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![Common Fire](/assets/artwork/1x1-42817eea7ade52607a760cbee00d1495.gif)
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Common Fire
Leading Lives of Commitment in a Complex World
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- USD 16.99
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- USD 16.99
Descripción editorial
A landmark study that reveals how we become committed to the common good and sustain such commitments in a changing world.
View the discussion guide for UU communities: HTML or PDF
"A perceptive, groundbreaking analysis of inspired lives. . . . This is a guidebook for the soul."
-Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence
"A truly refreshing book! In a day when the political and spiritual air has grown stale with cynicism, discouragement, and indirection, this beautifully written, penetrating study could not be more welcome or valuable. No teacher, parent, or civic leader who cares about nurturing social commitment can fail to be informed and inspired by this remarkable and surprisingly practical book."
-Robert Kegan, author of In Over Our Heads
"Eloquent and profound, Common Fire addresses what Americans everywhere long for: a sense of the common good, an emphasis on community and compassion in everyday life, a values-based politics in the public sphere. A compelling, encouraging work."
-Jim Wallis, author of The Soul of Politics
"A profound exposition and penetrating commentary on some of life's most important issues."
-Clarence G. Newsome, dean, Howard Divinity School
"A compelling portrait of people who choose to make a difference and thus inspire us all."
-Rosabeth Moss Kanter, author of World Class: Thriving Locally in the Global Economy
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
People who commit themselves to working for social betterment, institutional reform, environmental protection or ethical business practices are the focus of this inspirational study. The authors conducted interviews over several years, tracking more than 100 individuals, among them a coordinator of relief efforts in Rwanda, a director of a regional health-planning agency for a low-income community, an educator who runs workshops on the global future, an environmental engineer devoted to cleaning up hazardous dumps using waste-eating microorganisms, and the founder of an independent news agency. Key personality factors in the interviewees, we are told, were empathic bonds with others, critical thinking and awareness of complexity, connectedness and the relativity of cultural norms. In a majority of the respondents, religion played a formative role in the forging of commitment. Regrettably, all individuals' names and many identifying characteristics were changed to preserve anonymity. Though this earnest study founders on fuzzy generalizations, it will serve as a potent antidote to inertia and resignation for those seeking a vocational path or calling. Daloz is associate professor of adult education at Lesley College in Massachusetts; the Keens are academic deans at Antioch; Parks is a senior research fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. All rights: Beacon Press.