Community Building

Modern society is plagued by fragmentation. The various sectors of our communities - businesses, schools, social service organizations, churches, government - do not work together. They exist in their own worlds. As do so many individual citizens, who long for connection but end up marginalized, their gifts overlooked, their potential contributions lost.

In Building Community Food Webs, Ken Meter shows how grassroots food and farming leaders across the US are tackling these challenges by constructing civic networks. Overturning extractive economic structures, these inspired leaders are engaging low-income residents, farmers, and local organizations in their quest to build stronger communities.

First published in 2012, Startup Communities became a blueprint for what it takes to build a supportive entrepreneurial community. Now regarded as a classic, the "Boulder Thesis" created and popularized by Feld within the book generated enormous media attention nearly a decade ago. 

Discover just how important thriving communities are to our wellbeing and the success of organizations—and learn what steps you can take to create them—in this illuminating and empowering guide from the author of Mastering Civility. Despite our deep desire to feel a sense of belonging, many...

'In a world that often makes people feel invisible or overlooked, Jennifer has written something truly profound, a book that arrives at exactly the right cultural moment […] do yourself a favour and pick this one up. You’ll be glad you did’ ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI 'The perfect antidote to our...

Potent and timely lessons on healing and connection―both individually and collectively―through the wisdom and magic of honeybees. We’ve heard the refrain to save the bees, but what if the bees can save us too? Beloved equity educators, authors, and beekeepers Michelle Cassandra Johnson and...

From the founders of the acclaimed Summit event series and community comes the story of their unconventional journey to business success and the hard lessons they learned along the way. “[Make No Small Plans] neatly crystallizes the teachings and takeaways—basic truths—from the past...

The role of organized religion in our society is undergoing monumental changes. Church attendance is decreasing at unprecedented rates. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of people who identify as “spiritual but not religious.” Clearly, the need for religion remains as strong as ever, yet more and more, people are seeking spirituality elsewhere. Why? What accounts for these trends? Can organized religion still play a valuable role in today’s world?

A practical and irreverent guide to Burning Man, its philosophy, why people do this to themselves, and how it matters to the world Over 30 years Burning Man has gone from two families on a San Francisco beach to a global movement in which hundreds of thousands of people around the world create...

This book is perfect for anyone who eats and wants to understand what it takes to produce healthy food. Through new ideas and a different perspective, Marty shares a winning formula for success in modern family farming. Written by the owner of the Spence Farm featured in the documentary, Sustainable, this book provides listeners with the necessary steps an owner-operator must take to set up their family farm for long-term success.

During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology.

Small Groups That Succeed. Small groups are the key to impacting lives in your church. But a healthy small-group environment—one that fosters meaningful, lasting connections—doesn’t just happen. So pull up a chair. Let’s talk about how to make it happen. Bill Willits and bestselling author Andy Stanley share their successful approach, which has resulted in nearly eight thousand adults becoming involved in small groups at North Point Community Church in Atlanta. Simply put, the five principles clearly described here have passed the test.

No one is a stranger to loneliness. Despite how social we are via text, chat, and notifications, we are far from being truly connected. We all want someone else to really see us and choose us for who we are. We want a place to finally fit in. But what if finding the right people or the right place is not the answer? From her community-building background, Sarah E. Westfall takes our longing to belong as an invitation to embrace and extend the deep love of God.

Move, Connect, Play is an audiobook detailing the core principles of AcroYoga, a practice that melds the spectacle of circus arts with the healing power of massage and the breathwork of yoga. This program is read by the author. Get ready to learn how to fly. AcroYoga is a movement practice that...

From the influential and ever-growing movement I Am Second, a remarkable collection of stories of people searching for and finding love. When I Am Second launched in 2008, the organization intended simply to tell stories of lives changed utterly by people placing God first and themselves second...

It is virtually impossible to feel connected and supported in life when you don’t feel that way where you spend most of our time—at work. In The Business of Friendship, friendship expert Shasta Nelson unpacks the distinct ways we can make work relationships the healthiest they can be, both...

Nick Mehta and Robin Van Lieshout deliver an actionable playbook on how to cultivate meaningful communities that fuel quantifiable business growth. In the book, you'll learn how to capitalize on this new growth strategy to scale your company and develop excitement around your products and your firm. The authors outline the ten foundational Laws of Community, explaining why community development does not need to be expensive and how to integrate community in the heart of your customer journey.

“A treasure...a wise and entertaining book that should appeal to the spiritual pilgrim in all of us, no matter what the faith and no matter whether believer or nonbeliever.” – Chicago Tribune The New York Times bestselling author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and Jesus: A...

Never in the history of civilization have we been more connected and felt more alone. We are all so lonely. What if fundamentally the ways we have set up our lives is broken? We've withdrawn rather than moved through it. We want supper clubs and friends, instead of war partners. We have a wrong...

Read by the author. Author and pastor David Kim shares his experiences with loneliness as a Korean American immigrant and delivers compelling research about belonging that includes the revolutionary five anchors for developing meaningful relationships. Even though we are connected more than...