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In this collection Stanford scholar Dr. Clayborne Carson has compiled the most moving sermons ever delivered by Dr. King, which remain incredibly meaningful decades later. Covering the full range of his career as a minister, it begins with the earliest extant audio recording of his preaching, and ends with the very last sermon he ever gave, only a few days before his assassination. A Knock at Midnight shows how Dr. King practiced what he preached as he became the father of the Civil Rights Movement.

One of the most memorable and inspiring speeches in all of American history was delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. on August 28, 1963. At the peak of his influence, he gives his dream of an America characterized by racial harmony and love in the face of a country divided by racial injustice. With hope and compassion, King envisions a country where "little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers." The foreword to this edition has been written by King’s daughter, the Rev. Bernice A. King.

The day before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on his motel balcony in 1968, he gave his last speech. While standing before a cheering crowd in Memphis, Tennessee, the 39-year-old civil rights leader and orator gave his vision of justice founded upon the two qualities that characterized him to the core: faith and courage. With these qualities, Dr. King was able to rouse the conscience of an entire nation; his thesis was summed up in the final words of his speech: “We want to be free.”

Letter from the Birmingham Jail was one of the few times Martin Luther King, Jr. was able to answer his critics. On April 16, 1963, while confined to a jail cell, he wrote to his fellow clergymen, who had urged him to cease his battle for racial equality and leave it to the courts. His letter compellingly defended nonviolent demonstration, and became a renewed rallying cry for an end to social discrimination. It was published in newspapers around the nation, directing the world’s attention to the injustices going on in Birmingham, and ultimately leading to the March on Washington. The foreword to this edition is written by the Rev. Bernice A. King.

Strength to Love features more sermon-style pieces by Dr. King, all of which are particularly meditative in nature. Some of them were written while King was in jail, during the height of the early Civil Rights Movement. He outlines his personal commitment to justice, as well as his intellectual, moral, and spiritual philosophies. This important collection is a revolutionary example of how Christian discipleship might be applied to social justice in the modern era.

This seminal compilation of writings and speeches collects in one place Dr. King’s prophetic words and ideas. Most famously, King told a crowd just a day before his assassination that he had seen the promised land of racial equality, and that he might not get there with his followers. Along with this speech, many other writings, speeches, interviews, and reflections are included. They detail Dr. King’s thoughts on such topics as nonviolence, Black Nationalism, integration, social policy, love, and hope.

This work collects lectures Dr. King gave in 1967 for the Massey Lecture Series of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. First published in book form right after King was assassinated the following year, it includes orations on equality, conscience, the Vietnam War, mobilizing young people, and nonviolent protest. The concluding lecture, “A Christmas Sermon on Peace,” was broadcast live from King’s own Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia on Christmas Eve 1967. Its discussion of the perils of the day remain relevant in 2021 as the struggle for civil rights continues.

Fairly late in his career, Dr. King briefly isolated himself from the Civil Rights Movement in order to finish what was to be his final book. By that time, he had become focused on the eradication of global suffering for all, which he felt could be accomplished through better jobs, fair wages, decent housing, and education. Writing in 1967, King said that humankind finally had the resources and technology to eradicate poverty, a message that has become quite prophetic today.

Recommended by Michael Vogt, Business. Publisher's summary: “One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has captivated readers for nearly three decades. It has transformed the lives of presidents and CEOs, educators and parents--millions of people of all ages and occupations. Now, this 30th anniversary edition of the timeless classic commemorates the wisdom of the 7 habits with modern additions from Sean Covey. The 7 habits have become famous and are integrated into everyday thinking by millions and millions of people. Why? Because they work! With Sean Covey's added takeaways on how the habits can be used in our modern age, the wisdom of the 7 habits will be refreshed for a new generation of leaders."

Recommended by Buffy Barkley, English. Publisher's summary: “In 180 More, Collins continues his ambitious mission of exposing readers of all ages to the best of today's poetry. Here are another 180 hospitable, engaging, reader-friendly poems, offering surprise and delight in a wide range of literary voices—comic, melancholy, reflective, irreverent. If poetry is the original travel literature, this anthology contains 180 vehicles ready to carry you away to unexpected places.”

Recommended by Megan Dinnesen, Education. Publisher's summary: “All Along You Were Blooming is a dynamic collection of illustrated poetry and prose inspiring you to live boundlessly right where you are. With every turn of the page, Instagram poet Morgan Harper Nichols invites you into a life of hope, trusting there is purpose in every moment and new mercy every morning.”

Recommended by Mary Brigham, Learning Center. Publisher's summary: “Success depends on the ability to think critically. Training and practice turn this ability into a powerful skill. Becoming a Critical Thinker gives students the opportunity to develop this skill in a classroom environment while stressing its application to daily life. Students learn to solve everyday problems, maintain successful relationships, make career choices, and interpret the messages of advertising in a variety of media. Exercises throughout the text encourage them to practice what they read and to apply it to their own lives. Becoming a Critical Thinker breaks up critical thinking into a series of cumulative activities, a unique approach that has made this text a staple of many critical thinking courses.”

Recommended by Ginny Taylor, Registrar’s Office. Publisher's summary: “A step-by-step guide to writing and managing the writer's life covers each portion of a written project, addresses such concerns as writer's block and getting published, and offers awareness and survival tips. For a quarter century, more than a million readers—scribes and scribblers of all ages and abilities—have been inspired by Anne Lamott’s hilarious, big-hearted, homespun advice. An essential volume for generations of writers young and old, Bird by Bird is a modern classic.”

Recommended by Tim Lynch, History. Special note: The chapter entitled “College of Mount St. Joseph” is written by MSJ history professor Kimberly J.M. Wilson!
Publisher's summary: “Because of its early history of westward expansion and its diverse population, Ohio is home to many independent institutions of higher education. They range from prestigious and richly endowed colleges and universities to local and regional ones that have well served their student populace over the decades.Cradles of Conscience is a collection of essays that relate the circumstances of the founding of 40 of these independent colleges and universities, recounts the history of each since its inception, and discusses how each has coped with modernization and how the pressures of the past 25 years have forced them to publicly evaluate and reassess their identities and missions.”

Recommended by Pete Robinson, History. Special note: The chapter entitled “’The Charity of Christ Urges Us’: Women, War, and the Four Freedoms at the College of Mount St. Joseph” is authored by MSJ history professor Pete Robinson!" Publisher's summary: “This book examines how World War II affected denominational colleges who faced a national crisis in relationship to their Christian tenets and particular religious communities and student bodies. With denominational positions ranging from justifying the war in light of the existential threat that the United States faced to maintaining long-held beliefs of nonviolence, the multitude of institutional positions taken during World War II speaks to the scope of religious diversity within Christian higher education and the central issues of faith and service to God and country. Ultimately, Laukitis provides a particular lens to analyze the history of higher education during World War II through an examination of denominational institutions. The relationship between higher education, faith, and war offers depth to understanding the role of denominational colleges in articulating theological interpretations of war and their sense of responsibility as Christian liberal arts institutions in the United States.”

Recommended by Mary Mazuk, Academic Advising. Publisher's note: “Among the first female reporters at The Wall Street Journal, Joann S. Lublin faced a number of uphill battles in her career. She became deputy bureau chief of the Journal's important London bureau, its first run by women. Now, she and dozens of other women who successfully navigated the corporate battlefield share their valuable leadership lessons…Leaders like Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, as well as Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, and Brenda Barnes, former CEO of Sara Lee, were the first women to run their huge employers. Earning It reveals obstacles such women faced as they fought to make their mark, choices they made, and battles they won and lost. Lublin chronicles the major milestones and dilemmas of the work world unique to women, providing candid advice and practical inspiration for women of all ages and at every stage of their careers. The extraordinary women we meet in the pages of Earning It and the hard-won lessons they share provide a compelling career compass that will help all women reach their highest potential without losing a meaningful personal life.”

Recommended by Mary Mazuk, Academic Advising. Publisher's summary: “An authoritative guide shares practical advice designed to help readers overcome self-defeating behaviors—including procrastination, obsession, self-pity, rebellion, and guilt—to effectively cope with the challenges and difficulties of life.”

Recommended by Corey Watt, Career Center. Publisher's summary: “For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But in today’s dramatically reconfigured world, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. In Give and Take, Adam Grant, an award-winning researcher and Wharton’s highest-rated professor, examines the surprising forces that shape why some people rise to the top of the success ladder while others sink to the bottom. Praised by social scientists, business theorists, and corporate leaders, Give and Take opens up an approach to work, interactions, and productivity that is nothing short of revolutionary.”

Recommended by Mary Brigham, Learning Center. Publisher's summary: “In this must-read book for anyone striving to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows parents, educators, athletes, students, and business people—both seasoned and new—that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a focused persistence called 'grit.' Why do some people succeed and others fail? Sharing new insights from her landmark research on grit, MacArthur 'genius' Angela Duckworth explains why talent is hardly a guarantor of success. Rather, other factors can be even more crucial such as identifying our passions and following through on our commitments. Drawing on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently bemoaned her lack of smarts, Duckworth describes her winding path through teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not 'genius' but a special blend of passion and long-term perseverance."

Recommended by Megan Dinnesen, Education. Publisher's summary: “How Far You Have Come is an exquisite collection of poetry and essays from bestselling artist and writer Morgan Harper Nichols. In the midst of the hurt and the mundane, the questions and the not yets, we can forget just how far we have come. Morgan weaves together personal reflections with her signature poems to share her journey to reclaim moments of brokenness, division, and pain and re-envision them as experiences of reconciliation, unity, and hope. The stories in How Far You Have Come are organized around a familiar path Morgan has traveled all her life, along the southern border of the United States. As Morgan reflects on the moments that shaped her, she invites us to: Awaken our hearts and recognize how our own histories have made us who we are today. Have a deeper understanding of pressing on and pressing in, of transformation and surrender, of meaning in the losses and wild anticipation for the splendor ahead. Reclaim moments of brokenness, division, and pain and re-envision them as experiences of reconciliation, unity, and hope. Become who we are in the moment you hold right now.”

Recommended by Scott Lloyd, Library. Publisher's summary: “The first practical guide of its kind that helps students transition smoothly from high school to college. The transition from high school--and home--to college can be stressful. Students and parents often arrive on campus unprepared for what college is really like. Academic standards and expectations are different from high school; families aren't present to serve as 'scaffolding' for students; and first-years have to do what they call 'adulting.' Nothing in the college admissions process prepares students for these new realities. How to College is here to help. Professors Andrea Malkin Brenner and Lara Schwartz guide first-year students and their families through the transition process, during the summer after high school graduation and throughout the school year, preparing students to succeed and thrive as they transition and adapt to college. The book draws on the authors' experience teaching, writing curriculum, and designing programs for thousands of first-year college students over decades.”

Recommended by Mary Brigham, Learning Center. Publisher's summary: “Procrastination is especially tough for young adults. Getting started is overwhelming, it's hard to get motivated, not knowing how long things take messes up planning, and distractions are everywhere. We are all wired to put things off, but we can learn tools and techniques to kick this habit. This book is a user-friendly guide to help teens get their tasks done. Simple, straightforward, and with a touch of humor, it's packed with practical solutions and easily digestible tips to stay on top of homework, develop a sense of time, manage digital distractions, create easy-to-follow routines, and get unstuck. In her breezy, witty style, internationally recognized academic and parenting coach Leslie Josel opens the door to a student's view of procrastination, dives deep into what that really looks like, and offers up her Triple Ts―tips, tools and techniques―to teach students how to get stuff done...now.”

Recommended by Mary Mazuk, Academic Advising. Publisher's note: “The classic, inspirational personal development guide provides an authoritative program for developing the basic and essential people skills that readers need to achieve maximum lifetime success. Dale Carnegie’s rock-solid, time-tested advice has carried countless people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.”

Recommended by Michelle Arnold, Mission Integration. Publisher's summary: “Just This is a collection of brief and evocative meditations and practices that invite us to cultivate the gift of waking up to the beauty of reality in all its glorious ordinariness. With his signature blend of contemplation, theology, and pastoral sensitivity, Fr. Richard Rohr creates a spaciousness for the soul to grow into a kind of seeing that goes far beyond merely looking to recognizing and thus appreciating.”

Recommended by Megan Dinnesen, Education. Publisher's summary: “Every day, your school, your teachers, and even your peers draw lines to measure and standardize intelligence. They decide what criteria make one person smart and another person stupid. They decide who will succeed and who will just get by. Perhaps you find yourself outside the norm, because you learn differently; but, unlike your classmates, you have no system in place that consistently supports your ability and desire to learn. Simply put, you are considered lazy and stupid. You are expected to fail. Learning Outside the Lines is written by two such “academic failures”; that is, two academic failures who graduated from Brown University at the top of their class. Jonathan Mooney and David Cole teach you how to take control of your education and find true success; and they offer all the reasons why you should persevere. Witty, bold, and disarmingly honest, Learning Outside the Lines takes you on a journey toward personal empowerment and profound educational change, proving once again that rules sometimes need to be broken.”

Recommended by Buffy Barkley, English. Publisher's summary: “A 180-degree turn implies a turning back—in this case, to poetry. A collection of 180 poems by the most exciting poets at work today, Poetry 180 represents the richness and diversity of the form, and is designed to beckon readers with a selection of poems that are impossible not to love at first glance. Open the anthology to any page and discover a new poem to cherish, or savor all the poems, one at a time, to feel the full measure of contemporary poetry's vibrance and abundance.”

Recommended by Mary Mazuk, Academic Advising. Publisher's summary: The Power of Letting Go brings together a number of key principles that come up for anyone who is on the journey of self-enquiry and development. At some point, the choice becomes clear, whether to hold on or let go. For some, it's easy…For many others, there are multiple layers and obstacles that have built up through one's life so far. Expectations, fear of uncertainty, well-worn inhibitive thought patterns, lack of trust, lack of acceptance, old trauma and hurt. Despite all this, there is a spark, a glimmer of hope that brightens at the thought of letting go and going with the flow, at following one's instincts and intuition rather than constantly second-guessing the outcome, at letting go of expectations and enjoying what is. This book combines both the why and the how to let go, with excellent practices that help convert the desire into action.”

Recommended by Michelle Arnold, Mission Integration. Publisher's summary: “Maybe you love color. Maybe you are a visual or kinesthetic learner, a distractible or impatient soul, or a word-weary pray-er. Perhaps you struggle with a short attention span, a restless body, or a tendency to live in your head. Maybe you hunger to know God better. The prayer practice Praying in Color was born when Sybil's desperation to pray for family and friends intersected with her love of color and doodling. Praying in Color invites the whole body into prayer and gives you a new way to be with God.”

Recommended by Michelle Arnold, Mission Integration. Publisher's summary: “This book is for anyone who wants a more integrated and reconciled approach to prayer. It proposes a way of prayer that, depending on your level of readiness, could influence both our interior and daily life. Its meditations and reflections connect readers to their deepest needs to be with the Beloved, to be reassured of the divine presence in our midst. They address hunger and longing for true happiness, for freedom from fear, and for deep peace.”

Recommended by Michael Vogt, Business. Publisher's summary: “How do individuals and organizations survive and thrive amid tremendous change? Why are efforts to improve organizations failing despite the millions of dollars in time, capital, and human effort being spent on them? How do we unleash creativity, talent, and energy within ourselves—and others—in the midst of pressure? Is it realistic to believe that balance among personal, family, and professional life is possible? Stephen R. Covey demonstrates that the answer to these and other dilemmas is principle-centered leadership, a long-term, inside-out approach to developing people and organizations. The key to dealing with the challenges that face us today is to develop a principle-centered core within both ourselves and our organizations. Dr. Covey offers insights and guidelines that can help you apply these principles both at work and at home—leading not just to a new understanding of how to increase quality and productivity, but also to a new appreciation of the importance of building personal and professional relationships. The result is a more balanced, more rewarding, and more effective life.”

Recommended by Andrew Hoelmer, Office of Admission. Publisher's summary: “Doing well with money isn't necessarily about what you know. It's about how you behave. And behavior is hard to teach, even to really smart people. Money—investing, personal finance, and business decisions—is typically taught as a math-based field, where data and formulas tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world people don't make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your own unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and odd incentives are scrambled together. In The Psychology of Money, award-winning author Morgan Housel shares 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money and teaches you how to make better sense of one of life's most important topics.”

Recommended by Mary Brigham, Learning Center. Publisher's summary: “Are you among the 22 million students now enrolled in college? Or a high school student thinking of joining them shortly? Or perhaps a parent of a college-bound junior or senior? Then this book is just for you. Written by college professors and successfully used by tens of thousands of students, The Secrets of College Success combines easy-to-use tips, techniques, and strategies with insider information that few professors are willing to reveal. The over 800 tips in this book will show you how to: pick courses and choose a major; manage your time and develop college-level study skills; get good grades and manage the ‘core’ requirements; get motivated and avoid stress; interact effectively with the professor or TA; and prepare for a productive and lucrative career.”

Recommended by Michelle Arnold, Mission Integration. Publisher's summary: “By tapping into the spiritual practices revealed in scripture and throughout Christian tradition, we come to embrace what God the Gardener is doing in our lives and, in turn, to share God's grace with the world. The healthier our spiritual lives, the more abundant will be the fruits of our love, hope, joy, and kindness. This book is for seekers of all ages and walks of life; college students, parents, professionals, the lapsed and the weary, as well as seasoned saints who wish to deepen their faith in small but meaningful ways…”

Recommended by Andrew Hoelmer, Office of Admission. Publisher's summary: "The author shares his personal techniques, insights and experiences regarding saving money and investing, drawn from his blog posts (jlcollinsnh.com) as well as a series of letters to his teenage daughter, both dealing with money management."

Recommended by Pete Robinson, History. Publisher's summary: The involvement of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati as nurses during the Civil War was the continuation of a long tradition of caring and service. They were first summoned to Camp Denison near Cincinnati to help care for sick troops just two months after war was declared in April 1861, and throughout the course of the war went to hospitals in other parts of Ohio, Virginia, and Maryland, where they ministered to the sick, wounded, and dying. This volume uses journal entries, newspaper articles, and letters to tell the amazing story of the Sisters’ involvement in the war effort, who often went unpaid and unrecognized for their ministry. Editor Judith Metz, SC, is a Mount alum (’66), and the community historian for the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.

Recommended by Megan Dinnesen, Education. Publisher's summary: “Master time management and you will master college. Thirty percent of college freshman dropout after their first year! And surprisingly, only around half of the students who enroll in college end up graduating with a bachelor's degree! The fact is college is taking longer and longer to get through with less than 60 percent of students who enter four-year schools finish within six years. Your student doesn't have to be one of these statistics! It's not their fault! Students and parents just don't realize the challenges faced in transitioning from high school to college. The skills students learned in high school don't transfer well to the unstructured college environment... Inside the pages of this book, are valuable insights for students to learn how to schedule their time efficiently, how to stop procrastinating, and how to manage their studies, work, and their personal life.”

Recommended by Mary Brigham, Learning Center. Publisher's summary: “Every year, almost 4,000,000 students begin their freshman year at colleges and universities nationwide. Most of them will sleep less and stress out a whole lot more. By the end of the year, 30% of those freshmen will have dropped out. For many, the unforeseen demands of college life are so overwhelming that ‘the best four years of your life’ can start to feel like the worst. Enter Daniel Lerner and Dr. Alan Schlechter, ready to teach students how to not only survive college, but flourish in it. Filled with fascinating science, real-life stories, and tips for building positive lifelong habits, U Thrive addresses the opportunities and challenges every undergrad will face—from finding a passion to dealing with nightmarish roommates and surviving finals week. Engaging and hilarious, U Thrive will help students grow into the happy, successful alums they all deserve to be.”

Recommended by Corey Watt, Career Center. Publisher's summary: “In today's challenging job-market, as recent grads face a shifting economic landscape and seek work that pays and inspires, as workers are laid off mid-career, and as people search for an inspiring work-life change, the time-tested advice of What Color Is Your Parachute? is needed more than ever. This new edition has been fully revised for 2021 by Vanderbilt University Career Center Director Katharine Brooks, EdD, with modern advice on the job hunt strategies that are working today, such as building an online resume, making the most of social media tools, and acing Skype interviews as well as information that addresses the effect that COVID-19 has had on the job market.”