Healing the Heart of Democracy

Hope for American democracy in an era of deep divisions In Healing the Heart of Democracy , Parker J. Palmer quickens our instinct to seek the common good and gives us the tools to do it. This timely, courageous and practical work-intensely personal as well as political-is not about them , "those people" in Washington D.C., or in our state capitals, on whom we blame our political problems. It's about us , "We the People," and what we can do in everyday settings like families, neighborhoods, classrooms, congregations and workplaces to resist divide-and-conquer politics and restore a government "of the people, by the people, for the people." In the same compelling, inspiring prose that has made him a bestselling author, Palmer explores five "habits of the heart" that can help us restore democracy's foundations as we nurture them in ourselves and each other: An understanding that we are all in this together An appreciation of the value of "otherness" An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways A sense of personal voice and agency A capacity to create community Healing the Heart of Democracy is an eloquent and empowering call for "We the People" to reclaim our democracy. The online journal Democracy & Education called it "one of the most important books of the early 21st Century." And Publishers Weekly , in a Starred Review, said "This beautifully written book deserves a wide audience that will benefit from discussing it."