THIS ORDINARY STARDUST: A Scientist's Path from Grief to Wonder By: Alan Townsend, PhD

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THIS ORDINARY STARDUST: A Scientist's Path from Grief to Wonder

By: Alan Townsend, PhD


A compassionate exploration of scientific wonder that offers “a fresh perspective on life, death, and the bittersweet consequences of impermanence,” (Jon Krakauer) as illuminated through the tragic dual cancer diagnoses of author Dr. Alan Townsend’s wife and daughter.

"A remarkable account of a shifting consciousness that’s likely to shift the reader’s own..”

―Publisher's Weekly, starred review


“An insightful exploration of loss and the role of intellectual curiosity and spiritual openness in addressing it..”

—Kirkus Reviews


A decade ago, Dr. Alan Townsend’s family received two unthinkable, catastrophic diagnoses: his 4-year-old daughter and his brilliant scientist wife developed unrelated, life-threatening forms of brain cancer. As he witnessed his young daughter fight during the courageous final months of her mother’s life, Townsend – a lifelong scientist – was indelibly altered. He began to see scientific inquiry as more than a source of answers to a given problem, but also as a lifeboat: a lens on the world that could help him find peace with the painful realities he could not change. Through scientific wonder, he found ways to bring meaning to his darkest period.

At a time when society’s relationship with science is increasingly polarized while threats to human life on earth continue to rise, Townsend offers a balanced, moving perspective on the common ground between science and religion through the spiritual fulfillment he found in his work. Awash in Townsend's electrifying and breathtaking prose, THIS ORDINARY STARDUST offers hope that life can carry on even in the face of near-certain annihilation.

About the Author
Dr. Alan R. Townsend is a scientist, author, speaker, and Dean of the University of Montana’s W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. His childhood in Hawaii and Montana led him to a career devoted to understanding our changing planet, and what we can do to find a more sustainable relationship between human progress and the environments on which we all depend. 

 He is a highly cited author of more than 140 scientific articles, and has served in multiple prominent leadership roles, including Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, Provost of Colorado College, Director of the University of Colorado’s Environmental Studies Program and its Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, Director of the National Science Foundation’s Division of Environmental Biology, and Co-Director of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program.

He is an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow, a Google Science Communication Fellow and a board member of the Earth Leadership Program and Future Earth of North America. Alan was one of six internationally known scientists chosen to be in the Let Science Speak documentary film series, which premiered at Tribeca in September of 2018.


ADVANCED PRAISE:


“Wondrous.”

—Jon Krakauer


“Extraordinary, powerful..”

—David Quammen, author of The Heartbeat of the Wild and Breathless



“Beautiful.”

—Robert Sapolsky, New York Times bestselling author of Behave


“A towering achievement..”

—Jayson Greene, author of Once More We Saw Stars


“Shows us how scientists are first and foremost people, with hearts both delicate and resilient..”

—Hope Jahren, author of National Book Critic’s Circle Award-winning Lab Girl



Trade Media

"A remarkable account of a shifting consciousness that’s likely to shift the reader’s own..”

―Publisher's Weekly, starred review


“An insightful exploration of loss and the role of intellectual curiosity and spiritual openness in addressing it..”

—Kirkus Reviews



Visit Grand Central Publishing Online

www.hachettebookgroup.com

www.facebook.com/GrandCentralPub

@GrandCentralPub


Book is also available in downloadable (9781668641897) and e-book formats (9781538741207)

Nina Guilbeault, Phd talks about her new book, THE GOOD EATER: A Vegan’s Search for the Future of Food

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An enlightening and delicious look at how vegans – and their critics – are redefining the way the world eats in the twenty-first century.

For years, there has been no doubt that widespread consumption of meat is both environmentally destructive and morally dubious. A growing chorus of scientists, health experts, and activists champion the benefits of a plant-based diet. Nevertheless, change has been slow to arrive, and the chasm between our appetites and our collective well-being seems impossibly vast. We know we must transition to a more plant-based world. But what would such a world look like, and how do we realistically get there?

One group of people has been grappling with this question for decades: vegans. Once mocked for its hempy puritanism, the vegan movement has grown from a fringe identity into a veritable cultural juggernaut. Yet visions of what our food system should look like continue to conflict. Is the healthful vegan lifestyle appealing-or alienating? Are high-tech meat alternatives merely a repeat performance of harmful fast-food values? Is modern veganism itself misguided-a wrong answer to the right questions?

In The Good Eater, Harvard-trained sociologist (and vegan) Nina Guilbeault, PhD vividly explores the movement's history and its present-day tensions by grappling with the most fundamental question of all: Is there a truly ethical way to eat? What emerges is a fascinating portrait of how social change happens, with profound implications for our plates-and our planet.

“The Good Eater reminds us that what we eat plays a definitive role not only in our physical, but also our emotional and even spiritual well-being.”

—John Mackey, cofounder and former CEO of Whole Foods Market

“[Offers] entertaining historical context and plenty of personal insight.” ―Publishers Weekly

“A vegan sociologist's remarkably open-minded exploration of the historical, ethical, health, environmental, and social justice implications of not eating meat. Guilbeault's extensive research and interviews get right into the tough questions about this movement, leaving us free to choose for ourselves whether to eat this way.” —Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, emerita, New York University, and author of FOOD POLITICS

An enlightening and delicious look at how vegans – and their critics – are redefining the way the world eats in the twenty-first century.

In THE GOOD EATER: A Vegan’s Search for the Future of Food (Hardcover / Bloomsbury) Harvard-trained sociologist (and proud vegan) Nina Guilbeault, Ph.D. takes an enlightening look at the history of veganism to answer these questions. Once mocked for its hempy puritanism, the vegan movement has grown from a fringe identity into a veritable cultural juggernaut. So why do visions of what our food system should look like continue to conflict with reality? Is the healthful vegan lifestyle appealing or alienating? Are high-tech meat alternatives just a dangerous foray into processed and fast food? Is modern veganism itself misguided—a wrong answer to the right questions?


In an interview, Guilbeault discusses:

• Trendy high-tech meat alternatives and their consequences
• The moral dilemma of regenerative agriculture
• Is veganism truly ethical? Is it possible to eat meat ethically?
• Is the healthful vegan lifestyle too alienating? And if so, why
• If veganism is so great for the environment and our bodies, why is the movement still so fringe?
• What would a world of mainstream veganism look like?
• The historical mistakes of the vegan movement

A mentee of renowned author Michael Pollan, Guilbeault’s quest to understand the future of food in THE GOOD EATER paints a vivid portrait of social change by discussing the complicated history of veganism, and what it means for our planet and our plates. Ultimately, readers will get a front row seat to the fundamental question we all want to know: Is there actually an ethical way to eat?

Nina Guilbeault, Phd (née Gheihman), is a sociologist, author, and educator. Cofounder of Plant Futures, a nonprofit affiliated with UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, Guilbeault has consulted for major food brands. Her scholarly work has been covered by media such as the Atlantic, the Telegraph, and Refinery29. In addition to a PhD in Sociology from Harvard University, Guilbeault holds a Certificate of Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, serves on the award committee for the Greg Steltenpohl Pragmatic Visionary Award, and is co-author of Habits of Inequality.





Praise for THE GOOD EATER:


“Nina Guilbeault is the consummate guide to modern veganism. With grace and rigor, she presents a compelling case for a more conscious and sustainable way to answer the question of what might be for dinner tomorrow.” —Raj Patel, coauthor of INFLAMED

“Guilbeault's clear and relatable writing style makes these complex topics easy to digest and enjoyable to read.” —Melanie Joy, PhD, author of WHY WE LOVE DOGS, EAT PIGS, AND WEAR COWS

“Nina Guilbeault is a broadminded, whip-smart guide to some of the thorniest ethical problems involved in eating of any kind. The Good Eater is guaranteed to force reflection no matter how you fill your plate-even for those of us who will always keep a corner of it reserved for (grassfed) steak.”

—Benjamin Lorr, author of THE SECRET LIFE OF GROCERIES

“A groundbreaking deep dive into the obstacles we face in creating a future food system that is both moral and sustainable-for animals, for the planet, and for the hungry humans who inhabit it. A must-read not just for vegans but for anyone who eats food.” —Nisha Vora, creator of Rainbow Plant Life

“I am grateful for this book that dares to stop and question some of the most popular assumptions and solutions in the vegan food space. It's critical we examine new approaches from every angle so we don't repeat the mistakes of history. The Good Eater is a start to reflecting deeper on how we can participate in 'making history' more effectively.” —Miyoko Schinner, entrepreneur, innovator, and author of THE HOMEMADE VEGAN PANTRY

AP News: The beginner’s guide to celebrating Juneteenth - By Terry Tang

President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Washington. From left, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif, Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., Opal Lee, Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., obscured, Vice President Kamala Harris, House Majority Whip James Clyburn of S.C., Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)© Provided by The Associated Press

A Beginner's Guide to Juneteenth

National CPR and AED (Automated External Defribrillator) Awareness Week is June 1st through 7th. Janeane will be in conversation with a cardiac arrest survivor, Steven Munatones, and Dr. Shira Schlesinger.

According to CPR.Heart.org, back in 2007, the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross and the National Safety Council collaborated to create a week called National CPR and AED (Automated External Defribrillator) Awareness Week.

Visit: 

dhs.lacounty.gov/emergency-medical-services-agency
see Side Walk CPR and Up-coming events!

"On December 13, 2007, Congress unanimously passed a resolution to set aside June 1-7 each year as National CPR and AED Awareness Week to spotlight how lives can be saved if more Americans know CPR and how to use an AED. Our campaign reinforces these skills but also places importance on the willingness of bystanders to act in a cardiac arrest emergency."

Today, we are in conversation with Steven Munatones and Dr. Shira Schlesinger,
Director of EMS & Disaster Preparedness Programs, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Steven suffered a a near-fatal heart attack, and it was his 17 year old son who performed CPR and saved him. A long-distance swimmer and lifelong athlete, Steven shares how his heart attack changed his life in unexpected ways, his love of ocean swims, and how these days he focuses on his passion for a Japanese therapy that has been a game changer.

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to today's show

Dr. Shira Schlesinger

Dr. Shira Schlesinger is Director for Education & Innovation at the Los Angeles
County EMS Agency. Her interest in EMS & Disaster started in her college years as a
volunteer CPR instructor and disaster responder followed by training as an EMT. She
has continued to work in Emergency Medicine, EMS and Disaster Preparedness in a
variety of environments and positions, seeking to engage audiences in health
promotion and empowering communities through education and involvement in the
system.


Dr. Schlesinger is dedicated to advancing prehospital and hospital unscheduled care in the
context of overall public health, and to improving health outcomes in the communities we serve.


Dr. Schlesinger is Emergency Medicine faculty at the David Geffen School of
Medicine at UCLA, Associate Director for the EMS Fellowship Program at Harbor-
UCLA Medical Center in collaboration with the Los Angeles County EMS Agency, and
faculty for the Harbor-UCLA Emergency Medicine residency program. Outside of the
L.A. County EMS Agency, Dr. Schlesinger is a Medical Officer with the National


Disaster Medical System, and Medical Director for a municipal Fire Department in
Orange County. On the side she helps raise her three kids…

Steven Munatones
CEO & Co-FounderCEO & Co-Founder
KAATSU KAATSU Global Inc

KAATSU established the BFR market and is the world-leader in Blood Flow Optimization training, recovery, and rehabilitation. Our equipment and protocols have an unprecedented safety track record with over 20 million individual sessions in 69 countries around the globe.


Visit: 

dhs.lacounty.gov/emergency-medical-services-agency
see Side Walk CPR and Up-coming events!

Media Release: Free Hands-Only CPR Training for CPR & AED Awareness Week

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Media@dhs.lacounty.gov

“WHAT IF IT WERE THEM?”

LA County Offers Free Hands-Only CPR Training in Long Beach
Helping Prepare the Public to Save their Loved Ones in Case of Cardiac Arrest


Los Angeles, CA – LA County residents can learn how to save a loved one in cardiac arrest using Hands-Only CPR, during a free community event. Participants will receive one-on-one instruction from first responders and will practice on manikins. 

Hands-Only CPR – pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest until EMS arrives – is easy to learn, can be performed by anyone, and can help save lives during a cardiac emergency.
LA County’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the Fire Departments of Long Beach and LA County are teaming up with the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, and Long Beach area hospitals to provide free Hands-Only CPR training to LA County residents during the 2024 Sidewalk CPR event, part of National CPR & AED
Awareness Week.

Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States and early bystander CPR can triple the chances of survival. Less than half of the victims in cardiac arrest in LA County receive CPR before paramedics arrive. More than 70% of cardiac arrests happen at home, learning to recognize cardiac arrest, and taking immediate action can be truly lifesaving
for the people you love.

What: Free Hands-Only CPR Training for CPR & AED Awareness Week
Where: El Dorado Park West – Good Neighbor Park
2800 Studebaker Road, Long Beach, CA 90815
Enter off Studebaker Road
When: THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.


Visuals: First responders in uniform and fire truck. CPR manikins. Training booths where medical professionals will be teaching the public. Spanish, English, Tagalog, and Khmer CPR demonstrations.

Who: Nichole Bosson, Medical Director, Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency

Richard Tadeo, Director, Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency

Rex Richardson, Long Beach Mayor

Daryl Supernaw, Long Beach 4th District Council

Julia Mockeridge, Health Deputy, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Fourth District

Jeanette Christian, Long Beach Deputy, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Fourth District

Dennis Buchanan, Fire Chief, Long Beach Fire Department

Anh Pham, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Optum California, and volunteer expert with the American Heart Association

Steven Munatones, cardiac arrest survivor, and his son Skyler who helped save his life

John Zaragoza, cardiac arrest survivor, and his nephew Larry who helped save his life


###

Singer/Songwriter Molly Miller will be joining Janeane live on KUCI 88.9fm over the summer - details TBA!

Guitar is everything to Molly Miller, who has been playing music since age seven, originally performing in a family band with her four siblings and drawing inspiration from artists like Jimi Hendrix, Mickey Baker, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. In high school, she got into jazz, an obsession that continued into her years studying at USC, where she eventually earned her BA, MA, and doctorate in musical arts. A few weeks after graduating in 2016, Jason Mraz asked Molly to play with him. The same year, she became the chair of the guitar department at the Los Angeles College of Music. 

Since then, Molly has balanced performance and teaching, becoming a professor of studio guitar at USC in 2022. Along with Mraz, she’s played with artists such as the Black Eyed Peas, Scary Pockets, Sin Bandera, and Pomplamoose at the Hollywood Bowl, Royal Albert Hall, and Coachella, andMolly Miller Trio has toured as an opening act for Mraz and performed at Monterey Jazz Festival, Dizzy’s at Lincoln Center, and SF Jazz.

Molly is now out on the road promoting her forthcoming Molly Miller Trio album The Ballad of Hotspur, released on May 3. The instrumental Americana Jazz album is tinged with surf rock and showcases Molly's exceptional creative phrasing and genre-blending. The trio paints sonic landscapes that could be Ennio Morricone scores for a Quentin Tarantino-style western, to avant-garde and heavy-hitting guitar and drum work that is reminiscent of legendary afrobeat drummer Tony Allen.

The album draws its name from a character in Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1, based on the 14th-century English knight Sir Henry Percy, who fought in numerous battles against the French in the Hundred Years War. He was given the nickname “Hotspur” as a tribute to his speed in advance and readiness to attack. The album was written during the pandemic trading tracks back and forth, then into Valentine Studios in Los Angeles, after over a year of writing, to record all the songs in two days, to capture the dynamic energy of the group’s live show. Molly and the trio will be doing headlining shows through May, and then will be opening for Jason Mraz through the rest of the summer, where Molly will be doing double duty, opening for Jason and playing in his band. Links to the music are below. Thank you for giving this your attention. I appreciate it and look forward to hearing from you.


 WEBSITE // FACEBOOK // YOUTUBE // INSTAGRAM



“her mastery of the musical vocabulary, spoken fluently as a second language” - GUITAR.COM


“California native Molly Miller has the chops…but she takes a straighter path to musical enlightenment - one steeped in creative phrasing and genre-blending, like the music she plays in the Molly Miller Trio.” - GUITAR WORLD

“Eloquent and passionate, Miller’s style blends moody chord voicings with cathartic single-note lines and reverb-drenched dynamics.” - VINTAGE GUITAR

“ What sets her apart is her exuberance and contagious joy, which is immediately evident and impossible to ignore when watching her play.” - FRETBOARD JOURNAL

“ I sat up front through the whole show and was totally blown away. Her compositions were amazing. She had that Western country soloing intertwined with jazz lines mixed with funk and blues. The chordal movement on her guitar was like watching Chet Atkins play.” - JAZZ GUITAR TODAY

T.H.E. Human Side chronicles the journeys of audiophiles and music enthusiasts searching for the perfect listening experience and dives into the human connection to music, the desire to create a deeper connection to it through various musical avenues focused around HiFi and high end audio/audiophile experiences, and explores reasons why an elevated listening experience is vital.

"T.H.E. Human Side", the documentary short by US filmmaker Emiko Carlin, has received an official release through Amazon Prime, following a successful festival run and its premiere at TCL Theatre in Hollywood, CA (formerly the legendary Grauman’s Chinese Theatre). This included the Impact Doc Awards where it won the Award of Recognition, the Tokyo Film Awards where it won Best Short Documentary, the Vegas Movie Awards where it won the Award of Prestige - Best Documentary Short, and the Golden Horse International Film Festival, where it won Best Writer, Best Director, and Best Documentary.

The internationally award-winning short film thought provokingly explores the complex tapestry of emotions, relationships, and the innate desire for connection through HiFi. Directed by Emiko Carlin, this 27-minute documentary captivates audiences by shining a spotlight on the raw, unfiltered stories of individuals from diverse backgrounds who are all brought together by a common journey - the search for the perfect sound.

Through candid interviews, personal reflections, and heartwarming interactions, "T.H.E. Human Side" explores the universal themes of togetherness and the quest for living the fullest life with deeper meaning, in these cases, being achieved through finding the most elevated listening experiences possible. Through this journey, we meet not only the creators of music, but we learn the impact music has had on people - in some cases, how it has saved lives. The film also highlights the power of the human connection and the transformative impact of music and Hi-Fi, encouraging viewers to look, and listen, beyond the surface and connect with one another on a deeper level.

Carlin said this of her involvement in the film:
“I was approached by a man - then a random stranger - as I sat in a hotel lobby of The Home Entertainment Show, North America’s longest running Hi-Fi audio show, who wanted some advice on creating a podcast to preserve the stories of lifelong friendships he had fostered. As he told me his stories, it became evident to me that this was not a podcast. This was meant to be a documentary. The stories - living history about how three unsuspecting people all with very different backgrounds and life experiences were now permanent panels in the tapestry of this friendship – all because of their common love of Hi-Fi.

T.H.E. Human Side was my way of not only documenting these stories and relationships but inviting everyone - literally EVERYONE - into the world of the elevated listening experience. As we traveled deeper into the world of Hi-Fi, what was clear was this isn’t just a hobby or an industry. This is a lifelong obsession for many people. A beacon for those who felt alone, misunderstood, overlooked, and often “on the outside.” And yet, the very thing that was least talked about what the aspect that needed the biggest spotlight - the human beings who keep the torches lit and the flames burning.”


Carlin, alongside her work as an award-winning filmmaker, is a renowned composer, having lent her talents to over 20 television series’. Emiko (who is a mononym in her music career) has been recognized in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and appeared in numerous major music publications including Billboard, Music Connection, FM Sound and Keyboard Magazine, and has played with Cyndi Lauper, appearing with Major Lazer featuring Marcus Mumford, and more.

Emiko has signed on as a director and composer for the upcoming doc-series, "They Walk Among Us: The Long Way Home," "Finding Frank," and the new thriller series based on the critically acclaimed mystery novel, "A Corpse in the Koryo," as well as “Code Stroke,” a film chronicling the journeys of young stroke survivors, something which speaks personally to her own life experiences as a two-time stroke survivor.

Polymath PR

For press queries, please contact Tom Brumpton at (+44) 7956 043 498

tom@polymath-pr.com