Community ― The Structure of Belonging

The expanded and revised edition of Community tackles the hysteric rise of isolation and fear in a digitally interconnected world.

In the second edition of Community, author Peter Block offers practical advice and uplifting stories as a way to reject the increasing pull towards isolation and fear of the stranger in a new world of constant connection. This book explores the benefits of community and belonging to foster social change and reconciliation. As we continue to find new ways of being in constant connection with each other through technology, our workplaces are depopulated and we face growing trends of fundamentalism and nationalism, our fear of the stranger deepens. Block challenges this mindset and proves that community and the structure of belonging has the power to bring about positive social change when supported by the frameworks of compassion, equity and respect for the other. Backed by extensive research, this updated and expanded edition illuminates successful stories of community building as a form of healing. Covering stories about political gridlocks, poverty, people of faith, to institutional life, this revolutionary book offers a compelling argument of why we need community now more than ever.

Peter Block is an author, consultant, and thought-leader whose work focuses on the topics of empowerment, stewardship, chosen accountability, and the reconciliation of community. Peter is the author of several bestselling books, including Flawless Consulting, Stewardship, and The Empowered Manager. He is the recipient of the Organization Development Network's 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2004 he received their first place Members' Choice Award, which recognized Flawless Consulting as the most influential book for OD practitioners over the past 40 years. He is a partner in Designed Learning, a training company that offers workshops to build the skills outlined in his books. He received a Masters Degree in Industrial Administration from Yale University and is the first Distinguished Consultant-in-Residence at Xavier University.