This book is a selection of conversations between radio host Nancy Wiegman and writers who were guests on "Nancy's Bookshelf," a weekly author interview show produced by Northstate Public Radio, KCHO 91.7 FM Chico / KFPR 88.9 FM Redding. Nancy interviews mostly local and regional writers, but some who come to Chico are nationally known, such as Maya Angelou and Scott Simon.

Gangs, riots and peace as outcomes of societal processes. Ecological relationships between a society and its communities over time (social history). Expalins broad aspects of evolutionary processes to peace and violence. Discusses current dogma of peers, parents and DNA, and dismisses killing over turf, status and revenge in favor of fundamental causative elements. Examines psychological, emotional and physical aspects of societal violence and local community violence. Suggests systemic changes for permanent solutions; Discusses the three types of gangs: Traditional (same group), Hate and Predator, and "new" Hybrids as sub-category of Traditional gangs. Discusses race, racism, eugenics then and now and how factors into ongoing non-productive efforts. What went wrong, how and why? Describes how solutions can be found by understanding the social evolution of Peace and Violence. Explains fundamentals of source and causes of gangs and other community violence. Combines advanced community knowledge with computer modeling with super-cybertechnology to develop an individual community "prescription" toward peace.

Literary Nonfiction. Memoir. "Mike Farrell's OF MULE AND MAN is a one-of-a-kind American road trip. It's a quite enjoyable ride with an observant and generous friend who is at home crisscrossing the country with a rental hybrid he calls Mule. Farrell travels through both the beautiful and busted landscape from desert to bayou, urban to rural, listening in and arguing silently with conservative talk radio found in even the most remote places, and ending each day at bookstores and community organizations to have conversations with activists, friends, and family who are doing the hard work of social justice in every neighborhood. 'Heroes abound in this world,' Farrell writes. He is one of them"--Walter Mosley.

In a time of uncertainty and change in the newspaper industry, this book provides a concise and thorough overview of the field, looking back at newspapers' history, and forward to their future - and insisting there will be one. The authors, former journalists who now teach the subject, review the practices of the profession - from defining news to examining who owns newspapers, from newspaper readership to the new media environment. Written in an accessible style, this comprehensive text is well suited for a range of courses on newspapers.