Books published by North Atlantic Books,U.S.

For readers of Dopesick and In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, a celebrated cannabis attorney's personal look at the War on Drugs and what comes next for the drug legalization movementGetting high is something most of us do, and in many cases do safely--yet drugs remain a singular public enemy. In a ranging blend of memoir, pop culture, policy critique, and social analysis, LA-based criminal defense attorney Allison Margolin explores why--and what we can do about it.Informed by Margolin's experiences as a drug user, advocate, and the daughter of California's most renowned (and infamous) cannabis attorney, Just Dope offers a look at where our current drug policy fails. It exposes the true history of drug prohibition in the United States, sharing why it started, how it evolved, and where it stands now. And it looks unflinchingly at the false dichotomy between "good" drugs and "bad" drugs and Margolin's experience with programs like D.A.R.E that misguidedly ask you to "Just Say No."For readers of All Day is a Long Time and In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Just Dope is an experiential tour-de-force of personal essay and whip-smart policy critique-and a vital call to knowledge and action.

A nature therapy session for the soul--encounter the benevolence of the living world through 12 essays on the Earth-healing powers of self-compassion and empathy.When healing is needed at the deepest level, nature will always call us back home--not only to the oak woods or water-filled coves, but to the homes within ourselves.In a series of 12 lyrical nature essays, herbalist, writer, and Earth intuitive Asia Suler illuminates the healing power of the living Earth--and gives us permission to nurture self-compassion and empathy as forces for personal and ecological healing.In a time of unprecedented ecological devastation, it’s easy to feel hopeless and disconnected. It’s easier still to mask our inherent goodness--to imagine that our unique and precious gifts simply aren’t enough, or forget the power of our inborn empathy. For those of us who are highly sensitive, innately attuned to the workings and whispers of the natural world, it can be hard to embody the belief that we’re enough as we are--and that can heal the Earth.Here, Suler reveals the opposite: our goodness, our empathy, our intuitive connections, and our capacity for self-compassion are more than personal traits or antidotes to despair: they are, in fact, our most potent vehicles for planetary transformation. And as we learn to more deeply nurture and accept ourselves, we unlock living, healing connections to Earth.Combining poetic nature writing with exercises and reflection prompts at the end of each essay, Mirrors in the Earth coaxes us to come as we are: to discover and tend the inherent brilliance and medicine that lives in each of us. From the manatee-calm springs of wild Florida to the flower-dotted coves of the world’s most biodiverse mountains, Mirrors in the Earth is an invitation and encounter with the benevolence of the living world--and a nature therapy session for the soul.

An investigation into the physics of light and our journey toward healing, connection, and wholeness.The reductionism and materialism of our modern world make it easy to imagine everything can be cleanly broken down into smaller and smaller parts. Yet the straightforward example of light in a hologram, which can't be reduced to its parts, points to an underlying interconnected reality--a wholeness. Physicist Sky Nelson-Isaacs uses numerous familiar examples--rainbows, music, photography--to illustrate a fundamental wholeness found in nature.Just as light is filtered as it passes through a filmstrip, Nelson-Isaacs points out that our human experience is filtered through thoughts and feelings. This view provides an explanation as to why, in our daily lived reality, we can feel so broken and not-whole. Nelson-Isaacs weaves together cutting-edge ideas into the nature of space and time and original research, with a compelling message of urgency. The filters we use to make choices everyday hide important information from us, leading us away from experiences of flow. Through synchronicities, we are led to life lessons tailored to our readiness for change. Nelson-Isaacs reconsiders the view of time itself, suggesting that we live not just in this moment but on a timeline of history, part of a wave moving from our past into our future. Every choice we make shifts what is available to us. Can we learn to rethink our lives and reality to remove our filters and realize the wholeness that we have inherent in ourselves and in our world? Yes, says Nelson-Isaacs--and once we do that, we can use the multiverse of possibilities to make choices that help us heal and grow into a greater sense of ourselves.

Capoeira weaves fighting, music, dance, prayer, and ritual into an urgent strategy by which people live, struggle, celebrate, and survive together. In this book Bira Almeida--or Mestre Acordeon as he is respectfully called in capoeira circles--documents his own tradition with both the panoramic eye of the historian and the passionate heart of the capoeirista. He transports the reader from the damn of New World history in Brazil to the streets of twentieth-century Bahia (the spiritual home of capoeira) to the giant urban centers of North America (wher capoeira is now spreading in new lineages from the old masters). This book is valuable for anyone interested in ethnocultural traditions, martial arts, and music, as well as for those who want to listen to the words of an actual mestre dedicated to preserving his Afro-Brazilian legacy.

Macrobiotics for Life presents a complete, holistic approach to health that can be applied to the body, mind, and soul. Combining the concept of a healthy, natural-foods lifestyle with a philosophy of self-love, macrobiotic expert Simon Brown explains how food, exercise, and bodywork can create greater physical health. Written in an accessible, easy-to-understand style, the book takes readers through simple steps beginning with thought, exercise, and diet, and shows how to bring macrobiotic practice into everyday life. Topics include healing the mind (letting go of assumptions and judgments), healing the heart (listening to one’s emotions), and healing the body (caring for one’s skin, energizing one’s organs, and creating a healthy digestive system).Brown offers extensive information about macrobiotic foods—tips for eating out, saving time in the kitchen, dealing with food cravings—and a variety of menu plans to help readers get started, including a time-saver weekly menu. A full range of nearly 100 recipes provides the essential resources for experiencing macrobiotics, and sixteen striking color photographs illustrate meals that are both delicious and nutritious to help readers see the variety of options that are available.

Grounded in a comprehensive overview of the philosophical and spiritual foundations that underlie karate, The Art of Killing emphasizes its original purpose: to kill an attacker swiftly and brutally.Prior to 1900, karate-do was exclusively an art of unarmed self-defense. Its practice was designed for life-or-death situations--effectively, an art of killing. Here, authors Leonard Pellman and the late Masayuki Shimabukuro restore karate to its original intent. They move karate away from its popular modern-day sporting applications back to its deadly origins---and to the restraining philosophy of peace, self-sacrifice, compassion, and service to others that necessarily accompanied it. With chapters on kokoro (heart, mind, and spirit), ki (spirit and energy), and the seven major precepts of bushido, The Art of Killing shows readers that the lethal art of karate is more than a method of bringing an enemy down--it's a philosophical and spiritual system grounded in essential lessons to guard against abuses of power. This book does not contain detailed instruction in killing methods, but it does showcase the deadly power of karate--and explain why purity of intentions matters, and how compassion and respect are the essence of karate training. Readers will learn:The purpose and meaning of karate-doThe origins and major precepts of bushidoTraining methods, preparation, and etiquetteFundamentals, spiritual power, training patterns, and analysis and application of kataAbout the body as a weapon

Reconnect to your soul's innate wisdom with ancient healing practices, nature-based wisdom, and psychological principles--live authentically, nourish your inner power, and be a force for personal and collective liberation.If you've ever wondered what was missing--or felt out of step with the social and cultural programming of the westernized worldview--Soul Authority will empower you to find balance, build your soul sanctuary, and become a powerful agent of positive transformation.There is a soul authority that exists in all of us, a higher knowing that connects us to each other, the living Earth, and back to ourselves--even as we live in a world that sows division, destruction, and uncertainty. Shamanic eco-psychologist Loraine Van Tuyl, PhD, shows you how to tap into this innate wisdom, giving you the tools to trust its insights, hear its voice, and come home to our interrelated collective soul.Interwoven with stories from the author's personal journey from growing up in Suriname during a military coup to pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology amid a profound spiritual awakening, Soul Authority is an inspiring alchemical exploration of rekindling the deep knowing that's accessible to all of us.Through exercises, reflections, and concrete action steps, you'll discover: • How to find your own True North, the guiding compass aligned with your inner truth • Practical skills for combatting the burnout, overwhelm, and disconnection that prevents us from making a bigger impact in the world • To tap into the soul mission that nourishes your purpose • How your healing journey and collective liberation are interconnected • The "ancestral deficit" and "nature deficit" that leave you overwhelmed • Strategies for grounding, clearing, visibility, and creativity

Heal from trauma and PTSD with the martial art of jiu-jitsu--written for survivors, mental health therapists, and trauma-informed martial arts instructors.This groundbreaking book introduces jiu-jitsu as a powerful embodied modality for trauma survivors in recovery, and includes 10 grounding practices, self-defense techniques, and 30 instructional photos. Unhealed trauma--from “little t” traumas to complex PTSD--leaves a lasting imprint on the bodies and minds of survivors. And in the aftermath of trauma, many people experience shifts in how they feel, connect with others, and interact with the world at large. This embodied, whole-person approach will help you heal the wounds of traumatic stress and how it shows up within yourself and your relationships, from disembodiment and numbness to anger, fear, anxiety, confusion, and dissociation.As part of a martial arts trauma recovery program, you’ll learn about:   • Trauma, embodiment, and the transformative power of jiu-jitsu   • Self-defense skills that can help survivors of violence define boundaries and feel safe, secure, powerful, and at home in their bodies    • Creating a welcoming, responsive practice space as a studio owner   • Integrating jiu-jitsu practice into a safe, accessible recovery protocol for survivors--and how therapists can recommend them to clients or build them into a treatment plan Written for trauma survivors, mental health clinicians, and martial arts practitioners and studio owners who want to create a safe, empowering, and trauma-sensitive space, Transforming Trauma with Jiu-Jitsu is a unique and vital guide to healing trauma’s invisible wounds.

"Illustrated in a cartoon-like style in watercolor paint and mixed media on paper, this picture book is an invitation for teachers and students to learn about the climate crisis and to be part of the solution."-School Library Journal An environmental picture book about finding your voice, taking collective action, and saving the planet for kids ages 5 - 9. Tantrums are bad--except when they save the world!Sophia's minding her own business when--bing bong!--the doorbell announces an unexpected guest: a polar bear. Despite Sophia's protests, he walks right in, making himself at home. His ice cap is melting--where else is he supposed to go? Soon, more visitors arrive: a dispirited sea turtle and farmers whose lands have gone dry are joined by confused bees, more climate refugees, and a grumpy Bengal tiger. Sophia is frustrated and confused. She doesn't understand why they showed up at her house...or what any of this has to do with her. But as Sophia hears their stories, she learns that this is her fight, too...and discovers the power of collective action, the strength of her own voice, and how all of us are stronger together. They head to City Hall only to wait around for hours before being dismissed, and Sophia just can't hold it in anymore: Sophia's strong feelings smouldered once more,And this time they'd gotten too big to ignore.Raging with purpose, with banners unfurled,She kicked off a tantrum to save the whole world! And she does--and so can you. An inspirational, beautifully illustrated picture book for kids aged 5 to 9, The Tantrum that Saved the World is part environmental story, part ode to community action, and part blueprint for building a better world--together, for all of us.