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Books

The Herd

Andrea Bartz (BSJ08, MSJ08)

The name of the elite women-only coworking space stretches across the wall behind the check-in desk: THE HERD, the H-E-R always purple. In-the-know New Yorkers crawl over one another to apply for membership to this community that prides itself on mentorship and empowerment. Among the hopefuls is Katie Bradley, who’s just returned from the Midwest after a stint of book research blew up in her face. Luckily, Katie has an in, thanks to her sister, Hana, an original Herder and the best friend of Eleanor Walsh, the Herd’s charismatic founder.

Eleanor is a queen among the Herd’s sun-filled rooms, admired and feared even as she strives to be warm and approachable. But on the night of a glitzy Herd news conference, she vanishes. When the police suggest foul play, everyone is a suspect: Eleanor’s husband, other Herders, the men’s rights groups that loathe the Herd—even Eleanor’s closest friends. As Hana struggles to figure out what her friend was hiding and Katie chases the story of her life, the sisters must face the secrets they’re keeping from each other—and confront just how dangerous it can be when women’s perfect veneers start to crack.

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If You Can’t Make Your Dream Come True, Then Build One

Anya Cheng (IMC08)

Opportunities are there for taking for those who are ready. However, when there is no opportunity in sight, instead of waiting, you must create opportunity on your own.

Waiting for someone to open a door for you is fine, but sometimes you have to kick the door open yourself.

How did a reporter from Taiwan become the Head of Product for eCommerce apps in Silicon Valley?

How did a young, immigrant business woman, who came from a humble home, lead engineers and data scientists at Facebook, eBay and Target?

Cheng’s story tells us that if she can do it, you can do, too, as long as you learn the how-to’s and are courageous enough to fight in unconventional ways.

Listen to your heart, be open-minded about new things, grab opportunities, and know when you don’t know something. We are living in a new era that no one has ever experienced. You aren’t happy with your career? You feel lost about the future? You’re not sure how to make decisions? Don’t be afraid! We are all pioneers now, and just like the pioneers of the old days, today’s pioneers hold the future in their hands. You can build your future from scratch! If you aren’t creative and don’t define the new rules yourself, how will you overcome these new challenges?

Currently based in Silicon Valley, Cheng uses her 15 years of experience in multiple countries and of finding her first job in the U.S. during the Great Recession to advise you on how to be a maverick and pioneer, and to turn crisis into opportunity. Sometimes when you think you have no opportunities, it’s actually that you are afraid and don’t know you have options. This book reveals how Cheng built her own opportunities and career. Reading it will inspire you and help you gain the confidence and power to push through difficult times!

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Books

OBSERVE to UNMASK: 100 Small Things to Know People Better

Pushpendra Mehta (IMC05)

In 2019, Pushpendra answered a question-“What small thing can tell you a lot about a person?”-that was posted on Quora, a popular question-and-answer website. His answer received over 1 million views. This unexpected response led him to write “OBSERVE to UNMASK: 100 Small Things to Know People Better” that will help you know people instantly and accurately based on their conversations, social media posts, interests, behavior, emotions, thoughts, and more.

OBSERVE TO UNMASK will help you develop positive relationships or harmonious associations that work for you and make you happier; assist you in comprehending an individual’s backstory; prevent you from being exploited, abused, manipulated, or lied to; aid you in distancing yourself from negative or toxic people, or avoiding them as much as possible.

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Books

Erin Brockovich: Superman’s Not Coming, Our National Water Crisis and What We the People Can do About It

Suzanne Boothby (BSJ00)

A modern-day Silent Spring, from environmental activist, consumer advocate, and renowned crusader Erin Brockovich and journalist Suzanne Boothby looking at the present situation with water and the imminent threats to our most precious, essential element.

The movie (Erin Brockovich) came out 20 years ago and this book details her life since then as thousands of people from all over the world email her every month about cancer cases, toxic water, and other environmental issues. This book details the top toxins in our water today, highlights many of the communities fighting for clean water, uncovers EPA issues, exposes contaminated military sites, reckons with water and climate change, and shows how everyday people can get involved.

The Atlantic called it, “a master class on water for the layperson and an exhortation to work for improvements in our own communities—taking readers on a tour of struggling locales around the country.”

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Books

Crossing Lines

Melanie Weiss (BSJ99)

In “Crossing Lines,: Midwestern high school seniors and swim teammates Alli and Brandon are the perfect couple, enjoying their final months of high school and making big plans for the future. When a horrific school shooting sparks a national movement, Alli gets involved with protests in support of gun control legislation, while Brandon defends his pro-gun beliefs and stays on the sidelines. These shifting priorities lead Alli and Brandon to question not only each other but their world views, as they begin to stand up for something bigger than themselves for the first time.

Melanie Weiss lives in Oak Park, Illinois. Her debut novel, “Spoken,” received a 2019 Readers’ Favorite Award for Young Adult-Social Issues.

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Books

Inside Our Days

Michele Merens (Ellis) (MSJ83)

“Inside Our Days” tells the story of Bree Durning, a happily married woman who abruptly flees home and family after receiving a dire cancer diagnosis. When her husband, William, a trained psychologist, tracks her down, she can hardly explain why she has turned from all she loves to all that only promises her pain: her own blindsiding memories. A deep dive into the ravages of complex PTSD, and how symptoms of this disease often mimic other anxieties and depressions, confounding sufferers and those who love them. “Inside Our Days” will be published by Muriel Press, Marian University, a university press dedicated to publishing books tied to social justice issues of our time.

It launches October 1, 2020 and is available through Amazon.com, libraries, book retailers and directly from Muriel Press, https://www.marianuniversity.edu/the-muriel-press. In print or ebook editions.

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Books

Act Like You’re Having a Good Time

Michele Weldon (BSJ79, MSJ80)

Award-winning memoirist Michele Weldon’s new new essay collection  “Act Like You’re Having a Good Time” is written with honesty and depth and explores what it means to be a mature woman seeking a life of purpose and meaning through work, family and relationships.

In “Act Like You’re Having a Good Time,” Weldon reflects on growing up with her family, being a single mother, striving for applause and acceptance, failing expectations, forming new friendships, reconciling lost dreams and restoring one’s faith. With sincerity and humor, she dissects family traditions, painting classes, lap swimming and dress codes. Weldon also contemplates her upbringing and acknowledges that white privilege created and sustains her circumstances in life.

Looking to find connection with readers in these turbulent times, Weldon set her sights on writing a distinctive essay collection that explores the difficult parts of life, whether it be aging, facing disappointment or learning to live with insecurities. In an age of self-care and over-the-top indulgence, Weldon has found peace and clarity through gratitude, affirming that “you are already enough.” Weldon invites readers to recognize the universal experience of learning to accept oneself and asking essential questions—even if there are no easy answers.

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Books

Genus Americanus: Hitting the Road in Search of America’s Identity

Alyssa Karas (BSJ11), Dan Tham (BSJ13)

Seventy-year-old Northwestern journalism professor Loren Ghiglione and two twenty-something Northwestern journalism students, Alyssa Karas and Dan Tham, climbed into a minivan and embarked on a three-month, twenty-eight state, 14,063-mile road trip in search of America’s identity. After interviewing 150 Americans about contemporary identity issues, they compiled this collection, which is part oral history, part shoe-leather reporting, part search for America’s future, part memoir, and part travel journal.

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Books

The Book of Dares

Anna Marie Johnson Teague (MSJ00)

The Book of Dares is grounded both in practical parenting strategies and 20 years of A Call to Men’s work with men and boys to promote healthy manhood, authenticity, and gender equity. This collection of 100 original dares will help boys expand their worldview, inspire more respect toward girls and non-binary kids, and generally develop a healthier idea of manhood. The book features a voicey intro to draw readers in, plus an afterword that’s both a call to action and a resource for parents and educators. Inspired by A Call to Men’s tried-and-tested curriculum, this is a way of guiding boys to being their most authentic selves, and a direct answer to parents’ cries for building healthy manhood, respect, and emotional literacy in their sons.

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Books

In Power to Empower

Afroze Ali (IMC15)

What makes a great leader?

Three out of four employees report that poor leadership is the most stressful part of their job. Poor leadership can lead to high turnover, low productivity, and a stressful work environment. In Power to Empower provides future leaders the tools they need to realize their full potential. In this book, you’ll discover:

* Your self — who you are now, as a result of your experiences
* Your mindset — focusing your energy to solve problems
* Your [super]power — understanding people and their motivations
* Your people — prioritizing the humans in your life
* Your strategic game plan — being intentional with the big picture in mind
* Your fearlessness — not letting fear stop you from being or bringing change

In Power to Empower aims to inspire the next generation of leaders to be their best. Everyone is a leader, some just don’t know it yet!