Book Projects

'Rhythm of Change: 100 Ways to make your world a better place.' Rhythm is one thing that can be found in every culture, in every type of music and in every action that we take. Just as the rhythm of our hearts sustains our lives, rhythm connects people from all walks of life to each other. Symbolizing the heartbeat of the earth, drums tend to be a part of peace rallies, protests, labor strikes and organizing. Imagine what life would look like if we approached it in the same manner that drummers in a drumming circle create rhythm. We’d worry less about assigning blame for missed beats and more time complimenting each other for carrying the rhythm. When our colleague missed a beat, we’d pick it up, to maintain the rhythm and the harmony of the group; knowing that the favor would be reciprocated. We’d be better listeners—purposefully staying in tune with our surroundings and in synch with our groups while mindfully expressing our individual voices within that context. 

This book reminds us that, in essence, life is what happens when we are making other plans. It is filled with lessons and stories of people who used tragedy as opportunity, people who used failure as a springboard toward reaching the next goal in life and people who refused to be victims of the circumstances of life, and found their own authentic rhythm. Among the many amazing people featured in this book are: Gloria Steinem, Dolores Huerta (the co-founder of the United Farmers Network), Peter Yarrow from Peter, Paul and Mary, Cindy Sheehan, an Iraqi Cartoonist, a world renowned Portugese percussionist, a Japanese artist, a Pakistani film director and an Israeli aspiring veterinarian. All have a vested interest in making the world a better, more peaceful, more just place, while also making an effort to live in alignment with their ideologies. 

This book will help you find your rhythm, get in synch with the world around you, overcome hardships with new perspective and following your heart. It’s filled with stories about people who are doing their part to make the world a better, more just place, in which to live. By the end of the book, you’ll have an idea of what Ghandi meant when he suggested that we ought to be the change we with to see in the world. 

'The Journey of Life: 100 Lessons from Around the World' is a tapestry of universally applicable lessons collected by Sharon K. Sobotta as she traveled the world as a non-tourist and journalist, while interviewing and collecting stories from people of every walk of life. This awarded-winning book (named the top multicultural non-fiction title of 2008) beckons people to get beyond superficial differences and toward a place of commonality. 

The book transcends boundaries of race, class, gender, ethnicity, nationality, age and social status--featuring well-known icons such as Anoushka Shankar, Michael Moore and Fidel Castro and ordinary people with extraordinary stories such as a Nepali woman born with just one breast, a homeless six-year old in India, a volunteer teacher in Japan and a resilient newspaper seller from Oakland, California.

Intercultural Encounters is challenging you to get your copy of the book, apply the lesson of the day to your life (in lieu of conventional New Year's resolutions) and share your story with us on the 'Contact Us' section of the website or contribute to our 'Be the Change' Campaign blog!