Retail Observer

February 2020

The Retail Observer is an industry leading magazine for INDEPENDENT RETAILERS in Major Appliances, Consumer Electronics and Home Furnishings

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RETAILOBSERVER.COM FEBRUARY 2020 14 J onathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity, has seen firsthand how the power of building – whether homes or hope – can improve lives and communities. In his new book, OUR BETTER ANGELS: Seven Simple Virtues That Will Change Your Life and the World, he presents seven timeless virtues that he believes can change the world – kindness, community, empowerment, joy, respect, generosity and service. He also shares inspiring and uplifting stories of the everyday heroes he's met working with Habitat for Humanity who embody these virtues. Former President Jimmy Carter provides a moving and very personal Foreword. The stories in OUR BETTER ANGELS will resonate with readers across a wide spectrum. There is kindness, for example, one of the simplest virtues of all, embodied by the volunteers who spent their Christmas Eve moving a new Habitat homeowner and her family into a home they can call their own. Upon discovering that she wouldn't have gas or heat for a few days, they supplied her with electric cooking and heating supplies, ensuring that she and her children would have the Christmas they'd always dreamed of. Joy is found in the story of Donna Ricca, a former police officer, and her efforts to cultivate confidence and happiness in the Habitat volunteers she leads. Generosity is exhibited by a veteran quietly battling cancer who donates his house to Habitat, on the terms that another veteran will be its new homeowner. He also donated $1 million to a nursing school for an endowed scholarship, and gave away nearly every single item in his house, without asking anything in return. Through these recollections of real-life virtues in action, and the commentary that accompanies them, Reckford hopes to bring optimism and uplifting news to a world that's hungry for encouragement. All proceeds from OUR BETTER ANGELS will go directly to Habitat for Humanity. This book will help readers find their own better angels and go out and make the world a brighter place. B O O K R E V I E W OUR BETTER ANGELS Seven Simple Virtues That Will Change Your Life and the World Author: Jonathan Reckford has served as chief executive officer for Habitat for Humanity International since 2005. Under his leadership, the global housing organization has grown from serving 125,000 individuals per year to more than 8.7 million people in 2018 alone. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Reckford earned his MBA from Stanford and went on to managerial positions at various Fortune 500 companies. Reckford also served as executive pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Edina, Minnesota. Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group RO

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