want to solve this case.
As Bryce and Hunt race to untangle the mystery, they have no way of knowing the threads they tug ripple through the underbelly of the city, across warring continents, and down to the darkest levels of Hel, where things that have been sleeping for millennia are beginning to stir…"
I'm SO happy that Sarah J. Maas finally decided to write an Adult fantasy series. I used to love Throne of Glass but was kind of sad about the direction it went. I haven't read the final book, Kingdom of Ash, but will try to get to it sometime this year.
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks
"Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends.
Every autumn, all through high school, they've worked together at the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world. (Not many people know that the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world is in Omaha, Nebraska, but it definitely is.) They say good-bye every Halloween, and they're reunited every September 1.
But this Halloween is different—Josiah and Deja are finally seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last good-bye.
Josiah's ready to spend the whole night feeling melancholy about it. Deja isn't ready to let him. She's got a plan: What if—instead of moping and the usual slinging lima beans down at the Succotash Hut—they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! And Josiah could finally talk to that cute girl he's been mooning over for three years . . .
What if their last shift was an adventure?"
Release Date: August 27th, 2019
I will buy literally anything written by Rainbow Rowell but this Fall theme SENDS ME! I am so pumped.
"The mesmerizing adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo
Galaxy "Alex" Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale's freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she's thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world's most elite universities on a full ride. What's the catch, and why her?
Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale's secret societies. These eight windowless "tombs" are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood's biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive."
Release Date: October 1st, 2019
Listen, I love Leigh Bardugo's writing but I cannot wait for this adult NON-GRISHA (Yes, you heard that right) book. I am living for the cult theme that seems to take place in this novel. I have it pre-ordered already because I'm beyond excited to finally read something by Leigh Bardugo that's not the Grisha-verse. I'm also so happy so many YA authors are going out of their comfort zones to write books like these. Expect a review for this book!
Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater
"The dreamers walk among us . . . and so do the dreamed. Those who dream cannot stop dreaming – they can only try to control it. Those who are dreamed cannot have their own lives – they will sleep forever if their dreamers die.
And then there are those who are drawn to the dreamers. To use them. To trap them. To kill them before their dreams destroy us all.
Ronan Lynch is a dreamer. He can pull both curiosities and catastrophes out of his dreams and into his compromised reality.
Jordan Hennessy is a thief. The closer she comes to the dream object she is after, the more inextricably she becomes tied to it.
Carmen Farooq-Lane is a hunter. Her brother was a dreamer . . . and a killer. She has seen what dreaming can do to a person. And she has seen the damage that dreamers can do. But that is nothing compared to the destruction that is about to be unleashed. . . ."
Release Date: November 5th, 2019
If there's anything I needed from Maggie Stiefvater, it was another Ronan centered book but instead, I'm getting a whole trilogy! This sounds fantastic and you bet I already have this book pre-ordered.
Posted on June 17, 2019 June 21, 2019 Categories books, lifestyle, literary fiction, young adultTags book tags, books, call down the hawk, crescent city, erin hicks, fantasy, fiction, house of earth and blood, leigh bardugo, literature, maggie stiefvater, ninth house, pumpkinheads, rainbow rowell, reading, sarah j maas, wayward son2 Comments on 5 Books I'm Extremely Excited About
Feminist Friday ↠ Feminist Classics
As some of you may now, feminism is literature is one of my favorite things. I still often read books on feminism or that have a feminist theme. But, have books always been feminist? Clearly, there's several feminist classics that exist you might not know about. These books clearly paved the way for so many great feminist authors that are being published today. All the way from 1792 to present, we've been given feminist literature and non-fiction. So, without further ado, here's some of the most essential feminist classics that were so influential for their time.
I put the date they were originally published so you can think about the time in which they were and why they would've been written and published. I also want to state that there are so many other feminist classics that didn't make it on the list. I'm sure I'll make more lists but as far as I'm concerned, these are some of the most popular ones!
1. A Vindication of the Rights of a Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
"Writing in an age when the call for the rights of man had brought revolution to America and France, Mary Wollstonecraft produced her own declaration of female independence in 1792. Passionate and forthright, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman attacked the prevailing view of docile, decorative femininity, and instead laid out the principles of emancipation: an equal education for girls and boys, an end to prejudice, and for women to become defined by their profession, not their partner. Mary Wollstonecraft's work was received with a mixture of admiration and outrage – Walpole called her 'a hyena in petticoats' – yet it established her as the mother of modern feminism."
2. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins
"'The color is hideous enough, and unreliable enough, and infuriating enough, but the pattern is torturing.'
Written with barely controlled fury after she was confined to her room for 'nerves' and forbidden to write, Gilman's pioneering feminist horror story scandalized nineteenth-century readers with its portrayal of a woman who loses her mind because she has literally nothing to do."
3. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
"A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf. First published on the 24th of October, 1929, the essay was based on a series of lectures she delivered at Newnham College and Girton College, two women's colleges at Cambridge University in October 1928. While this extended essay in fact employs a fictional narrator and narrative to explore women both as writers of and characters in fiction, the manuscript for the delivery of the series of lectures, titled Women and Fiction, and hence the essay, are considered nonfiction. The essay is seen as a feminist text, and is noted in its argument for both a literal and figural space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by patriarchy."
4. The Second Sex by Simone De Beauvoir
Newly translated and unabridged in English for the first time, Simone de Beauvoir's masterwork is a powerful analysis of the Western notion of "woman," and a groundbreaking exploration of inequality and otherness. This long-awaited new edition reinstates significant portions of the original French text that were cut in the first English translation. Vital and groundbreaking, Beauvoir's pioneering and impressive text remains as pertinent today as it was back then, and will continue to provoke and inspire generations of men and women to come.
5. The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
"Landmark, groundbreaking, classic—these adjectives barely do justice to the pioneering vision and lasting impact of The Feminine Mystique. Published in 1963, it gave a pitch-perfect description of "the problem that has no name": the insidious beliefs and institutions that undermined women's confidence in their intellectual capabilities and kept them in the home. Writing in a time when the average woman first married in her teens and 60 percent of women students dropped out of college to marry, Betty Friedan captured the frustrations and thwarted ambitions of a generation and showed women how they could reclaim their lives. Part social chronicle, part manifesto, The Feminine Mystique is filled with fascinating anecdotes and interviews as well as insights that continue to inspire. This 50th–anniversary edition features an afterword by best-selling author Anna Quindlen as well as a new introduction by Gail Collins."
6. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
"We follow Esther Greenwood's personal life from her summer job in New York with Ladies' Day magazine, back through her days at New England's largest school for women, and forward through her attempted suicide, her bad treatment at one asylum and her good treatment at another, to her final re-entry into the world like a used tyre: "patched, retreaded, and approved for the road" … Esther Greenwood's account of her year in the bell jar is as clear and readable as it is witty and disturbing."
7. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
"The Handmaid's Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population.
The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment's calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions. The Handmaid's Tale is funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing. It is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and a tour de force. It is Margaret Atwood at her best."
Posted on May 24, 2019 May 26, 2019 Categories books, feminism, feminist friday, literary fiction, recommendationsTags a room of ones own, a vindication of the rights of a woman, betty friedan, book recommendations, book recs, books, classic literature, classics, essays, feminism, feminism writing, feminist, feminist classics, feminist friday, feminist recommendations, feminist writers, fiction, literature, margaret atwood, mary wollstonecraft, non fiction, nonfiction, reading, simone de beauvoir, sylvia plath, the bell jar, the feminine mystique, the handmaids tale, the second sex, the yellow wallpaper, virginia woolfLeave a comment on Feminist Friday ↠ Feminist Classics
April Wrap Up | 2019
So, I didn't have the best reading month ever in April. I read a total of two books but I enjoyed them both so I'm excited to talk about them!
Where I End and You Begin by Preston North ★★★★
I was sent an e-arc of this book through Netgalley and ended up reading it shortly after. I flew through this book in the very beginning of April (I think about 3 days) and really loved it. It wasn't what I was expecting and I didn't think it would stick with me but it did. I will have a review going up for this book closer to the release date! This was also one of my On My Radar books so I'm so thankful I got to read and review it!
the Great Alone by Kristin Hannah ★★★★
I recently bought this book from BookOutlet and I decided that I would just read it on a whim. It's set in the 1970s in rural Alaska so of course, I had to read it. I love reading books set in Alaska so I gave this one a shot and I loved it. I did have some problems with it which is why I gave it only four stars out of five. I do have an entire review on it up on my blog though so if you want to hear more of my thoughts, you can read them there!
So, that's all I read during April! I know, it's not a lot. I hope to read much more in May! What did you read in April? I'd love to know!
Posted on May 5, 2019 May 4, 2019 Categories books, literary fiction, wrap up, young adultTags april wrap up, books, books i read in april, fiction, kristin hannah, literary fiction, reading, the great alone, where i end and you begin, wrap up, ya books, young adult3 Comments on April Wrap Up | 2019


Sustainability is a bit of a buzzword these days when it comes to a business's operations. How are they sourcing their raw materials, what are they using in terms of energy, and how are they helping out the local communities they are operating in are all some questions consumers often ask themselves before purchasing a product or service from a business.
Because consumers are becoming more interested in making sure they are buying from sustainable companies, (for instance, those that are "fair trade" approved), companies are starting to make a push towards eco-friendly, green business practices. This should be a good thing, right? Well, unfortunately, there are a lot of companies that disguise themselves as being sustainable, when in reality, they aren't.
At Deneen Pottery, we're committed to leaving it better than we found it, meaning that we use operating practices that reuse, recycle, and conserve our resources. To help you better understand what makes a business truly sustainable, we're going to talk about environmentally friendly processes and operations that are actually making a positive impact on the world, while also talking about some sustainability myths that many businesses employ.
What types of energy are you using to run your offices, operating facilities, and stores? One of the best ways to ensure that your business is running on sustainable energy is to use solar power. A tactic employed at Deneen Pottery, powering you're business through solar energy can reduce your operating costs, decrease your carbon footprint, increase your employee pride in your company, and demonstrate social responsibility overall. Using solar power was a decision we made in 2017 and it's one we will continue to be proud of for years to come.
One of the most rewarding parts of owning a business is building strong connections with your employees and offering them a job they love in a safe work environment that encourages them to be themselves. That means listening to their needs and working alongside them to make sure they are met. Remember, if you're the owner of a business, your employees don't work for you, but work WITH you.
A sustainable business is one that is unselfish, in that they will take time out of the work week to give back and improve the community around them. There are many different ways you can do this, including sponsoring a local youth sports team, starting a food or clothing drive, volunteering your services (Example: a law firm doing pro-bono work), signing up for an afternoon at a humanitarian organization like Feed My Starving Children or Habitat for Humanity. At Deneen, we've spent time volunteering with local Merriam Station Community Garden. We've loved the opportunity to work alongside our friends and neighbors to improve what was once an vacant piece of land.
This one took longer to catch hold than it should've. Many high-profile companies have been found guilty of outsourcing their work to sweatshops. However, consumers are starting to fight back against companies that have been caught red-handed of trying to save money by unethical operating practices. While this outside pressure has forced greedy companies to finally act responsibly when it comes to how they source their materials, there are also more companies that are starting to this from the get-go, as they understand that it is simply a better way to run a business, both ethically and for the success of the business in the long term.
One of the most harmful materials we're fighting against are coffee to-go-cups. According to One Planet Zero, each year over 500 billion single use coffee cups are used and thrown away around the globe, with tons of them ending up being littered and causing a pollution hazard. We highly encourage coffee drinkers to purchase mugs that they can refill at certain coffee shops, like Starbucks, which offers a refillable cup and lid at their shops.
Because your customers are part of the community, you should take care of them as well. That means showing good customer service and being willing to address mistakes honestly and with efficiency. A sustainable company will look at a customer and not see dollar signs, but an opportunity to help address a pain point of that individual.
Sustainability is all about long term success when it comes to your business. Business owners will often shy away from sustainable business practices for the simple reason that it is costly to implement. But while the initial start up costs are relatively high, most sustainable practices (like solar power) save money in the long run. So, if you can afford to install eco-friendly operations, you'll get that money back and then some down the road. Don't forget, the good will you gain from consumers for helping out the community will also help your business be more successful.
While being environmentally conscious is a big part of being a sustainable company, it is the only aspect. As touched on earlier, there are different areas that contribute to a business being considered sustainable (helping out in the community, making sure you're treating your employees fairly, etc).
Not a chance. Sustainability is here to stay, so if you're the owner of a business and haven't started to implement there practices, you're running the risk of falling behind your competitors.
Interested in Working with a Sustainable Company?
Deneen Pottery has been committed to green initiatives since our founding more than 45 years ago. From our community garden to our from-the-earth products, we are committed to doing things that respect the environment and our neighbors while creating handmade goods.
Our mugs will look great with your branded logo on them. You can rest assured that your customers will love them both for their quality, and the fact that they are made from sustainable business practices. Take a look at our mugs and see which style is right for your brand!