NEW EDITION, REVISED AND UPDATED Unequal taxes, unequal accountability for crime, unequal influence, unequal control of the media, unequal access to natural resources—corporations have gained these privileges and more by exploiting their legal status as persons. How did something so illogical and unjust become the law of the land? Americans have been struggling with the role of corporations since before the birth of the republic. As Thom Hartmann shows, the Boston Tea Party was actually a protest against the British East India Company—the first modern corporation. Unequal Protection tells the astonishing story of how, after decades of sensible limits on corporate power, an offhand, off-the-record comment by a Supreme Court justice led to the Fourteenth Amendment—originally passed to grant basic rights to freed slaves—becoming the justification for granting corporations the same rights as human beings. And Hartmann proposes specific legal remedies that will finally put an end to the bizarre farce of corporate personhood. This new edition has been thoroughly updated and features Hartmann’s analysis of two recent Supreme Court cases, including Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which tossed out corporate campaign finance limits.

You can be fired from your job at any time, with or without warning, for almost any reason, or for no reason at all. You can be fired for a false reason, a mean reason, a reason that is unfair or even capricious. In fact, as the title says, you could be fired for reading this book.

As employment law attorney Glenn Solomon explains, the overwhelming majority of Americans are subject to "at-will" employment: they are hired-and can be fired-at their employer's will. While there are a few specific kinds of discriminatory termination (based on age, sex, race, etc.) prohibited by law, it is difficult to prove such discrimination in court.

Solomon argues that the at-will rule is inherently unjust, since it leaves the livelihood of most Americans subject to their employers' whims. How can workers fight back? Drawing on his two decades of legal experience, Solomon discusses in detail four exceptions to the at-will rule, critiquing their effectiveness and explaining precisely how workers might be able to take advantage of them. He describes how workers can leverage what few rights they do have under the existing system, including what to consider when deciding whether or not to sue your employer and what to expect if you do decide to sue, using an actual wrongful termination case to illustrate. And he recommends an alternative to the at-will rule that protects the rights of both workers and employers.

• The rulebook for the game of work that describes how one rule, the at-will rule, trumps all the other rules and can undermine your economic security and your other employment-related rights
• Explores what options exist for getting around the at-will rule and for combating unjust "at will" terminations and presents a viable alternative that more fairly balances the rights of workers and employers
• Written by an employment lawyer with many years of experience representing both employees and employers

“The Earth is a mosque.” Muslims are compelled by their religion to praise the Creator and to care for their community. But what is not widely known is that there are deep and long-standing connections between Islamic teachings and environmentalism. In this groundbreaking book, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin draws on research, scripture, and interviews with Muslim Americans to trace Islam’s preoccupation with humankind’s collective role as stewards of the Earth. Abdul-Matin points out that the Prophet Muhammad declared that “the Earth is a mosque.” Deen means “path” or “way” in Arabic. Abdul-Matin offers dozens of examples of how Muslims can follow, and already are following, a Green Deen in four areas: “waste, watts (energy), water, and food.” At last, people of all beliefs can appreciate the gifts and contributions that Islam and Muslims bring to the environmental movement. “Ibrahim Abdul-Matin not only shows the myriad ways American Muslims are contributing to the resolution of the environmental crisis that threatens us all but also goes a long way toward humanizing the Muslim community by sharing with the reader the lives of so many extraordinary, talented, and visionary people.” —Imam Zaid Shakir, Zaytuna College, Berkeley, California. “Ibrahim blends his passion for a green economy, his love and understanding of faith, and a deep commitment to justice in this book.” —Van Jones, founder, Green for All. “At a moment when distortions of Islam are what feed most Americans, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin has done something both practical and inspiring. He persuades us that the imperiled environment is both common struggle and common ground for people who share, it turns out, more than simply God.” —John Hockenberry, Emmy-award-winning journalist, author of Moving Violations, and host of National Public Radio’s The Takeaway.“The Earth is a mosque.” Muslims are compelled by their religion to praise the Creator and to care for their community. But what is not widely known is that there are deep and long-standing connections between Islamic teachings and environmentalism. In this groundbreaking book, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin draws on research, scripture, and interviews with Muslim Americans to trace Islam’s preoccupation with humankind’s collective role as stewards of the Earth. Abdul-Matin points out that the Prophet Muhammad declared that “the Earth is a mosque.” Deen means “path” or “way” in Arabic. Abdul-Matin offers dozens of examples of how Muslims can follow, and already are following, a Green Deen in four areas: “waste, watts (energy), water, and food.” At last, people of all beliefs can appreciate the gifts and contributions that Islam and Muslims bring to the environmental movement. “Ibrahim Abdul-Matin not only shows the myriad ways American Muslims are contributing to the resolution of the environmental crisis that threatens us all but also goes a long way toward humanizing the Muslim community by sharing with the reader the lives of so many extraordinary, talented, and visionary people.” —Imam Zaid Shakir, Zaytuna College, Berkeley, California. “Ibrahim blends his passion for a green economy, his love and understanding of faith, and a deep commitment to justice in this book.” —Van Jones, founder, Green for All. “At a moment when distortions of Islam are what feed most Americans, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin has done something both practical and inspiring. He persuades us that the imperiled environment is both common struggle and common ground for people who share, it turns out, more than simply God.” —John Hockenberry, Emmy-award-winning journalist, author of Moving Violations, and host of National Public Radio’s The Takeaway.

• The first book to show how strongly the tenants of Islam support and promote environmentalism

• Offers dozens of examples of what Muslims can doand are already doingto promote ecologically sound practices in their communities

• Written by a Muslim community organizer speaking directly to other Muslimsbut accessible and illuminating to non-Muslims

 

Islam calls believers to praise the Creator, take care of each other, and take care of the planet. But the deep and long-standing convergences between Muslim beliefs and environmentalism arent widely known by other religions, in secular society, or even among many Muslims.  In this groundbreaking book, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin draws on scripture, research, and viewpoints of Muslim scholars and community leaders to trace Islams historical and contemporary preoccupation with humankinds collective role as stewards of the Earth. As Abdul-Matin points out, the Prophet Muhammad himself declared that, the Earth is a mosque.

The soul of this book is profoundly practical. Deen means path or way in Arabic. Abdul-Matin focuses on how Muslims and Muslim communities can and already are following a Green Deen in four areas: waste, watts, water and grub (food).  For example, the Saudi Arabian government has issued a religious ruling making it acceptable to use treated wastewater in the holy cities of Makkah and Medina for performing the ritual washing required of all Muslims. Oakland, Californias Light House Mosque has banned the use of paper plates, Styrofoam and plastic bottles during the evening feast that breaks the daily Ramadan fast.  In Chiapas, Mexico there is a Muslim community that lives entirely off the gridmanufacturing its own solar energy and growing its own organic, halal food.

No other book about the environment has been written for Muslims, in language they can relate to.  No other book highlights the contributions of Muslims to the environmental movement. No other book helps environmentalists of other faiths and orientations understand the gifts that Islam brings to help the struggle. Green Deen is much needed for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

A longtime broadcast journalist, ABC News correspondent, and business communication strategist shows how you can craft an honest and authentic response to any scandal, rather than try to deny it, and ultimately bolster your brand.


In twenty years as a television reporter, T. J. Winick covered many scandals, including the British Petroleum oil spill, the Pennsylvania State University football scandal, the Catholic priest molestation scandal, and the Toyota recall of 20092010. The biggest mistake he's seen organizations make in their crisis communication is to try to make it go away by refusing to apologize, declining to comment, or going on the attack-anything to deflect attention.

Instead, Winick argues for communicating ethically, with transparency, honesty, authenticity, and empathy. Handled correctly, the way you address an egregious violation of your standards can increase your reputation capital. It can remind people of what those standards are and how strongly you believe in them.

Drawing on his intimate insider knowledge of how the media works, Winick addresses every aspect of how to respond to a scandal. He includes the Ten Crisis Commandments-universal dos and don'ts. And he gives practical advice on who you should talk to and when, who should do the talking, how to form a crisis communication team, what tone you should strike in your message, how to work with the media, and much more.

America's most popular progressive radio host and New York Times bestselling author Thom Hartmann reveals how the government and corporate America misuse our personal data and shows how we can reclaim our privacy.

Most Americans are worried about how companies like Facebook invade their privacy and harvest their data, but many people don't fully understand the details of how their information is being adapted and misused. In this thought-provoking and accessible book, New York Times bestselling author Thom Hartmann reveals exactly how the government and corporations are tracking our every online move and using our data to buy elections, employ social control, and score and monetize our lives.

Hartmann uses extensive, vivid examples to highlight the consequences of Big Data on all aspects of our lives. Along with tracing the history of surveillance, he shows how we got to where we are today, how China-with its new Social Credit System-serves as a warning, and how we can and must avoid a similarly dystopian future.

By delving into the Constitutional right to privacy, Hartmann reminds us of our civil right and shows how we can restore it.