Do The Right Thing

The phenomenon of Spike Lee continues with this revealing and engaging look at his outstanding career, his creative process, and the screenplay for his dynamic movie Do The Right Thing. Spike Lee burst full formed into the screen world with his award-winning, commercially successful independent film She's Gotta Have It. In the few short years following this stellar debut he has established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the film industry and in American popular culture. This book reveals Spike Lee as a Hollywood iconoclast and gifted visionary and takes us though the dramatic sequence of events that brought the movie Do The Right Thing to fruition. It is a testimonial to his developing genius, written in the stingingly funny and informed language of Spike Lee.

Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing (1989) is one of the most popular and celebrated examples of the African-American new black film wave. Set during the hottest day of a hot summer in New York City, the film's ensemble cast, including Lee himself, brilliantly play out the edgy negotiations and dramas of a racially and culturally diverse working-class Brooklyn neighborhood. Contrary to Hollywood's markedly cautious treatment of 'race' and its confinement to the South and the past, Do The Right Thing offers a nuanced portrayal of black urban life.From hip-hop fashions, Afrocentric colors and rap music, to police brutality, gentrification, non-white immigration, de-industrialization and joblessness, Do The Right Thing depicts it all, from a contemporary, African-American point of view. In his insightful study of the film, Ed Guerrero discusses how it epitomizes Spike Lee's powerful impact on the representation of race and difference in America, the progress of black film-making and the rise of multicultural voices in the media. This new edition includes a foreword by the author reflecting on Lee's subsequent film-making career and on an America in which African-Americans still contend with racial discrimination and police brutality. Guerrero emphasizes Lee's especially timely understanding of black film-making as a complex act, mixing the skills of art, politics, and business in order to fashion a creative practice that confronts institutional discrimination and power relations head on.

The #1 Principle of Sustainable Business Success Is Simpler Than You Think “Do the Right Thing is about how any company can stay true to its soul. Jim Parker’s deep and abiding belief in the power of people and culture in building a business of lasting worth is evident everywhere; so too is his humility and selflessness as a leader--his stories are not about his own achievements, which are many, but those of the people he led, one of the great success stories of our time.” --Sean Moriarty, CEO, Ticketmaster “Do the Right Thing offers insightful views into the culture, leadership, and decisions that build great companies the right way. A must read for my management team. THIS BOOK ROCKS.” --Kent Taylor, Founder and Chairman, Texas Roadhouse Restaurants “The book is a fun read filled with memorable stories that get at the heart of what it takes to lead in a way that simultaneously satisfies employees, customers, and shareholders. Jim Parker plays the role of eloquent detective and ferrets out the interweaving parts that distributed leadership, culture, values, and teamwork play as the underlying layers of a company’s success. This is a book about heroes at all levels and the environment needed to create those heroes. A must-read for today’s leaders.” --Professor Deborah Ancona, Seley Distinguished Professor of Management and Faculty Director of the MIT Leadership Center, Sloan School of Management “You’ll laugh and cry reading Jim’s book, and probably won’t be able to put it down. It will forever change the way you view the employees in your organization.” --Beverly K. Carmichael, Member, Board of Directors, Society for Human Resource Management People matter most. You know that. But most companies would rather slash costs, cut headcount, replace well-paid employees with lower-paid employees or outsourced workers, and reduce customer service. No wonder so many fail–while others focused on doing the right thing remain profitable and growth oriented for decades. James F. Parker shows why “doing the right thing” isn’t just naïve “feel-goodism:” it’s the most powerful rule for business success. Parker’s stories won’t just convince you: They’ll move you. Naïve? No way. In this book, Southwest Airlines’ former CEO proves why doing what’s right is the #1 rule of business success. James F. Parker tells how after 9/11, Southwest made three pivotal decisions: no layoffs, no pay cuts, and no-hassle refunds for any customer wanting them. The result: Southwest remained profitable and its revenue passenger miles for 4Q01 held steady while the rest of its industry nearly collapsed...and Southwest’s market cap soon exceeded all its major competitors combined. These pivotal decisions grew naturally from Southwest’s culture of mutual respect and trust. Parker offers deeply personal insights into that culture, revealing how those same principles are used by other people and organizations, showing you that it’s really not that hard to Do The Right Thing! Why doing what’s right is the surest way to optimize and sustain value Putting people first...honestly, for real Finding great leaders at every level of the organization Hiring for attitude, training for skills Achieving unprecedented levels of teamwork (and fun!)

According to author Scott B. Rae in Doing the Right Thing, our culture is in an ethical mess because we’ve neglected moral training and education. This book proposes that there is such a thing as moral truth, that it can be known, and that it can be put into practice. Looking specifically at the areas of medicine, the marketplace, public life, education, and the family, Rae shows how foundational ethical principles can guide you in making moral day-to-day decisions. Informed by Scripture and calling for a renewed understanding of the importance of the Christian faith in moral training, Doing the Right Thing issues a call for cultivated virtue that can bring about both better lives and a better society. You will find yourself examining the ways in which ethical and character issues relate to your life. As a result, you will be better equipped to promote virtue in your own spheres of influence and the culture at large.

"Through detailed examinations of passages from classic films, Marilyn Fabe supplies the analytic tools and background in film history and theory to enable us to see more in every film we watch"--Page [4] of cover.

This book begins with one of the finest concise introductions to ethical systems ever written for general audiences. The engaging and readable text is enriched with anecdotes and step-by-step exercises that reinforce the strategies of each chapter.

The New York Times film critic shows why we need criticism now more than ever Few could explain, let alone seek out, a career in criticism. Yet what A.O. Scott shows in Better Living Through Criticism is that we are, in fact, all critics: because critical thinking informs almost every aspect of artistic creation, of civil action, of interpersonal life. With penetrating insight and warm humor, Scott shows that while individual critics--himself included--can make mistakes and find flaws where they shouldn't, criticism as a discipline is one of the noblest, most creative, and urgent activities of modern existence. Using his own film criticism as a starting point--everything from his infamous dismissal of the international blockbuster The Avengers to his intense affection for Pixar's animated Ratatouille--Scott expands outward, easily guiding readers through the complexities of Rilke and Shelley, the origins of Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones, the power of Marina Abramovich and 'Ode on a Grecian Urn.' Drawing on the long tradition of criticism from Aristotle to Susan Sontag, Scott shows that real criticism was and always will be the breath of fresh air that allows true creativity to thrive. "The time for criticism is always now," Scott explains, "because the imperative to think clearly, to insist on the necessary balance of reason and passion, never goes away."

In this perfect companion to Emily Freeman’s bestselling book The Next Right Thing, you’ll find a year’s worth of prompts, worksheets, and lists to help you discern your next right decision—and the next one.

Do the Next Right Thing is a guidebook about thriving in the mess. It's about choosing the next right thing now, not dithering over the details or waiting for a comprehensive solution. Many situations in life confound us with no pristine choices. Instead, we have to choose in the midst of our murky complexity. The next right thing may only get us through the day, or help us avoid a stumble tomorrow. But it does lay the foundation for a solution somewhere down the road. You can learn to Do the Next Right Thing with confidence and in faith. You can choose the kind of person you will be in the crisis. You can do what is necessary and incremental, and move with God toward His ultimate purposes. You will develop strength of character and resilience in faith while traveling at walking speed through the labyrinth of options. You will rediscover hope and companionship with God and fellow travelers along the way.