An Ordinary Life: Its Bits and Pieces

An Ordinary Life: Its Bits and Pieces is a quietly radical collection that redefines what it means to educate and lead. Through memoir, journalism, letters, and essays, Judith Otto offers a clear, compassionate vision rooted in her decades as an educator, mother, social ecologist, and executive coach. Her writings argue that true preparation for life goes far beyond traditional academics. Survival—physical, emotional, and ethical—requires knowing oneself, understanding others, and mastering process skills like decision-making, communication, and reflection.

Editor's Note: I put this book together of my mom's writing after she passed on last May. It is a vivid window into the 1970s and how women navigated the same issues that plague and inspire us today. There is an essay on education, her newspaper column and articles, an interview, her astrological chart, a memoir she was writing, and letters of recommendation from colleagues that illustrate her work and approach to living. $1 from every book and e-book sold will be donated to concordprisonoutreach.org and communityfarms.org.