Deepening Community

Community shapes our identity, quenches our thirst for belonging, and bolsters our physical, mental, emotional, and economic health. But in the chaos of modern life, community ties have become unraveled, leaving many feeling afraid or alone in the crowd, grasping at shallow substitutes for true community.

In this thoughtful and moving book, Paul Born describes the four pillars of deep community: sharing our stories, taking the time to enjoy one another, taking care of one another, and working together for a better world. To show the role each of these plays, he shares his own stories—as a child of refugees and as a longtime community activist.

It’s up to us to create community. Born shows that the opportunity is right in front of us if we have the courage and conviction to pursue it.Foreword by Peter Block
Preface
1. Our Need Today for Deeper Community
2. Three Options for Community in Challenging Times
3. Turning Away from Fear
4. Options for Deep Community
5. Sharing Our Stories
6. Enjoying One Another
7. Caring for One Another
8. Working Together for a Better World
9. Making the Choice for Deep Community
Appendix: Five Hundred Voices
With Thanks
Sources Cited
Index
About Paul Born
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Reading Circles“For many years now, Paul Born has been among the most trusted, tender, and practical voices about how to create community. This beautiful book embodies each of those qualities and is a work to be used well and treasured for years to come.”
—Margaret J. Wheatley, author of seven books including Leadership and the New Science and, most recently, So Far from Home

“I listen to Paul Born when I want to know how people get together for the common good. He is a master practitioner and storyteller. If you want to know what lies beyond the radical individualism and collective incompetence that plagues our modern lives, read this book.”
—John McKnight, Codirector, Asset-Based Community Development Institute, and coauthor of The Abundant Community
Paul Born is the cofounder and President of Tamarack—An Institute for Community Engagement, a global leader on issues of place, collective impact, and community innovation. The author of four books, including the Canadian bestseller Community Conversations, Born is internationally recognized for his community-building activities that have won awards from the United Nations and as a senior fellow of Ashoka, the world’s largest network of social innovators.