The Impossible: Additional Comments & Reviews
"A shot in the arm for all of us who feel withered by crisis and paralyzed with cynicism…Every page sparkles with insight into how the most painful circumstances can drive us to our highest selves."
— Aretha Williams, San Antonio Express News
"Stunning insights…educational and inspirational."
— Seattle Times
"A magnificent anthology celebrates hope, guts, and the power of taking action….Paul Rogat Loeb has compiled for us the words of 49 of the most gifted and heroic men and women of our time, 49 testimonials to stamina and compassion in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, 49 reasons to keep hope alive in this time of frustration and fear, 49 ways to take action..."
— Pam Houston, O, The Oprah Magazine [Lead Review]
"For anyone worn down, The Impossible Will Take a Little While is a bracing double cappuccino!"
— Barbara Ehrenreich
"The title says it all, The Impossible Will Take a Little While. So let's get started!"
— Bob Inglis, former Congressman (Republican, South Carolina)
"A must read"
— Teaching Tolerance
"The most powerful book in my 45-year career teaching about social change"
— Dan Garvey, president emeritus, Prescott College
"An extremely important effort."
— John Kenneth Galbraith
"A wonderful book, with some extraordinary folks contributing. It reminds us that darkness always comes before the dawn. We live in a critical time, in an unpredictable world, but knowing that remarkable changes occur between night and day gives us unexplainable hope."
— Reg Weaver, president, National Education Association
"An intelligent, impressive compendium of ideas and feelings that, if implemented, will lead to a far more civilized society."
— Peter Matthiessen
"Paul Rogat Loeb has put together a soul-stirring anthology which we guarantee will lift the spirits of anyone looking for reasons to carry on in the struggle to create a better world.…A true hope booster."
— The Lutheran
"This inspiring collection is such a song of hope in these difficult times."
— Bonnie Raitt
"A book of essays meant to inspire people."
— The Christian Science Monitor
"Refreshingly empowering, healing, and amazingly inspirational. It touches the imagination, retrieves the faith, and is desperately needed by our country to provoke new hope and meaning. It is a glass half full for the cynic and the fearful, a compilation of vision for the complacent, and an antidote for the despondent—truly a must read for everyone."
— Steelabor, United Steelworkers of America
"A powerful classroom resource that will help inspire your students to act."
— American Association of Colleges and Universities
"Reading this hymnbook of hope, one's heart cannot help but sing. I am moved and inspired by this magnificent book's rich stories and insights. They water the fragile, precious seed of hope, from which everything we love grows."
— Vicki Robin, author of Your Money or Your Life
"A compilation of 49 essays, excerpts and exclamations from a wide range of people who have found hope despite all evidence to the contrary."
— Minneapolis Star Tribune
"An impressive lineup… [Explains] how and why to keep up the good fight - for whatever purpose - in the face of ridicule, violence, despair, bad odds, and/or unfavorable election results."
— Capitol Times [Madison, WI]
"Paul Loeb takes voices from our human experience and turns them into a powerful chorus of hope. No matter how powerless we feel, simply answering the call to participate gives us strength to change the world. Loeb introduces us to a community of heroic individuals who by their actions sustain themselves and can help inspire the rest of us."
— Bill Meadows, president, Wilderness Society
"Paul Loeb captures the way the fight for decency can change people and change circumstances, even when victory is still in the distance."
— Rich Trumka, former President, AFL-CIO
"Inspirational…I pick and choose and savor my way through it."
— Phi Beta Kappa Key Reporter
"These essays reflect Loeb's keen eye for the subtle connection between the spiritual quest and the imperative of social justice, and embody the very fearlessness they aim to inspire."
— Yoga Journal
"Powerful voices"
— Buffalo News
"Loeb has brought together The Impossible Will Take a While with power and integrity; one can only hope the collection will be widely used in schools and parishes across the country."
— The American Catholic
"After reading the indomitable Mandela and Havel, John Lewis and Sherman Alexie, I was filled with new vigor. A forceful testimonial to the unique power of hope. "
— Denis Hayes, Chairman Earth Day Network
"A book for the ravenous, and it delivers with a broad and international array of writers, celebrated and unknown. My suggestion, however, is not to read the book passively, expecting inspiration on a platter. It is in this crucible, I believe, that Mandela's words, and those of the other writers, whose wisdom is born of suffering and struggle, begin to glow. Hope becomes a vision of a humane future that is already under way."
— Robert Koehler, Tribune Media Services
"Everyone who believes in our humanity and the ideal of justice for all, but feels despair by the direction the world has taken, will find their faith in our ability to serve the common good restored by Paul Loeb's symphony of powerful voices."
— Charles Johnson, National Book Award winner, author of Middle Passage