More Together Than Alone: Discovering the Power and Spirit of Community in Our Lives and in the World

Poet and philosopher Nepo (Things That Join the Sea and Sky) ruminates on the notion of community and how individuals can sustain it in this sometimes ponderous but pleasingly sincere manifesto. In short essays within six themed sections, Nepo recounts stories ranging across history and cultures—Native American and Hindu myths about a nourishing relationship between humanity and nature, tales of Jews helping one another escape the Nazis, and recent accounts of families taking in refugee children—to showcase the importance of community as a spiritual and practical force. “The courage to let others in will always be needed,” he declares, before asking, “What will you do when it’s your turn?” Each section ends with “Questions to Live With,” inviting readers to convene in groups to apply the book’s themes (e.g., “In the next three weeks, work with another [person or group] to create, build, or repair something in your own community”). Though the New Age language or the author’s dismissal of self-reliance and individualism as virtues will not appeal to all, in an age of racial divisions, school shootings, and international conflict, this book’s message about the necessity of coming together is timely, and its examples of human compassion and unity often comforting. (July)