All Peacemakers Needed Book Pitch

List of books about Peace and Peacemaking shared at our first Book Event.

9/8/20265 min read

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler

Phillip Hoose

Focus: Disrupters, Sometimes fighting back is good, non-fiction

“At the outset of World War II, Denmark did not resist German occupation. Deeply ashamed of his nation's leaders, fifteen-year-old Knud Pedersen resolved with his brother and a handful of schoolmates to take action against the Nazis if the adults would not.”

How can we stand up to injustice?

The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict

The Arbinger Institute

Focus: Conflict Resolution, Problem Solving, Introspection, non-fiction

“Through the powerful story of two fathers who each lost a son to the other's ethnic cousins, this book reveals how to transform your heart from war to peace, and in doing so, resolve even your most entrenched conflicts.”

How can we look inward to find solutions to our problems?

The Peace Giver: How Christ Offers to Heal our Hearts and Homes

James L. Ferrell

Focus: Christ heals our homes and hearts. Parables include the story of Abigail, who would not cower and modeled Christ, parable/religious fiction

“Rick, a man whose marriage to his wife, Carol, is on the brink of collapse. Feeling bitter, mistreated, and trapped in a cycle of blame, Rick is ready to give up on his family. His perspective changes when his deceased grandfather begins visiting him in a series of vivid dreams and visions. His grandfather guides Rick through time to witness key moments in scriptural history, using them as lessons to show him how to apply the Atonement directly to his marital conflicts.”

How can the scriptures and faith in Christ help us heal our homes?

Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt

Arthur C. Brooks

Focus: Anger motivates us to change, but contempt leads us to separate from and hate those who are different, nonfiction

“A toxic culture of contempt, rather than mere political disagreement, poses the greatest threat to American society. The book advocates moving beyond basic tolerance toward genuine commitment and relationship-building with ideological adversaries.”

How do we channel anger towards positive change and not contempt?

The Spell Shop

Sarah Beth Durst

Focus: Cozy fantasy soothes and resets the nervous system, themes of healing and overcoming the darkness, fiction

“Set in a magical world where only the elite are permitted to wield magic, The Spellshop is a heartwarming tale of social justice, found family, grief, and community. Durst delivers beautiful landscapes, colorful characters, and an emotional journey many will relate to.”

How can cozy fiction and imagination help us settle anxiety and find hope in dark times?

Living the Quaker Way

Phillip Gulley

Focus: Strong community connections and Quaker Essentials: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, nonfiction

“Philip Gulley invites us into a bracing encounter with the rich truths of Quakerism—a centuries-old spiritual tradition that provides not only a foundation of faith but also vision for making the world more just, loving, and peaceable by our presence.”

How can we bring SPICE to the world?

The Missing Peace: The Search for Nonviolent Alternatives in United States History

Juhnke & Hunter

Focus: Reads like a narrative history of American culture with radical proposals and events that could have led us in a different direction, nonfiction

“A ground-breaking book, challenging the routine application of the myth of redemptive violence to the history of the United States. This work is a timely and eye-opening corrective that helps the reader see the history of the United States from an entirely new perspective.”

How can seeing a different perspective of history change our perspective?

Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire

Rebecca Henderson

Focus: Making peace profitable, peace as a process, nonfiction

“Henderson argues that only a new form of capitalism can drive the innovation we need to build a just and sustainable world, and can play a leading role in solving the three great problems of our time: climate change, inequality, and threats to democracy.”

How can we create models that make peace profitable?

The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq

Jeanette Winter

Focus: Children’s book; Iraq is under attack, so a librarian hides 30,000 books and waits for peace, nonfiction

“Simple forms and deep colors in a naïve style evoke the war without being explicit. The bravery and action of one person celebrates both everyday heroism and books as a unifying force.”

What can you do to work against destructiveness?

Monk and Robot

Becky Chambers

Focus: Cozy SciFi, apocalyptic, peaceful, responsibility to be productive, internal peace

“The robots of Panga have long ago achieved self-awareness and retreated into the forests, where they’ve become the stuff of legends and myth. However, when a robot checks in on a tea monk one day, honoring its ancient duty, it cannot leave until the monk answers the simple question.”

What is our purpose and what do we need?

Strictly No Elephants

Lisa Manchev & TaeeunYoo

Focus: Children’s book, all are welcome, we are all a hodgepodge, everyone belongs in the club

“This picture book tells the story of a boy and his tiny pet elephant who face exclusion from a Pet Club, leading them to find an inclusive solution for all unusual animals.”

How can we be inclusive in an exclusive world?

What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

Bruce Perry, MD, PhD & Oprah Winfrey

Focus: Conflict resolution, Vulnerable populations, making sense of personal trauma, introspective, nonfiction

“Our earliest experiences shape our lives far down the road, and What Happened to You? provides powerful scientific and emotional insights into the behavioral patterns so many of us struggle to understand.”

How can exploring and facing trauma return your peace?

Get Rooted: Reclaim Your Soul, Serenity, and Sisterhood Through the Healing Medicine of the Grandmother

Robyn Moreno

Focus: Healing, honoring your roots to help you find yourself when you are lost, nonfiction

“Reckoning with the hidden stories and aspects of her family and her Mexican-American culture that were transforming and heartbreaking brought Robyn to an unshakable understanding of who she is and how she fits into this world.”

How can honoring our roots help us heal and find peace?

Habits of a Peacemaker: 10 Habits to Change Our Potentially Toxic Conversations into Healthy Dialogues

Stephen T. Collis

Focus: Practical starting point, think about what you are hearing and seeing and your sources; what to do and not to do to promote peace, nonfiction

“Learn the practical skills that can help you build bridges, heal relationships, and engage in productive conversation about even the hardest topics. In this time of sharp political divides and overwhelming feedback”