The Impossible Will Take a Little While

Perseverance and Hope in Troubled Times

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Pub Date 29 Apr 2014 | Archive Date 06 Apr 2014

Description

What keeps us going when times get tough? How have the leaders and unsung heroes of world-changing political movements persevered in the face of cynicism, fear, and seemingly overwhelming odds? In The Impossible Will Take a Little While, they tell us in their own words. After 22 printings, editor Paul Rogat Loeb has comprehensively updated this classic work on what it’s like to go up against Goliath, whether South African apartheid, environmental destruction, racial or sexual prejudice, Wall Street Greed, the dictatorships overthrown in the Arab Spring or the corporations driving climate change. These stories don't sugarcoat the obstacles. But they inspire hope by showing what keeps us keeping on.

The Impossible Will Take a Little While creates a conversation among some of the most visionary and eloquent voices of our times or any time: Think Nelson Mandela, Maya Angelou, Arundhati Roy, Bill Moyers, Václav Havel, Howard Zinn, Alice Walker, Mary Pipher, Jonathan Kozol, Diane Ackerman, Tony Kushner, Bill McKibben, Paul Hawken, Pablo Neruda, Marian Wright Edelman. Cornel West, Terry Tempest Williams, Seamus Heaney, Audre Lorde and Desmond Tutu.

Paul Rogat Loeb is the author of Soul of a Citizen, with 145,000 copies in print, and four other books. He appears regularly in the HuffingtonPost and on national radio and TV, has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, and AARP Bulletin, and lives in Seattle.

What keeps us going when times get tough? How have the leaders and unsung heroes of world-changing political movements persevered in the face of cynicism, fear, and seemingly overwhelming odds? In ...


Advance Praise

“Paul Loeb brings hope for a better world in a time when we so urgently need it.” —Millard Fuller, founder, Habitat for Humanity

"You are part of what's good about this world and I admire your work very much. This book can even make one hopeful about the future despite so many signs to the contrary." —Bill Moyers

“This might possibly be the most important collection of stories and essays you will ever read.” —American Book Association & History Channel top-10 2004 political book list

A magnificent anthology celebrates hope, guts, and the power of taking action…. Loeb has compiled for us the words of 49 of the most gifted and heroic men and women of our time, 49 testimonials to stamina and compassion in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, 49 reasons to keep hope alive in this time of frustration and fear” —The Oprah Magazine [Lead Review]

“A powerful classroom resource that will help inspire your students to act”--American Association of Colleges and Universities

“Deeply moving and motivating… a retinue to be reckoned with; a plethora of commentary from those dedicated to the concept of a better world”—Baltimore Sun

“Will resonate with anyone struggling with despair and doubt.”—Dallas Morning News [reprinted in Houston Chronicle, Lexington Herald Leader, Wichita Eagle & Ottawa Citizen]

“A must read” —Teaching Tolerance

“Hopeful, inspiring, and motivating... May well be required reading for us all.” —Sierra Club magazine

“A much needed salvo against despair.” —Psychology Today

“A shot in the arm for all of us who feel withered by crisis and paralyzed with cynicism…Every page sparkles with insight into how the most painful circumstances can drive us to our higher selves.” —Aretha Williams, San Antonio Express News

“This inspiring collection is such a song of hope in these difficult times.” —Bonnie Raitt

The Impossible Will Take a Little While is a bracing double cappuccino!” —Barbara Ehrenreich

“Stunning insights…educational and inspirational.” —Seattle Times

“An extremely important effort.” —John Kenneth Galbraith

“A stirring collection of essays aimed at people who still want to believe that ordinary people can change the world.” —Atlanta Journal Constitution

“An anthology of some of the most powerful voices of our time.” —Boston Globe

“A wonderful book, with some extraordinary folks contributing. It reminds us that darkness always comes before the dawn.” —Reg Weaver, president, National Education Association

“Stop worrying, stop feeling sorry for humanity and read ‘The Impossible Will Take a Little While.’” —Chicago Tribune

“A book of essays meant to inspire people.” —Christian Science Monitor

“Everyone who believes in our humanity and the ideal of justice for all, but feels despair by the direction the world has taken since 9/11, will find their faith in our ability to serve the common good restored by Paul Loeb’s symphony of powerful voices.” —Charles Johnson, National Book Award winner, author of Middle Passage

“As I read these stories, I am reminded yet again of the incredible power we have as individuals and the multiplication of that power when we come together. Thank you for this book of inspiring writing.” —Joan Blades, cofounder, MoveOn.org

“An indispensable anthology of hope and inspiration. Put away your Prozac, and pick up The Impossible Will Take a Little While.” —Arianna Huffington

“A compilation of 49 essays, excerpts and exclamations from a wide range of people who have found hope despite all evidence to the contrary.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Refreshingly empowering, healing, and amazingly inspirational. It touches the imagination, retrieves the faith, and is desperately needed by our country to provoke new hope and meaning. It is a glass half full for the cynic and the fearful, a compilation of vision for the complacent, and an antidote for the despondent—truly a must read for everyone.” —Steelabor, United Steelworkers of America

“Reading this hymnbook of hope, one’s heart cannot help but sing. I am moved and inspired by this magnificent book’s rich stories and insights. They water the fragile, precious seed of hope, from which everything we love grows.” —Vicki Robin, author, Your Money or Your Life

“A soul-stirring anthology which we guarantee will lift the spirits of anyone looking for reasons to carry on in the struggle to create a better world.”—The Lutheran

“An intelligent, impressive compendium of ideas and feelings that, if implemented, will lead to a far more civilized society.” —Peter Matthiessen

“Just what the doctor ordered for these depressing times: a massive infusion of hope, written in the clearest and most inspiring prose. Do your soul a favor and read this book.” —Kevin Danaher, cofounder, Global Exchange

“A collection of moving essays and poems on how to maintain optimism in a post 9/11 world.” —Real Simple

“A powerful chorus of hope. Loeb introduces us to a community of heroic individuals who by their actions sustain themselves and can help inspire the rest of us.” —Bill Meadows, president, Wilderness Society

“Captures the way the fight for decency can change people and change circumstances, even when victory is still in the distance.” —Rich Trumka, secretary-treasurer, AFL-CIO

“An impressive lineup… [Explains] how and why to keep up the good fight - for whatever purpose - in the face of ridicule, violence, despair, bad odds, and/or unfavorable election results.”— Capitol Times [Madison, WI]

“A feast of inspiration to help people keep working for justice.” —Ben Cohen, True Majority.org

“A forceful testimonial to the unique power of hope.” —Denis Hayes, Earth Day Network

“This is a book for the ravenous, and it delivers with a broad and international array of writers, celebrated and unknown.” —Robert Koehler, Tribune Media Services

“Paul Loeb brings hope for a better world in a time when we so urgently need it.” —Millard Fuller, founder, Habitat for Humanity

"You are part of what's good about this world and I admire your work...


Marketing Plan

Author tour

Major academic outreach

Media interviews

Author tour

Major academic outreach

Media interviews


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780465031733
PRICE $18.99 (USD)

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