books & publications
This report for the Council on Foundations explores philanthropy's role in protecting and promoting democracy. It looks at the promises and pitfalls of various grantmaking strategies, from narrowing the gap between people and institutions and strengthening public engagement to building civic capacity and generally bolstering democratic norms and practices.
This issue book was developed for the National Issues Forums. It's aimed at promoting a deeper understanding of the immigration issue in the United States. It offers a wide-ranging assessment of the immigration issue and explores the pros and cons of various policy options. The guide was produced as part of a year-long initiative to promote dialogue and discussion about immigration across the U.S.
A Public Voice is an annual series of Washington briefings that describe how Americans are wrestling with tough public issues like crime, political gridlock, and rising healthcare costs. The underlying premise of the briefings is that policymakers and journalists might benefit by hearing “a public voice”—not just the voices of pollsters, policy experts, and special-interest groups. Here I report on the outcomes of A Public Voice 2018.
Published by Michigan State University Press, Deliberative Pedagogy is a collection of academic essays on the role of dialogue and deliberation in higher education—not only in the classroom but also in co-curricular, campus, and community settings. It includes an essay of mine called "Education for Democracy."
How do we contend with climate change, perhaps the most complex and urgent challenge facing the world today? This issue book explores the options and looks at the pros and cons of a range of action strategies, from slashing carbon emissions to protecting our communities to accelerating the shift to a green economy. The book was developed for the National Issues Forums in collaboration with the North American Association for Environmental Education.
This publication explores the economic challenges facing President Reagan when he assumed office in 1980. Millions of Americans were out of work, U.S. companies were struggling, and inflation was spiraling out of control. The publication was developed in collaboration with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum as part of a National Archives and Records Administration education initiative.
There is a pervasive anxiety in America about the future of higher education. Spiraling costs combined with seismic changes in the American workplace raise questions about whether a bachelor’s degree is still worth the cost. This issue book looks at the purpose of higher education and what our colleges and universities can and should do to address the future of work. It was developed as part of a national initiative organized by Augsburg College and other organizations. More about the initiative on Huffington Post.
Every August, tens of thousands of people gather in Nevada's barren Black Rock Desert to create a temporary city devoted to art, community and self-expression. This book showcases some of the most impressive examples of Burning Man art from the past decade. It was written by Jennifer Raiser, and illustrated with photographs taken by fellow photographer Sidney Erthal and me. It includes an introduction from Burning Man founder Larry Harvey, and a foreword by Will Chase. (The book was published in a revised Second Edition in 2016. It will be released in a new and expanded Third Edition in July 2023.)
This book brings together 18 prominent leaders in business, education, sports, technology, and the arts for a series of one-on-one conversations on leadership. Jazz great Wynton Marsalis and PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi talk about authentic leadership and the qualities of exceptional groups, for example. Education scientist Sugata Mitra and Jasmine Whitbread, CEO of Save the Children International, explore global development and the future of learning. Tech entrepreneur Paul E. Jacobs and Lang Lang, the celebrated classical pianist, reflect on the rigors of pursuing excellence. The book, for which I served as contributing editor, was published by Egon Zehnder International.
Americans are more dissatisfied with government than ever. While some of the frustration can be attributed to economic anxiety and uncertainty about the future, it also reflects a litany of problems—from partisan rancor and congressional gridlock to the rise of big money and the growing influence of powerful special-interest groups. Any one of them taken in isolation would represent a serious challenge to our American democracy. But taken together, they make it almost impossible for government to address the short- and long-term problems facing the nation. How do we get American government working for us again? This issue book, prepared for the National Issues Forums, explores the options.
On Collaboration is an essay collection published by Tate London that looks at the dynamics of collaboration. It brings together several general essays on collaboration—including a piece I wrote titled "Building Collaborative Communities"—as well as a half-dozen case studies of collaborative projects carried out in the U.K. under the auspices of Tate. The collection was edited by Marie Bak Mortensen and Judith Nesbitt.
Those who support immigration are often bent on helping or employing newcomers. Those in favor of restricting immigrants worry about the growing costs—both social and economic—of assimilating and aiding new arrivals. For their part, immigrants themselves typically want little more than a better life. Whose interests should be served? Can these often-conflicting interests be balanced? Developed for the National Issues Forums, Immigration in America (originally published in 2011 and updated in 2013) explores these questions and looks at a range of reform options.
Doing Democracy surveys a burgeoning network of organizations in the U.S. that is inventing new forms community-building and citizenship education. Their names vary—some call themselves public policy institutes, others centers for civic life—yet they share a common approach, one aimed at tackling tough public issues, strengthening communities, and building civic capacity. This report looks the state of the network today, how it has evolved over the years, and what it has achieved.
This is a book about how to create social change and imagine a more perfect world. It brings together contributions from Jane Goodall, Alice Walker, Julia Butterfly Hill, Ben Okri, and about 200 others, myself included. Author William Murtha describes 100 Words as "a testament to the hopes, resilience, courage, and life-message of the visionaries. This is their story. And best of all, their uplifting and courageous stories clearly demonstrate much of what is going right in the world."
Nobel Lectures: Peace, 2001-2005 is the latest in a series of authoritative volumes presenting the texts of the Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speeches. In addition to the Nobel lectures for the years 2001-2005, the book offers a detailed introduction to each prize, the official announcement of the award, the presentations speeches by the Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman, biographies of the laureates, and extensive notes and bibliographies. Edited with historian Irwin Abrams, the book was published by World Scientific under the auspices of the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm.
Based on a year-long study I led for the Harwood Institute, this report looks at public innovators—who they are, how they do their work, and why they are one of the keys to bringing about the change we need in America's communities. The report describes ten public innovators who are making change happen in ten communities across the country—exemplary leaders who are at the forefront of a remarkable wave of innovation taking place at the grassroots level across America.
The Little, Brown Reader, one of the better-known and respected thematic readers used in American colleges and universities, brings together contemporary and classic readings with critical reading and writing instruction and numerous illustrations. The anthology includes an interview I conducted with writer Richard Rodriguez exploring how American cultural identity is in the throes of a radical transformation today. The collection was edited by Marcia Stubbs, Sylvan Barnet and William E. Cain.
Edited by Rolf Norgaard, this collection explores the role of language in learning, the conventions of the classroom, the nature of persuasion, the importance of collaboration, the force of gender, the impact of technology, and the power of the image. When students contend with these issues, they see the ways that scholars view them, and enter the academic conversations that shape their college years—and their future professional and civic lives. The book includes an essay in which I explore how the Internet is transforming our relationship to the local community.
A Voice in the Wilderness brings together 16 interviews—including one of my own—with writer and naturalist Terry Tempest Williams. Edited and introduced by Michael Austin, the book explores a wide range of topics, including wilderness and wildlife, place and eroticism, art and literature, democracy and politics, family and heritage, writing and creativity and other themes at the heart of Terry Tempest Williams’s work.
Mapping the Political Landscape: An Introduction to Political Science explores many issues that reflect the large diversity of 21st century society. Taking into account the increasing globalization of issues, the book relates classical concepts of political science to differing political and cultural experiences. Mapping the Political Landscape is divided in to four thematic parts: Politics as Discipline, Ideas, Institutions and Change, with a small section of classic and contemporary readings following each chapter. The volume includes an interview I conducted with author Benjamin Barber.
The foundation world is reluctant to openly admit it, but there is a pervasive sense today that community-building projects, for all their good intentions, routinely fall short of their goals. All too often, they fail to tap into vital civic resources and energy, build effective relationships with the public, develop broad-based networks and coalitions, and sustain the commitment over the long haul. What can grantmakers and nonprofits do to address the problem? This report, based on a year-long series of dialogues convened by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change and the Kettering Foundation, looks some practical—and surprisingly effective—strategies.
In this collection of essays, seven contributors from diverse fields make the case that ordinary citizens are capable of reasoned public deliberation on matters of critical national importance. Drawing on experiences from the 2003 National Issues Convention in Philadelphia, the contributors show that public deliberation is a sound and practical approach to working through difficult issues, one that can enrich and inform the dialogue of democracy.
My own essay for the book looks at the theory and practice of deliberative dialogue—a much-needed antidote to the sort of argument and debate that too often passes for public discourse today.
As far afield as the townships of South Africa, the public libraries of Russia, and the town squares, parks and cafes of Argentina, people are practicing the art of deliberative dialogue to tackle difficult public issues. It's a form of dialogue aimed at working through conflicting values and finding common priorities for action. As the case studies in this report show, deliberative dialogue is proving remarkably effective in a wide variety of settings and across many cultures in engaging people, resolving conflicts, and creating common ground for action. The book describes some of the specific ways that grassroots organizations in ten emerging democracies are using deliberative dialogue to foster civic engagement and political participation.
This is the latest installment of the Gale series documenting the history and social trends of this country during the 20th century. This volume, edited by Richard Layman, covers 1950-1959 when America emerged as a world power, saw its population shift from the farm to the city, watched government challenge big business for the first time, and did little as African Americans continued to lose political and civil rights—the subject of an interview I conducted with journalist and political writer Harry Ashmore on "The Politics of Race," which is included in the book.
The readings in The Writer’s Presence were selected for the quality of the writing. Editors Donald McQuade and Robert Atwan scoured hundreds of essays in search of teachable readings with strong voices and clear points of view. The result is a blend of classic pieces by favorites like James Baldwin, Annie Dillard, and Amy Tan; and fresh pieces by rising stars like Michael Pollan, Geeta Kothari, James McBride, and Daniel Harris, along with a number of interviews, including one I conducted with writer Richard Rodriguez.
In 2002 and 2003, over two hundred prominent academics, including many college and university presidents, joined with civic leaders, public officials, foundation executives and others at the University of Michigan. The goal was to explore practical strategies to promote civic engagement and social responsibility in American colleges and universities. This report summarizes some of the substantive conclusions of the dialogue and outlines an ambitious and comprehensive "Common Agenda" for change. The report was published by the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good at the University of Michigan.
In May 2001, a group of prominent civic leaders, scholars, policymakers and public intellectuals gathered in Washington D.C. to explore the promises and challenges of community-building in America. The dialogue explored the breakdown of the American community, the crisis of confidence in institutions, and the widespread anger and disaffection many Americans harbor toward the political system and what these developments mean for the future of democracy. In this report, published by the Kettering Foundation, I summarize the dialogue and discuss its potential implications for those working to build and strengthen democracy in America.
One of the most widely adopted composition readers of all time, The Bedford Reader continues to engage and inspire students with remarkable selections, outstanding instructional material, and a unique "Writers on Writing" feature in which 50 of the book’s writers comment on their process and their work. Thorough coverage of critical reading, effective writing, and working with sources guides students, now more than ever, through their own academic writing. And an exciting visual dimension shows that rhetorical methods apply to both images and text. The book includes a conversation of mine with writer and naturalist Terry Tempest Williams.
Saga is an anthology of articles published in the area of myth and ritual studies by outstanding thinkers in the field. Edited by Jonathan Young, the collection brings together writings from Carlos Castaneda, Thomas Moore, James Hillman, James Redfield and others. It exploring the connections between psychology, myth, religion, ritual and storytelling. The book opens with an interview of mine with philosopher Sam Keen titled "Renewing Our Sense of Wonder."
The idea of modern society as a melting pot is taking on new meaning as more and more people form relationships across traditional racial boundaries. The essayists in this anthology provide first-hand accounts of the challenges and rewards of interracial friendship, romance, and family life. My contribution is an essay called "The Face of Tomorrow" that makes a case for interracial marriage, arguing that it's is a step toward a more integrated culture.
Between 1998 and 2001, I served as rapporteur for the Seminar on Higher Education and Public Life, a series of dialogues held in Washington D.C. aimed at promoting civic engagement and social responsibility in American higher education. The gatherings explored a wide range practical questions about how to promote civic engagement in American colleges and universities. The Kettering Foundation published four separate reports of mine from the dialogues:
- The Civic Mission of Higher Education: From Outreach to Engagement (2001)
- Higher Education and Public Life: Restoring the Bond (2000)
- Renewing the Public Purposes of Higher Education (1999)
- Higher Education, the Professions and Public Life (1998)