Community, Third Edition: The Structure of Belonging - Paperback

by Peter Block (Author)

This updated bestseller shows leaders how to transform fragmentation into authentic community with new workplace applications and proven strategies for today's divided world.

With increasing violence, widening ideological divides, and growing economic inequality, a deeper sense of community is desperately needed. Yet typical ways of engaging people civically and organizationally remain unchanged. In Community, Peter Block explores how authentic community can emerge from fragmentation and offers practical steps to foster transformation.

This updated third edition draws on decades of implementing Block's ideas and includes the following:

• New stories and examples demonstrating community building as a more powerful approach to social problems than traditional policies and programs
• Expanded resources and a discussion guide designed for classroom and training program use
• A new closing chapter covering broader implications of the book's ideas for organizational transformation
• Fresh content exploring the creative economy's relationship to belonging and social capital's role in authentic engagement
• Updated examples showing how community principles apply to today's workplace and virtual world challenges

From neighborhood councils transforming local engagement to organizations shifting from competitive to cooperative cultures, Block demonstrates how simple positive change can be once we decide it's essential. Whether readers are community leaders, organizational consultants, or concerned citizens, this book provides the framework and tools to move from fragmentation to connection, from isolation to belonging.

Author Biography

Peter Block is an author and citizen of Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a cofounder of Designed Learning, a training company offering workshops based on his books' principles. Block founded the Common Good Collective, participates in the Common Good Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, and served on his local neighborhood council. He serves on the board of LivePerson, a provider of online engagement solutions. His books include Flawless Consulting, Stewardship, The Answer to How Is Yes, Community, The Abundant Community, and Activating the Common Good. His works have collectively sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide.