Customer Reviews

Communities Directory, 2007: A Comprehensive Guide to Intentional Communities and Cooperative Living

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If you are interested in contemporary intentional communities (aka "utopian communities," communes, etc.), this is THE book to buy; it exists in several versions, so the most recent (2007, in this case) is ordinarily the best one to buy. It is published by the Fellowship for Intentional Community ([...]), and is an absolutely indispensible reference source in the field. (Which isn't to say it is non-controversial; lots of people can "take issue" with the accuracy of the descriptions provided, etc.)

Each edition starts out with a variety of helpful articles, ranging from the ideological (e.g., finding a spiritual community) to the purely practical (e.g., tips on financing). Then there is the actual Directory, broken down into "N. America" (900 listings) and "International" (325 listings). The Directory gives addresses, phone numbers, websites, as well as a brief summary of the community. There is also a "Communities Cross-Reference Chart" that provides a helpful matrix categorizing the communities (e.g., "Eat together how frequently?" "Spiritual Path," etc.). There is even a map, showing the location of all of the North American communities.

Finally, there is a list of "Resources" (e.g., groups and organizations of interest to people interested in ICs), as well as an Index, breaking the ICs into subcategories (e.g., Anthroposophy, Catholic Worker, Feminism, Gay, etc.)

Get the book, and check out the FIC's website; you won't be sorry.