Change Here Now

Book excerpt: Award-winning social entrepreneur and permaculturalist Adam Brock draws from ecology, sociology, community economics, social justice, and indigenous practices the world over to present more than eighty proven solutions for building healthy communities. Using the "pattern language" framework developed by architect Christopher Alexander and his colleagues in the 1970s, Brock outlines strategies for redesigning our social and economic systems to mimic nature's resilience and abundance. Practical, innovative, and visually compelling, this book presents actionable and easy-to-understand tools for a compassionate and methodical approach to building better communities. Sidebars and diagrams supplement the text, while case studies illustrate endeavors such as starting a business, launching a social change project, or setting personal goals. Brock suggests ways to engage disempowered communities in a meaningful and authentic way, and draws on eight years of in-depth research and investigation to demonstrate what makes communities work at the most fundamental level. Anyone looking for concrete solutions to many of the social and economic ills that plague our current society will discover a rich resource for growth and change.