Kevin Hancock is an award-winning author, speaker, and CEO. Established in 1848, Hancock Lumber Company operates ten retail stores, three sawmills, and a truss plant. The company also grows trees on 12,000 acres of timberland in Southern Maine and is led by its 550 employees. Kevin’s first book, “Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse” won three national book awards. His second book, “The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership” was released on February 25, 2020. Kevin is a frequent visitor to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and an advocate of strengthening the voices of all individuals—within a company or a community—through listening, empowering, and shared leadership. His new book “48 Whispers: From Pine Ridge and the Northern Plains” is a unique photojournalism collection of short meditations, accompanied by full-page color photographs spanning ten years of visits to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the northern plains.

“48 Whispers” begins with an Introduction where Kevin Hancock explains how the book came to be, while spending time in the West and getting to know the Lakota people and their values. “This book aspires to honor that wisdom while paying respect to all inhabitants of the northern plains, past and present, two-legged and four.” After being diagnosed with a rare neurological voice disorder (spasmodic dysphonia/SD), he set out on a series of adventures to recover his voice through self-reflection and immersion in nature. This book covers a decade of over twenty visits to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the surrounding northern plains. In honor of Black Elk, who was escorted on his sacred vision by the 48 horses of the four directions, this book is made up of 48 thoughts (or whispers) for the future of humanity accompanied by a full-page color photo and each is 248 words in length. Some of these whispers include Get out of your lane, The Aquarian Age has dawned, and Draw bigger circles. In the Invitation, the author presents several ways to enjoy this book: reading it all the way through once, returning once each week to reflect on a single whisper, or writing one of the whispers on a piece of paper and placing it in a visible place where you can see it throughout the day.

Inspirational books do not have to be encyclopedia sized or full of complicated psychological or religious subject matter to be effective in reaching out to people. Kevin Hancock’s musings come off as deeply spiritual and satisfying while the pictures are beautiful, calming, and tell a story all on their own. His personal journey opened his eyes to a more open minded way of living and he gladly shares those lessons with readers. Some of the best ones include Whisper #18 Get out of your lane. “Staying in one’s lane is the problem, not the solution. Switching lanes strengthens human connectivity, which, in turn, expands human capacity” and Whisper #42 – No one picks the date, time, and place of their birth – therefore, no one should be judged by the date, time, and place of their birth. The language is down to earth and easy to understand, so it is easy to finish reading this book in one sitting. “48 Whispers” may be a small book but it is bursting with life lessons and is an excellent read when needing to unwind after a long day or when life gets too complicated. It is recommended for readers who enjoy inspirational books like the Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff series and makes for an exceptional coffee table book or gift for a loved one this holiday season.

“Human progress is not linear, and not all cultures, communities, and individuals are equally safe and secure. By expanding the conditions of safety for more people, we accelerate the spiritual journey for all.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.