"Hosts of all kinds, this is a must-read!" --Chris Anderson, owner and curator of TED From the host of the New York Times podcast Together Apart, an exciting new approach to how we gather that will transform the ways we spend our time together—at home, at work, in our communities, and beyond. In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker argues that the gatherings in our lives are lackluster and unproductive--which they don't have to be. We rely too much on routine and the conventions of gatherings when we should focus on distinctiveness and the people involved. At a time when coming together is more important than ever, Parker sets forth a human-centered approach to gathering that will help everyone create meaningful, memorable experiences, large and small, for work and for play. Drawing on her expertise as a facilitator of high-powered gatherings around the world, Parker takes us inside events of all kinds to show what works, what doesn't, and why. She investigates a wide array of gatherings--conferences, meetings, a courtroom, a flash-mob party, an Arab-Israeli summer camp--and explains how simple, specific changes can invigorate any group experience. The result is a book that's both journey and guide, full of exciting ideas with real-world applications. The Art of Gathering will forever alter the way you look at your next meeting, industry conference, dinner party, and backyard barbecue--and how you host and attend them.

As the COVID pandemic began to shut down the world, even within the church we found our busy hamster-wheel lives grind to a halt. In the midst of a global crisis, the author found herself in a crisis of vocation, wondering whether or not there might be something else she could do with her life, other than serve the church. The church as a whole began asking questions of a similar and urgent nature. Why be together in Jesus’ name? Does any of what we do as the church in gathering, in proclaiming, in serving, in being together, in not being together, does any of it matter?

The Living Diet invites us to consider our relationship to food from a Christian perspective. Food: can’t live with it or without it. We are bombarded with messages that the secret to health and weight loss can be unlocked with the right product or magic discipline, but we are getting neither thinner nor happier. Reports suggest that we are losing our battle with obesity, while the anxiety people experience in relationship with food increases. We are taught that bodies are fundamentally a problem to be solved, or worse, a war to be won, while a misguided worldview suggests that our food choices are of concern to us alone; an individual act of pleasure or consequences. Few resources speak to our food problem from a distinctly Christian perspective. Drawing on a rich assemblage of personal and collected stories grounded in the teachings of Jesus, The Living Diet offers a joyful alternative to the desperation and dissatisfaction that have become cultural norms for both eating and body image, inviting us to consider our choices in the context of community. Ancient wisdom yields a surprisingly modern response to the dieting dilemma, as well as to the realm of public, or popular, theology, helping the reader discover the real joy of eating and the true gift of embodied living.

Never Let Me Go meets The Giver in this haunting debut about a cult on an isolated island, where nothing is as it seems. Years ago, just before the country was incinerated to wasteland, ten men and their families colonized an island off the coast. They built a radical society of ancestor worship, controlled breeding, and the strict rationing of knowledge and history. Only the Wanderers -- chosen male descendants of the original ten -- are allowed to cross to the wastelands, where they scavenge for detritus among the still-smoldering fires. The daughters of these men are wives-in-training. At the first sign of puberty, they face their Summer of Fruition, a ritualistic season that drags them from adolescence to matrimony. They have children, who have children, and when they are no longer useful, they take their final draught and die. But in the summer, the younger children reign supreme. With the adults indoors and the pubescent in Fruition, the children live wildly -- they fight over food and shelter, free of their fathers' hands and their mothers' despair. And it is at the end of one summer that little Caitlin Jacob sees something so horrifying, so contradictory to the laws of the island, that she must share it with the others. Born leader Janey Solomon steps up to seek the truth. At seventeen years old, Janey is so unwilling to become a woman, she is slowly starving herself to death. Trying urgently now to unravel the mysteries of the island and what lies beyond, before her own demise, she attempts to lead an uprising of the girls that may be their undoing. Gather the Daughters is a smoldering debut; dark and energetic, compulsively readable, Melamed's novel announces her as an unforgettable new voice in fiction.

Explore with children and for yourself why we celebrate the Eucharist Breaking bread with others is central to our faith. This book is an invitation to learn and wonder about why we worship and celebrate the Holy Eucharist. Although grounded in the Episcopal liturgical tradition, it is an accessible and inviting introduction to worship for children and families of many Christian traditions. While learning what occurs during worship and the Holy Eucharist, readers of all ages will be guided through the sacramental and communal aspects of the celebration and how in the breaking of bread we are called into the world. The beautiful full-color illustrations reflect the diversity of God’s people, and a dedication page encourages personalization. A family section offers questions and suggests ways for all ages to engage in worship and family rituals. Reflecting some of the spirit, beauty, and vocabulary of the Episcopal liturgy, this will be a treasured volume for parents, godparents, grandparents, and other important adults in the life of a child who is wondering about worship.

Carol Lavin Bernick's book about lessons learned in her life.

"We need to understand and harness the impact our homes have on our happiness . . . What makes a home a happy one? I think Dwell, Gather, Be is part of the answer." -Meik Wiking, Author of The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well and CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen In a world where perfectly designed homes are encountered at every turn, Dwell, Gather, Be goes deeper, exploring how thoughtful, intentional home design can cultivate meaningful moments in your life. Learn to elevate, celebrate, and value the time you spend with the people you hold dear in the space that is uniquely yours. Dwell, Gather, Be shares inspiration and advice to: Design a home to reflect, complement, and enhance your lifestyle Create a welcoming environment for family and friends Cultivate special moments through timeless design Elevate and celebrate a rich, satisfying life