Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit - Hardcover

by Parker J. Palmer (Author)

How "We the People" can reclaim our democracy--updated with a discussion guide, author videos, and a new chapter-length Introduction

In this updated edition of his prophetic book, renowned author and activist Parker J. Palmer celebrates the power of "We the People" to resist the politics of divide and conquer. With the U.S. now on a global list of "backsliding democracies," Palmer writes about what we can do to restore civil discourse, reach for understanding across lines of difference, focus on our shared values, and hold elected officials accountable. He explores ways we can reweave the communal fabric on which democracy depends in everyday settings such as families, neighborhoods, classrooms, congregations, workplaces, and various public spaces--including five "habits of the heart" we can cultivate as we work to fulfill America's promise of human equality.

In the same honest, vulnerable, compelling and inspiring prose that has won Palmer millions of readers, Healing the Heart of Democracy awakens our instinct to seek the common good and gives us the tools to pursue it. With a text enhanced by a Discussion Guide and forty online author videos on key issues, you'll be able to...

• Reflect on the personal implications of the claim that "the human heart is the first home of democracy"
• Consider everyday actions you can take to restore the infrastructure that supports our democracy
• Transcend the "us vs. them" mentality and find ways to expand and enrich your life by appreciating the value of "otherness"
• Reignite your sense of personal voice and agency to resist authoritarian appeals and restore a politics of freedom and responsibility

Healing the Heart of Democracy is for anyone who values the gift of citizenship and wants to make a difference for themselves, their families and communities, and our collective wellbeing. As the late Congressman John Lewis said, "We have been trying to bridge the great divides in this great country for a long time. In this book, Parker J. Palmer urges us to 'keep on walking, keep on talking'--just as we did in the civil rights movement--until we cross those bridges together."

Front Jacket

A book of hope for "We the People"

In Healing the Heart of Democracy, Parker J. Palmer quickens our instinct to seek the common good, proposing practical ways to bridge our political divides. In this intensely personal as well as political book, Palmer explores five "habits of the heart"that we can develop in everyday settings like families, neighborhoods, classrooms, congregations and workplaces to help restore a government "of the people, by the people, for the people."

Discover ways to nurture:

• 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

This book--enriched by a Discussion Guide and 40 online video interviews with the author--is an eloquent and empowering call for "We the People" to reclaim our democracy in an era of divide and conquer politics. Democracy & Education called it "One of the most important books of the early 21st Century." Publishers Weekly, in a Starred Review, said "This beautifully written book deserves a wide audience that will benefit from discussing it."

Back Jacket

PRAISE FOR Healing the Heart of Democracy

"We have been trying to bridge the great divides in this great country for a long time. In this book, Parker J. Palmer urges us to 'keep on walking, keep on talking'--just as we did in the civil rights movement--until we cross those bridges together."
--CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS, recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom

"The book we need for recovering the heart--the very core--of our selves and our democracy."
--KRISTA TIPPETT, host of public radio's On Being and recipient of a 2013 National Humanities Medal

"A master work by a master, a clear and uplifting resource that keeps shining light in all the dark places. Palmer is that rare, deep seer who is at home in the streets, a teacher by example who has the courage to stand openly and honestly in the public square."
--MARK NEPO, author of The Book of Awakening and As Far As the Heart Can See

"A book born for this moment. Wise, evocative, and pragmatic at its core, this dream for a new politics is grounded in dignity and liberty for all."
--TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS, author, The Open Space of Democracy

"Breaks new ground in marrying the capacity of the human heart with the tensions inherent in politics [and] breathes new life into what it means to be a citizen--accountable, compassionate, fiercely realistic."
--PETER BLOCK AND JOHN MCKNIGHT, coauthors, The Abundant Community

"All who harbor concerns about American politics will find in this book a wise and kindred spirit who reminds us of choices we can make to help 'reweave the tattered fabric of our civic life.' You will close this book appreciating how much you can do, and how much depends on you."
--DIANA CHAPMAN WALSH, President Emerita, Wellesley College and author, The Claims of Life

"Could not be more timely and needed. As one who has been guided through a time of personal reflection with Parker Palmer, I invite you to join in a journey through these chapters."
--CONGRESSWOMAN LOIS CAPPS, grandmother, mother, nurse, and seeker after democracy

Author Biography

PARKER J. PALMER, whose books have sold more than two million copies, holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley and thirteen honorary doctorates. Palmer is a recipient of the William Rainey Harper Award, previously given to Margaret Mead, Paulo Freire, and Elie Wiesel. He is Founder and Senior Partner of the Center for Courage & Renewal.