Everyday Heroes

Book excerpt: IPPY 2012 Outstanding Book of the Year, Most Likely to Save the Planet (Independent Publisher Book Awards) Nautilus 2012 Gold Grand Winner, General Adult Foreword Reviews 2012 Book of the Year Finalist, Social Sciences Two years ago, photographer Paul Mobley and author and editor Katrina Fried set out to find fifty Americans who had made it their business to improve the lives of others. The result is this groundbreaking book profiling some of America’s leading social entrepreneurs whose energy and nonprofit organizations have changed the lives of millions around the world, very often one at a time. From activists who have rallied the support of hundreds of volunteers to bring such necessities as clean drinking water, economic support, and urgent medical care to developing nations, to educational leaders who are using their gifts to elevate the opportunities of the poor and disadvantaged, to crusaders of equal rights and women’s advocacy, these are remarkable everyday citizens. Fried interviewed this eclectic and passionate group of people and has written their startling stories, sharing a unique view of their personalities, journeys, and causes. You will meet heroes such as infectious disease specialist, Gary Slutkin, who returned from Africa (where he reversed the Aids epidemic in Uganda) to reduce street violence in Chicago with stunning success through his organization CeaseFire; Geoffrey Canada, the founder and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, whose pioneering efforts to reform education in one of New York’s most impoverished neighborhoods has touched thousands of students and families; Susan Burton who after fifteen years in and out of the justice system, rehabilitated herself and started A New Way of Life, which provides housing and support services to formerly incarcerated women in South Central Los Angeles; and Roy Prosterman, a man who has devoted an entire lifetime to securing land rights for the poor throughout the Third World. Their narratives are accompanied by powerful portraits from award-winning photographer Paul Mobley who brings a grace and epic quality to his images of these remarkable people. Traveling the country to capture his subjects where they live and work, Mobley has created a body of images that harnesses the spirit and energy of giving. A complete directory of the organizations founded by the heroes is included. Each American celebrated in these pages is making a profound contribution to bettering our world. Their stories serve as an inspiration and as a reminder of an empowering truth: every human being can and should make a difference.