Building Powerful Community Organizations: A Personal Guide To Creating Groups That Can Solve Problems and Change the World [Paperback]

Michael Jacoby Brown (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Michael Brown is a superb guide. -Howard Zinn, Author, A People’s History of the United States --Howard Zinn's website

This is the best book on community organizing I have ever read. - Horace Small, Union of Minority Neighborhoods ( --Horace Small website

“It’s certainly the best organizing guidebook I can remember seeing. --Andrew Mott, Director, Community Learning Project --Community Learning Project

Product Description

A practical and personal guide to creating groups that can solve community and workplace problems. Using lessons learned, exercises and stories from the experience of the author and others, this book brings alive the process of community organizing and community building. It is for anyone who wants to start or strengthen a commuity group, a congregation, a neighborhood association, a civic group, or any other group that deals with the many problems and concerns we all face in our everyday lives.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: Long Haul Press (January 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977151808
• ISBN-13: 978-0977151806
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #36,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

  #5 in	Books > Business & Investing > Job Hunting & Careers > Volunteer Work
  #14 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Philanthropy & Charity
  #15 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Reference

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book available on the subject, January 19, 2007

By	Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Building Powerful Community Organizations: A Personal Guide To Creating Groups That Can Solve Problems and Change the World (Paperback)

Author Michael Jacoby Brown has created a book with very detailed information on how to organize, create, and lead a community organization. In it he clearly explains all the steps necessary to create an effective organization that can resolve problems. The various areas discussed include the theory of how a group should work, the chemistry involved, the seven basic steps for building an organization, developing a mission statement, goals, and objectives, designing the organization to last, recruiting others, mobilizing, raising money and taking action. Throughout the book are case studies and exercises to help you not only understand how it all works but also to help you work through developing your organization correctly. If you want to change the world and know you need help to do it then you will appreciate this book. Building Powerful Community Organizations is easily the best book on the market today on this subject.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enthusiastically recommended for anyone looking to harness communal effort and make a lasting difference., December 9, 2006

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building Powerful Community Organizations: A Personal Guide To Creating Groups That Can Solve Problems and Change the World (Paperback)

Written by Michael Jacoby Brown, who has more than thirty years' experience in building community organizations, Building Powerful Community Organizations: A Personal Guide to Creating Groups that Can Solve Problems and Change the World is a handy step-by-step guide to creating, strengthening, and revitalizing grass-roots organizations for bringing about social change to solve problems in the community or workplace. From how to effectively recruit (learning to "listen not sell", when short or long visits are appropriate, and how to turn success into momentum) to how to mobilize resources and raise money to the steps for setting change into motion and more, Building Powerful Community Organizations walks the reader through the necessary skills and processes while warning against common obstacles and pitfalls. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone looking to harness communal effort and make a lasting difference.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellen handbook for people working in communities..., July 30, 2007

By	Peter R. Lee (Roxbury, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Building Powerful Community Organizations: A Personal Guide To Creating Groups That Can Solve Problems and Change the World (Paperback)

This book should be required reading for hospitals, foundations, public health agencies and people working on any form of community improvement. Michael has documented his learnings with stories and tools that can equip those willing to learn to build powerful community organization, as the title says. There are lots of various community organizing guides but this one mixes stories and tools in an easy to read, nicely laid out style. His wisdom comes from years of community organizing and translates here into practical, easy to access advice. This is the best handbook I have seen in a long time! The author makes himself available with info on how to reach him as well as a website with blog that makes him more than a distant author; he is approachable and willing to extend his teachings beyond the pages of his book. Not may authors do this.