The other night at Grand Central, Kenneth Cole released a new book called AWEARNESS: Inspiring Stories about How to Make a Difference. This book, conceived and edited by Cole himself, celebrates Kenneth Cole's 25th year anniversary of bringing us fashion and supporting social change. Click here to see images of the celeb-studded book launch at Grand Central station, co-hosted by Rosario Dawson!
The attractive book features 86 compelling essays, divided into nine chapters: Human Rights, Homelessness, Well Being, Youth and Education, Criminal Justice, The Environment, Political Activism, HIV/AIDS, and Civil Liberties. Any of that interest you, or someone for whom you may need a holiday gift? Come on, get your crunchy friends something cool. It's just $25.

EXCERPTS FROM AWEARNESS: INSPIRING STORIES ABOUT HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE:

Kenneth Cole on a life's influences and inspirations: "People have often argued that business and community service are independent and should not be confused. I believe, and clearly I am not alone here, that their roles today are not independent but, in fact, interdependent. This interdependence and need to support each other has never been quite as prevalent or as necessary as it is today."

Robert Redford on keeping speech free: "Change is going to come from the ground up, not from the top down. We'll have a better movement from the grass roots – where the public is, where the voices of America are."

Lance Armstrong on starting a movement: "For me, the most important thing for our organization is to try to make this disease a political issue. This is the number one killer in our country. Every time people ask why we are in Iraq or why this or why that, we should also be asking why we are still losing an American every minute to this disease."

Alice Waters on the connection between Earth and plate: "Once you understand where your food comes from, environmentalism becomes a part of you. It's not an abstract notion; it's a visceral connection. You want every landscape to be an edible landscape. You want to rip up every lawn and plant something tasty to eat."

Other contributors include Jon Bon Jovi, Rosario Dawson (who co-hosted the book launch at Grand Central Station), Don Cheadle, Ludacris, Rachael Ray, Michael Bloomberg, and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. You can find out more about Kenneth Cole's campaign and buy the book here.