books & publications
Few photographers have captured the singular beauty and unique character of Santa Barbara, California, quite like Bill Zeldis. In a remarkable body of work spanning several decades, he’s paid loving tribute to the people, history and culture of Santa Barbara, helping to define its special place in the collective imagination. His new coffee table book, Santa Barbara: A Portrait, opens with an essay of mine in which I describe the town I’ve called home for over 30 years — a city famous for its whitewashed walls, red roof-tiles and open-air paseos, but also its unhurried pace, sunlit optimism, and spirit of reinvention and renewal. For all its wealth and polish, Santa Barbara has long been a haven for writers, artists, musicians and free spirits, including restless souls, like me, who thought they were just passing through, but never left.
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. Burning Man: Art on Fire showcases some of the most impressive examples of Burning Man art going back two decades, from dazzling sculptures and massive installations to sacred temples and ingenious art cars. The book was written by Jennifer Raiser and illustrated with 230 of my photographs (with additional images by Sidney Erthal). The book includes a foreword by Burning Man CEO Marian Goodell, a preface by writer Will Chase, an afterword by artist Leo Villareal, and a special tribute to Burning Man's late founder Larry Harvey. This is a comprehensively revised and expanded version of the original 2014 edition, which Rolling Stone called "one of the best books about Burning Man" and Library Journal described as "fascinating, joyful, awe-inspiring." Burning Man: Art on Fire is the winner of two Indie Book Awards for 2023, including "Best Coffee Table Book of the Year."
Smoke and Mirrors: Cars, Photography and Dreams of the Open Road is a coffee table book exploring the connection between the car and the camera through the lens of two-dozen photographers. It's billed as "a groundbreaking book of car photography, revealing the car's unique role in our culture." One of the chapters showcases my "Mutant Vehicles" series, featuring a selection of images from the project along with an incisive write-up by journalist Adam Hay-Nicholls. As he notes in the introduction, "the images in this book, by some of the world's best photographers, show cars at their most wild, playful and inventive ... reminding us that they are so much more than mere machines: they are vehicles for our deepest hopes, dreams and desires."
Stanford University's Fred Turner writes about media, technology and American cultural history. In this book, he explores how Google, Facebook and other Silicon Valley companies are creating a twenty-first century corporate culture that celebrates art, creativity and self-expression. But he finds that they also co-opt artistic and counterculture values into their corporate management strategies. By integrating artistic expression into workplace culture, they encourage employees to blur personal and professional boundaries, channeling counterculture ideals of hierarchy-free collaboration to obscure power dynamics and maximize corporate benefit. This French edition, published by C&F éditions, features a 13-page insert of my color photographs.
The challenges facing American democracy raise difficult questions for philanthropy. Many in the field are asking whether the foundation world has done everything it can to shore up democratic values and aspirations or whether it has been pursuing its own ideas of the public good and, as some critics maintain, turning a blind eye to the gathering storm. To what extent can philanthropy’s efforts to strengthen communities and rebuild public trust be effective in the face of stiff headwinds? How can it be more responsive to the needs of a democratic society? This report draws on insights from a series of national leadership summits convened by the Council on Foundations and the Kettering Foundation exploring these questions. Featuring real-world examples and practical recommendations, it presents a roadmap for funders working to strengthen democracy and build more resilient, inclusive and participatory communities.
The immigration issue affects virtually every American, directly or indirectly, often in deeply personal ways. This guide is designed to help people deliberate together about how we should approach the issue. The three options presented here reflect different ways of understanding what is at stake and force us to think about what matters most to us when we face difficult problems that involve all of us and that do not have perfect solutions. Part of a nationwide initiative to promote constructive conversations about a difficult and polarizing issue, the book equips readers with the context and questions needed to cut through the rhetoric and engage in meaningful discussions.
A Public Voice presents the results of an annual series of Washington briefings on how Americans are wrestling with urgent public challenges like crime, inflation, political gridlock, and rising healthcare costs. Based on the premise that policymakers, journalists, and opinion leaders can benefit from hearing “a public voice” — not just pollsters, experts, and special interests — this volume distills the outcomes of A Public Voice 2018. It captures the concerns, values, trade-offs, and areas of common ground revealed in community conversations from across the country, offering valuable insight into not only what Americans think about pressing issues but how they are thinking about them.
Published by Michigan State University Press, Deliberative Pedagogy brings together scholarly essays on the power of dialogue and deliberation in higher education — not only in classrooms but also in co‑curricular, campus, and community settings. In "Education for Democracy," I make the case that many colleges and universities focus on educating about democracy rather than practicing it. Yet higher education institutions are ideal laboratories for collective problem‑solving: they are self‑contained communities that reflect broader societal challenges. By grappling with complex social and political issues and coming to terms with difficult trade-offs, colleges and univerisites can deepen learning, build civic skills, and foster essential democratic practices.
A century ago, the battle over Hetch Hetchy captured national headlines and ignited America’s first widespread public debate about public lands and what it means to protect the environment. Those questions still resonate today. Developed in collaboration with the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, this issue book revisits the Hetch Hetchy controversy and examines its lasting implications for conservation, public policy, and the future of America’s landscapes — inviting readers to rethink stewardship, values, and our relationship to the natural world.
How do we confront climate change, perhaps the most complex and urgent challenge of our time? This issue book presents a wide-ranging overview of the issue and maps the choices before us. It weighs the strengths and trade‑offs of various action strategies, including slashing carbon emissions, strengthening community resilience, and accelerating the shift to a green economy. Developed for the National Issues Forums in collaboration with NOAA and NAAEE, this publication was part of a nationwide effort to spark informed, solutions‑oriented conversations that span ideological divides.
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. Burning Man: Art on Fire showcases some of the most impressive examples of Burning Man art. It was written by Jennifer Raiser, and illustrated with 200-plus photographs taken by photographer Sidney Erthal and myself. The book includes an introduction by Burning Man founder Larry Harvey, a foreword by Will Chase and an epilogue by artist Leo Villareal. (The book was published in an updated Second Edition in 2016, and a comprehensively revised and expanded Third Edition in 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.
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.
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 a range of practical — and sometimes 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 deliberative dialogue, which I argue is a much-needed antidote to the sort of adversarial debate and polemical argument 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 volume is part of the Gale series documenting the history and social trends of the United States during the 20th century. Edited by Cynthia Rose, this edition covers 1950-1959, a period in which 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 my piece, titled "The Politics of Race," exploring the work of influential journalist and historian Harry Ashmore
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 commissioned 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, I summarize the dialogue and discuss its potential implications for those working to build and strengthen democracy.
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 gathers the most compelling contemporary voices in mythology and ritual studies — including Thomas Moore, Margaret Atwood, James Hillman, Riane Eisler and Laurens Van Der Post — to explore the vital intersections between psychology, spirituality, storytelling, and lived experience. Edited by Jonathan Young, the collection reveals how myth and ritual continue to shape our inner worlds and guide us through life's transformative passages. The anthology opens with a wide-ranging interview I conducted with the late philosopher Sam Keen. He makes the case that our lives are shaped, and occasionally misshaped, by the stories we tell about ourselves. It's only by becoming intimately acquainted with these narratives — as they have been handed down from our families, our cultural backgrounds, our religious beliefs — that we can begin to live consciously and, as the Sufi poet Rumi said, "unfold our own myth."
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 piece — "The Face of Tomorrow" — explores cultural diversity in America and suggests that interracial relationships, far from threatening national cohesion and common values, are a step toward a richer and 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)