Civic Revolutionaries: Igniting the Passion for Change in America's Communities [Hardcover]

Douglas Henton (Author), John Melville (Author), Kim Walesh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0787963933 | ISBN-13: 978-0787963934 | Edition: 1

Civic Revolutionaries offers a practical guide for renewing the great American tradition of spirited, breakthrough community leadership. By their very nature, revolutionary leaders help their communities reconcile the competing values on which our nation was built: individualism and community, freedom and responsibility, trust and accountability, economy and society. Like the Founders, today's civic revolutionaries are extraordinary leaders who are deeply committed to place, not just to specific issues or constituencies. They provide the vital spark, inspiring others who must ultimately own the revolution if it is to be successful. Written for leaders in business, government, education, and community, Civic Revolutionaries features practical guidance and in-depth case studies from communities across the country. The book provides tested advice to both new and seasoned leaders and draws essential lessons from the American revolutionary tradition to demonstrate how to become an effective leader within the community.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Civic Revolutionaries is a must read for anyone who wants to advance a cause beyond the yelling and screaming point. -- OnPhilanthropy.com, March 5, 2004

Review

"Laden from real-life examples of unconventional civic action now underway across the U.S.A., Civic Revolutionaries provides the intellectual ferment and operational framework for truly exciting advances in America's metropolitan regions during the first decades of the 21st century. I know my friend and mentor John W. Gardner would be delighted by the appearance and likely strong impact, of this book."
— Neal Peirce, syndicated columnist, Washington Post Writers Group and coauthor, Citistates

"The need for regional stewardship will become increasingly compelling as the footprint of our daily lives extends beyond traditional political boundaries. The book is filled with insights for those who want to look over the horizon at the future challenges to the leadership of every American political, business, and nonprofit institution created by this new phenomenon."— George Vradenburg, vice chair, Alliance for Regional Stewardship

"This is a book you have to read if you are (or want to be) a community leader today and tomorrow. You need to read it to understand a new revolution civic institution building tha t is transforming every corner of American life."
— Edward J. Blakely, dean, Robert J. Milano Graduate School, New School University and member of the board of directors, Regional Plan Association

"As America faces the future there is no shortage of leaders, but what about stewards— those people who are change agents that act out of a sense of responsibility for the long-term future of their community? Civic Revolutionaries is the first book to tell us why and how to become one."
— John Parr, president and CEO, Alliance for Regional Stewardship

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (October 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787963933
• ISBN-13: 978-0787963934
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,446,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Collaboration in Context and Practice, December 6, 2003

By 

James D. King "Sky King" (Cumming GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Civic Revolutionaries: Igniting the Passion for Change in America's Communities (Hardcover)

A decade or so ago the authors of Civic Revolutionaries: Igniting the Passion for Change in America's Communities decided to bring the art of collaboration to the field of economic development. They even called their new firm "Collaborative Economics, Inc." to the amusement of many hard core industrial recruiters. This book is a result of their experience coupled with a sense of history and an idealism that is rare to find in a profession built on the principals of competitiveness.

The numerous examples of collaboration described by the authors go significantly beyond the details of the efforts. They are carefully woven into the Nation's revolutionary history by appropriate quotations and references to the role of collaboration as promoted by the authors of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as well as other notables in the "American Experience."

In addition, the illustrative examples drawn from the author's extensive and practical field experience working with collaborative efforts in all sections of the Nation over the past ten years are made particularly useful by describing not only results but discussing in detail successful collaborative processes that can be endlessly replicated in a variety of settings as well.

Due credit is given throughout the book to their mentor, John W. Gardner, through carefully selected and placed quotations and references. For example, Gardner is quoted in the introduction as saying "...the crucial task is to design a society (and institutions) capable of continuous change, continuous renewal and continuous responsiveness," a theme that runs throughout the book.

Henton, Melville and Walesh are optimistic about the future of collaboration and provide compelling evidence of its value in continuing the process of "dialog" which is the heart of the "American Experience." This book will be useful to anyone seeking to improve his or her community through collaboration. It will also be interesting for those with a more philosophic interest in the subject. It might even be worth the attention of hard core industrial recruiters.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Leadership Paradigm for a New Economy, November 14, 2003

By 

James J. Allen (Amherst, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Civic Revolutionaries: Igniting the Passion for Change in America's Communities (Hardcover)

In Grassroots Leaders for a New Economy (1997), the authors of Civic Revolutionaries identified a new type of leadership that has been emerging in regions that have been in the forefront of dealing with the problems and opportunities brought about by the new economy. They called these leaders "civic entrepreneurs." In Civic Revolutionaries: Igniting the Passion for Change in America's Communities, the authors have given us a compelling reason why this leadership model is essential in enabling regions to compete and prosper in the new economy.
By analyzing the complex problems that regions are confronted with today through the lens of the Federalist Papers and the debates between and among our nation's founders, they paint a picture that clearly demonstrates that traditional leadership is no more adequate today than it was in 1776. The authors have brilliantly made their case for regional stewardship taking the place of the traditional, top-down, command and control leadership that still persists in myriad communities throughout the United States. By focusing on the many tensions that exist within regions, such as the conflict between trust and accountability; change and continuity; individual rights and community, they leave little doubt that times have changed and the our concept of leadership must change as well.
I would recommend this book to anyone that is frustrated with the gridlock and inertia that still exists in many regions. A solution is at hand and it's called regional stewardship.