Reading list

Given that this commune isn't requiring members to "buy in", it will require members to read at least 10 books, on cooperative and communal living, diet and nutrition, conflict resolution-group process and this website thoroughly.  Carrying on intelligent conversations on these subjects will otherwise be impossible. We are busy reading as much as we can, and will write reviews or post highlighted excerpts as time permits.  [Note about using copyrighted material]

"There are no whole truths; all truths are half-truths. It is trying to treat them as whole truths that plays the devil" Alfred North Whitehead(1861-1947),  British philosopher.

These books below, while not perfect, are the best we know of for now, to help illuminate our path and to know that we are all headed in the same basic direction. Any suggestions for additions?

Category Index

Tabs with asterisk*  have content

Master List
Highlighted books are required reading

[   The Prophet   by Kahlil Gibran  It is important that community members understand these words........and agree.
[    On War     by  Howard Zinn  Howard Zinn's  best book, where he finally comes out publicly against all war. Too bad he can't take a stand on overpopulation and exploitive economics
[   Beyond Civilization   by Daniel Quinn  I disagree with what he sees as a/the solution, but I think he's articulated the problem quite well.
 [   A Pattern Language    by Christopher Alexander and others  Even though this book is about community design, not necessarily communal design; it often reinforces our values and is filled with wisdom.
[  Gaviotas A Village to Reinvent the World by Alan Weisman The story of an intentional community formed in 1971, in Columbia.
[   An interview with Susan Griffin and Bill McKibben  about communities, our society, socialism-communism-capitalism
[   An article about group process  the founding group needs this especially

The list below is from our original website. As time permits we will add them to the appropriate category.  I'd like to do reviews and excerpts as we do, hence the list here for now.

●  The Chalice and the Blade  Our History, Our Future  by  Riane  Eisler  

●  Beyond Civilization, Humanity's Next Great Adventure   by Daniel Quinn
 
●  The Wheel of Health by G.T. Wrench

• Tao  Te  Ching  A New Translation and Commentary by Ralph Alan Dale

●  Confessions of an Economic Hit Man   by John Perkins

●  The Myth of Male Power by Warren Farrell,Ph.D.

● Co-housing, A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves by Katharine McCamant  and Charles Durrett

●  Healing with Whole Foods Oriental Traditions And Modern Nutrition   by Paul Pitchford

●  Community's Directory  A Guide to Intentional Communities and Cooperative Living  published by The Fellowship for Intentional Community

●  Nourishing Traditions  The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats  by Sally Fallon

●  Anything by  Wendell Berry
 
●  Anything by  Howard Zinn   though perhaps particularly  Howard Zinn On War

●  Anything by  Jiddu Krishnamurti

● Creating a Life Together  Practical Tools to Grow Eco-Villages and Intentional Communities  by Diana Leafe Christian
 

● Children of prosperity about a few different communes and sociological analysis of why some succeed whereas others fail

● Living the Dream by Ingrid Komar about Twin Oaks

● A Walden Two Experiment by Kat Kinkade, also about Twin Oaks

● Is it Utopia Yet? same as above, but after many years, with accumulated wisdom and really funny comics.

● Intentional Communities How To Start Them And Why by J. Donald Walters about Ananda, a spiritual community.

● Brook Farm by Sterling F. Delano about antebellum transcendentalists in New England with a grand vision and 5 years of community living practice.

● Anything by Helen and Scott Nearing

● A Pattern Language  from the Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, California 1977

● Conceptual Communal Home Design by Christopher Eldridge

And many more of course.