Milan Kordestani
Los Angeles, CA
Social Entrepreneur. Writer. Author of I’m Just Saying
BOOK COVER
BOOK DETAILS
Pub Date: April 25, 2023
Genre: Self Improvement
Publisher: Health Communications Inc
Page Count: 272
Format: Paperback, E-book
ISBN: 978-0757324505, paperback; B0B3YB51ZK, e-book
Price: $16.95, paperback; $12.99, e-book
ABOUT THE BOOK
“I’m just saying.” These three little words that tend to follow an intense debate are a signal that someone has given up on listening or being understood. They’ve dug into their position, and there will be no budging – an unfortunate symptom of living in a divided world.
The lack of civil discourse and constructive conversations motivated the 24-year old three-time business founder Milan Kordestani to found TheDoe.com – an anonymous digital publication promoting open-minded discussions and restoring civil discourse. It also led him to write I’m Just Saying: A Guide to Maintaining Civil Discourse in an Increasingly Divided World.
Incorporating contemporary case studies and personal experience, I’m Just Saying shows readers–from young adult to seniors–how to engage in civil conversations while having a difference of opinion. Milan reflects on influential leaders and their styles of effective communication, and even shares his own successes and failures in civil discourse–including an instance where a viral tweet taught him the importance of nuance and privilege. I’m Just Saying also unpacks:
- The role our explicit and implicit biases play in our approach to discourse and how to identify and address those biases.
- The importance of being open to constructive criticism.
- How tone can make or break your argument.
- Tips for practicing active listening, and much more.
In a world fueled by arguments and outrage, I’m Just Saying offers insight and tools to navigate necessary difficult conversations, offering a much-needed infusion of kindness in an increasingly contentious society.
TALKING POINTS
- The importance of engaging in civil discourse in a polarized world.
- The challenges of maintaining civility in online interactions and social media.
- Strategies for communicating effectively with those who hold differing viewpoints.
- The need for empathy and active listening in order to understand and connect with others.
- The role of personal values and principles in shaping our communication and interactions with others.
TIMELY TIE-INS
March
- International Ideas Month
- Race Relations Day - 21
- Twitter Day - 21
- Week of Solidarity with People Struggling Against Racism and Racial Discrimination - 21-27
April
- International Day of Conscience
May
- National Meditation Month
- National Recommitment Month
June
- Effective Communications Month
- National Productive Business Civility Day - 13
- International Day for Countering Hate Speech - 18
BOOK DETAILS
Pub Date: May 17, 2022
Genre: Memoir / Christian Inspirational
Publisher: She Writes Press
Page Count: 304
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1647429003
Price: $15.99
ABOUT THE BOOK
In the age of social media, what does it mean to connect through a hand-written letter?
True Story: When Amy Daughters reconnected with her former friend from camp decades ago, Dana, via Facebook, she had no idea how it would change her life. Through social media, Amy learned Dana’s son Parker was at St. Jude battling cancer–devastating news, but what else do you do besides comment an “I’m so sorry,” nowadays?
But more than a comment happened, Amy woke up in the middle of the night and felt called in a way she couldn’t fully explain to write handwritten letters to Dana–someone who through time and distance, had become nothing more than several hundred other faces on her Facebook account.
When Parker died, Amy, not knowing what else to do, continued to write Dana. Eventually, Dana wrote back, and the two became pen pals, sharing things through the mail that they had never shared before. The richness of the experience left Amy wondering something: If my life could be so changed by someone I considered “just a Facebook friend,” what would happen if I wrote all my Facebook friends a letter?
A staggering 580 handwritten letters later Amy’s life would never be the same. As it turned out, there were actual individuals living very real lives behind each social media profile, and she was beautifully connected to each of those extraordinary, very real people.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A native Houstonian and a graduate of The Texas Tech University, Amy W. Daughters has been a freelance writer for more than a decade — mostly covering college football and sometimes talking about her feelings. Her debut novel, You Cannot Mess This Up: A True Story That Never Happened (She Writes Press, 2019), was selected as the Silver Winner for Humor in the 2019 Foreword INDIES and the Overall Winner for Humor/Comedy in the 2020 Next Generation Indie Awards. An amateur historian, hack golfer, charlatan fashion model, and regular on the ribbon dancing circuit, Amy — a proud former resident of Blackwell, England, and Dayton, Ohio currently lives in Tomball, Texas, a suburb of Houston. She is married to a foxy computer person, Willie, and is the lucky mother of two amazing sons, Will and Matthew.
TALKING POINTS
- Lost Art of Letter Writing – The deliberateness of a letter, honest, believable and genuine, more than Social Media could ever be. Bringing back the beautiful connection of a hand-written letter.
- How can we teach our younger generation to value a pen & stationery?
- The stages of grief and how to remain a constant and connected friend experiencing the grieving process.
- The power of prayer and finding purpose.
- The evolution of friendships and connections due to social media.
- Work from home and the disconnect it creates–how letter writing can bring back more meaningful relationships.
- Women in Sports – Amy is a decades long sportswriter–a position with its own trials and tribulations as a woman in a male-dominated field.
TIMELY TIE-INS
December
- Read a New Book Month
- National Letter Writing Day – December 7
- National Christmas Card Day – December 9
January
- Self-Love Month
- Universal Letter Writing Week – Jan 8-14
- Hunt for Happiness Week – Jan 15-21
February
- International Boost Self Esteem Month – February
April
- Month of Hope; Day of Hope – April 5
- World Health Day – April 7
- Tell a Story – April 27
- Trauma Awareness Month – May
PRAISE FOR DEAR DANA
“Dear Dana is an inspirational memoir about caring for friends near and far by reviving a lost art.” — Foreword Reviews
“. . . a captivating study regarding writing letters to friends and rethinking how people successfully bond in the modern world. An intriguing and inspiring exploration of different forms of communication.”— Kirkus Reviews
“This is a book for anyone who wonders about the differences between a Facebook friend and a Real-Life friend and who yearns to see a person’s real life behind their Facebook image. It is also about the power of prayer and the abundance of kindness in our world. But ultimately, it’s about connection and how we are all connected when we come from love.” — Rivvy Neshama, author of Recipes for a Sacred Life: True Stories and a Few Miracles
“Captivating . . . I laughed and I cried as I followed the pleasures of real mail, and the lesson hit home: Whether written or spoken, our words matter. They have the power to illuminate someone’s darkest day.” — Laurie Buchanan, PhD, author of Note to Self: A Seven-Step Path to Gratitude and Growth and The Business of Being: Soul Purpose In and Out of the Workplace