Let's start with They are the opposite of bystanders.
They are problem solvers and protestors, students and parents, professionals and civic leaders.
Some fight injustice; others fearlessly challenge the status quo. They are ordinary people who are making extraordinary differences in their communities and beyond. From Salt Lake City to Memphis to Baltimore, Upstanders remind us that participation in civic life has no bounds - and that we can all be the change we wish to see in the world. Howard Schultz, executive chairman of Starbucks, and former Washington Post senior editor Rajiv Chandrasekaran searched throughout America and chose these 10 upstanding citizens to profile for their passion, humanity, and willingness to act. Here you'll
A former NFL player who offers personal training to wounded veterans A young activist who stopped the world's largest trash incinerator from being built in her neighborhood A pastor who opened his church's doors to the Muslim congregation across the street A former inmate who's helping other ex-convicts stay out of prison A retired sheriff who's transforming the way police are trained A small town that came together to provide every student with free college tuition A college student who created an app to reduce food waste and end hunger A loving father who started a business to empower his son and other people with autism A New Jersey man who's helping at-risk youth turn their lives around A former auto industry executive who's taking on homelessness in his state
Everyone has the power to make a difference.
These Americans did.
Rousing and uplifting, Upstanders identifies great men and women across our country and celebrates the strength of our core values and the boundless possibilities of the human spirit.
Listening how children pushed to gain scholarships provided by their hometown/village, a church assisted Muslims with a place of worship, then becoming a full community throwing events that represented unity. Reformed addicts and repeat offenders who left drugs behind and helped with building homes, fighting Big Business against poisoning the air in low-income neighborhoods and many other special stories; they makes you want to get out and do more in your own neighborhood.
Each and every story is inspiring and real. I have to admit, thought I never read anything like this, unless on FB or the news, Upstanders is different. It's positive, faith building and awe-inspiring. I look forward to season 2. For more information, visit the Starbucks Channel!
*Full review to be available soon at http://www.areneehunt.com Upstanders, Season 1 Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran Narrated by Michael B. Jordan Published by Audible Studios, Oct. 10, 2017 Duration: 2 hours 21 minutes
I strongly agree with other member's (Michelle) review which said "I should be inspired but I am just bored." This book has nice and inspiring stories, but it was boring to listen... Of course, it's free on Audible, just couple of hours, but still.. Maybe it's my problem, that I mostly read fiction books and this one was like a YouTube video one can watch, telling what good people did in which town - just facts and names and not something deeper. However my disappointment in this "book" doesn't mean that I'm not proud of those people mentioned in it. They are awesome and stories like that give us back faith in humanity!
This was a freebie I got at some point on Audible. It is the "inspiring" stories of 10 individuals/neighborhoods who made a difference in our world. The audio book itself is a bit disjointed. There was at least one grammatical error. And lots of these stories were liberal feel-good propaganda. Definitely not written from a Christian perspective (hello--they are put out by Starbucks!) But for all that, I still found several of these stories motivating, especially as believers, to be willing to work for change. Too often we don't give credit to the work that one person alone can make. Yes, often change is prompted by one individual who inspires others to change. The stories are varied from homelessness to food waste to environmental activism to a pastor who embraced his neighbor. When God calls us to make change, don't back down from the impossibility of the task. 3/5 stars
Note: This series is free on audible so all audible users should download it if they have any interest. It's free so why not?
I was excited to dig in to "Upstanders," which collects a handful of testaments of everyday heroes. The short work of non-fiction was promising, but in the end, I found myself desiring interviews with the people in question. The narrator did an excellent job, don't get me wrong, but the upstanding individuals who lived the stories might have given the work a more organic feel.
With so much hate and violence filling traditional and social media, I desperately needed something to remind me that there are lovely people doing lovely things in this world. This was it.