What if the most powerful social statement isn't a slogan but a habit?
In “An A to Z Guide to Whose Lives Matter: Yes, Umbrellas Do Matter,” author Peter M. Trabbold delivers a thoughtful, unexpectedly warm wake-up call: the people we overlook every day the ones who stock shelves, ring up groceries, pump gas, teach children, serve neighbors, care for the sick, and keep life moving matter. And not just some people. Everyone.
Trabbold began this book after reading about a 2012 incident in Florida that helped spark the phrase “Black Lives Matter.” He agrees with the statement and then asks the question that kept tugging at him for years: who else matters too? His answer is a carefully built, comprehensive A-to-Z guide designed to widen empathy, elevate gratitude, and remind readers that dignity isn't selective, it's human.
Adding to the book's growing professional visibility, “An A to Z Guide to Whose Lives Matter” is being endorsed to the Writer's Guild of America (WGA) an important step that supports broader attention for a work centered on perspective, respect, and the everyday people who make our lives possible.
A Book That Turns “Who Matters?” Into a Daily Practice
This is not a textbook on politics. It's not a lecture. And as the author makes clear, it's not written to inflame division, even though the book acknowledges that some groups have been victims of racism, bigotry, and sexism. Instead, Trabbold's message is disarmingly simple and deeply challenging:
We all take people for granted.
We expect service without gratitude.
We forget the humans behind the roles.
And then he offers a shift anyone can make today:
Stop. Notice. Say thank you.
“Thank you. You matter to me.”
About the Author
Peter M. Trabbold was born in 1947 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, part of the Baby Boomer generation. After moving with his family to Brookfield at age nine, he spent his formative years there and later married his high school sweetheart in 1970. Now settled in Waukesha, Wisconsin, he and his wife are proud parents and grandparents.
Over the course of his career, Trabbold traveled through 23 states, taking in the natural and manmade wonders of America from the Statue of Liberty and the Washington Monument to the Rockies, the Grand Canyon, Mt. Rushmore, the Gateway Arch, and the Alamo. But the most important thread he found across every place wasn't the landmarks, it was the people.
His A-to-Z “very mini-dictionary” is offered as an invitation: as you read, you'll likely think of your own words, your own people, your own lives that matter. And he asks readers to keep certain words out of the center of our lives: ageism, bigotry, racism, sexism, and ignorance.
Category & Audience
Perfect for readers who enjoy:
● social reflection without preachiness
● short, digestible entries with big meaning
● books that encourage gratitude, empathy, and everyday decency
● thoughtful conversation starters for families, groups, and classrooms
— WebWireID349878 —
