July 2023 MBR The Social Issues Shelf

The Social Issues Shelf

Police Unions and the Reform Movement
Ron DeLord, author
Ron York, author
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398093983, $44.95, PB, 290pp

https://www.amazon.com/Police-Unions-Reform-Movement-Americas/dp/0398093989

Synopsis: Between the two of them, co-authors Ron DeLord and Ron York have more than 100 years of collective experience in assisting police unions. It all seemed so simple and formulaic. A social movement that had been lingering for decades reached a tipping point, and unions now had their greatest challenge ever. The last 5 years have seen what unions would describe as apocalyptic demands for reforms.

Union leaders ranted about a war on the police, the end of the profession, and increasing hostility towards the police by the liberal media and politicians. Unions must change the way they do business if they want to survive.

"Police Unions and the Reform Movement: The Battle for the Future of America's Police" identifies the who, what and why of the reform movement, how to mount an effective political campaign, the complexities of an effective message, and the reasons police union leaders succeed and fail.

"Police Unions and the Reform Movement" is divided into five primary parts, each of which explores a police profession under attack from reform activists, left leaning media, politically correct chiefs, and weak mayors and councils afraid to push back against unrealistic and overreaching demands for reforms.

Part I focuses on viewing reform as a social movement. Part II examines the battle between unions and reform activists. Part III unravels the mysterious world of police unions. Part IV predicts the future of the reform movement and police unions in light of the struggle taking place nationwide, and finally, Part V are case studies, perspectives and predictions from contributing authors who are on the front lines of the police labor movement in the U.S. and Australia.

By following the superb analysis and creative ideas in this book, police union leaders, police management, law enforcement personnel, criminal justice professors and policymakers will see a path to reaching an accord on reform and advancing the police profession.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials, featuring 23 erudite essays, two Appendices (List of Duty Deaths by Gunfire & 100 Largest Cities, Oversight Boards, and Union Contracts), "Police Unions and the Reform Movement: The Battle for the Future of America's Police" is a timely, significant, thought-provoking, and welcome contribution to our on-going national discussion with respect to law enforcement and policing reforms that is unreservedly recommended for community, college, university Criminology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Ron DeLord (http://rondelord.com) is recognized as a leading public safety union contract negotiator; an expert on police and fire unions in United States; and an author and lecturer on public safety union leadership, power, organization, media and political action.

Twenty Dollars and Change
Clarence Lusane
City Lights Publishers
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
www.citylights.com
9780872868854, $21.95, PB, 424pp

https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Dollars-Change-American-Democracy/dp/0872868850

Synopsis: Today America is in the throes of a historic reckoning with racism, with the battle for control over official narratives at ground zero. Across the country, politicians, city councils, and school boards are engaged in a highly polarized debate about whose accomplishments should be recognized, and whose point of view should be included in the telling of America's history.

With the publication of "Twenty Dollars and Change: Harriet Tubman and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice and Democracy", political scientist Clarence Lusane (author of the acclaimed The Black History of the White House), writes from a basic premise: Racist historical narratives and pervasive social inequities are inextricably linked -- changing one can transform the other.

Taking up the debate over the future of the twenty-dollar bill, Lusane uses the question of Harriet Tubman vs. Andrew Jackson as a lens through which to view the current state of our nation's ongoing reckoning with the legacies of slavery and foundational white supremacy. He places the struggle to confront unjust social conditions in direct connection with the push to transform our public symbols, making it plain that any choice of whose life deserves to be remembered and honored is a direct reflection of whose basic rights are deemed worthy of protection, and whose are not.

Critique: A timely political and historical study of racism in America, "Twenty Dollars and Change: Harriet Tubman and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice and Democracy is informatively enhanced with the inclusion of fifty-two pages of Notes and a fourteen page Index. Of particular relevance and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary Social Issues, African-American Racial/Political History, and African/American Demographic Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Twenty Dollars and Change: Harriet Tubman and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice and Democracy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

Editorial Note: Dr. Clarence Lusane (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Lusane) is an author, activist, scholar, and journalist. He is a Professor and former Chairman of Howard University's Department of Political Science. Lusane earned his B.A. in Communications from Wayne State University and both his Masters and Ph.D. from Howard University in Political Science. He's been a political consultant to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and a former Commissioner for the DC Commission on African American Affairs. He frequently appears on MSNBC and C-SPAN, and was invited by the Obamas to speak at the White House. He is the author of many books, including The Black History of the White House.

The Practice of Belonging
Lisa Kentgen, Ph.D
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623177638, $17.95, PB, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Belonging-Communities-Loneliness-Relationships/dp/1623177634

Synopsis: After two years meeting with different communities in the US, psychologist Lisa Kentgen identified 6 key traits of vibrant, healthy communities that we can all apply to our own lives and networks: Commitment to care; Acceptance; Diversity; Skillful conflict resolution; Bonding rituals; Hospitality.

Each chapter of her new book, "The Practice of Belonging: Six Lessons from Vibrant Communities to Combat Loneliness, Foster Diversity, and Cultivate Caring Relationships" focuses on one of these traits, highlighting a particular community as a case study of how it can be put into practice.

The reader will learn about a wide range of successful community models, including a tiny-home village for people who had been chronically houseless in Austin, Texas; a study circle to build connection between Native and non-Native people in a small town in South Dakota; a 500-member community choir in Columbus, Ohio; and a Buddhist center in Barre, Massachusetts committed to bringing greater diversity to the Dharma.

Throughout "The Practice of Longing", the reader will reflect on such questions as: How can we cultivate these traits of vibrant community in our own lives? What would it look like to prioritize caring and acceptance in our interactions with others? How can we create a climate of true inclusivity, one where our differences both challenge and strengthen us? How can we learn to feel more comfortable with tension and acquire the skills to move through conflict toward creative solutions? What would happen if we incorporated meaningful rituals into our communities and made a point of celebrating each other?

With intention and practice, we can transform our social relationships and build communities that appreciate difference, encourage authentic expression, and foster an environment of belonging and mutual care. "The Practice of Longing" will inspire the reader to make the transformative leap from "me" to "we", thereby creating communal and loving spaces in which to connect (and thrive) together.

Critique: Exceptionally 'user friendly' in its commentary style, organization and presentation, "The Practice of Belonging: Six Lessons from Vibrant Communities to Combat Loneliness, Foster Diversity, and Cultivate Caring Relationships" is ideal reading for professionals and non-specialist general readers alike -- making it a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be noted for those who are interested in communication, social skills development, motivation, and creating/supporting friendships that "The Practice of Belonging" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Lisa Kentgen (https://www.lisakentgen.com) is a psychologist with over three decades' experience as a clinician, educator, and speaker. She is the author of An Intentional Life: Five Foundations of Authenticity and Purpose. Dr. Kentgen has published scientific articles on the development of conscious awareness, biological correlates of depression and anxiety, and identifying emotional difficulties in children. She believes that creating vibrant communities is the path forward through the unprecedented social, psychological, and existential crises we face. You can subscribe to her online newsletter at https://the3csofbelonging.substack.com

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