Customer Reviews

Communities Directory: A Guide to Intentional Communities and Cooperative Living (Communities Directory: A Guide to Intentional Communities & Cooperative Living)

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When the first edition of the Communities Directory came out in 1991, I read it from cover to cover. As a member of a small community forming in Kansas, I was searching for practical information and networking links. It had come too late for us; we'd done just about everything backwards and the project went under. However, using the informative maps and charts in the directory, I was able to locate another community in the Midwest, and tried the easier way--by living first in an established community, learning from their experience.

Ten years later, an enlarged edition of Communities Directory is out. I'm no longer searching for a community home, or trying to find out how to set up a land trust or incorporate as a nonprofit. Today I live in a community I helped found five years ago. But I find myself turning to the Directory to check out communities that friends and acquaintances mention that they have lived in or visited. Or to help someone who writes or visits us if they need to select a more compatible community to contact.

The charts are very helpful if people know what they want. There are thirty possible pieces of information for each community, including the location, founding date, number and gender of members, the kind of leadership, how decisions are made, dietary norms, whether or not it costs to join, whether it's income sharing or not, and the community's primary purpose, etc.

Maps tell you at a glance how many communities are in the state or country you are interested in, the names of those communities, and where they are. Once you have a name, you can look up the community in the alphabetical listing to learn what the community says about itself.

Articles cover many aspects of founding and maintaining communities, organized into four major categories: 1) what an intentional community is; 2) the various kinds of communities including co-housing, income-sharing, student co-op, kibbutz, special groups of people such as handicapped, activists, gay, religious, etc.; 3) how to establish a community, and 4) how to deal with various problems to keep the community functional and meet members' needs.

When I tell people I meet that I live in an intentional community, they usually give me a blank look. What's that? But more and more people are becoming interested in some form of cooperative living, especially young people who have experienced student cooperatives or who have encountered the communities movement in a college sociology class. For anyone who wants to know more about this trend, the Communities Directory is an invaluable resource.

Do you realize that there are over 600 intentional communities (individuals that have joined to live together around common values) in North America? They come in all shapes and sizes, appear in rural and urban settings, and express themselves in various ways. Many are seeking like minded individuals with whom to share their lives.

Communities Directory is THE essential reference guide for those living in, seeking, or wanting to bring more community into their lives. This book opens the door to an amazing range of choices in cooperative living todayósome tested by time, and others on the leading edge of experimentation. It serves as an encyclopedia of positive alternatives to an often fragmented and alienating mainstream culture. This directory is an easy-to-use tool offering: ARTICLES (33 examining a broad selection of key topics), LISTINGS (descriptions of over 700 communities worldwide, their values and visiting information), MAPS, CHARTS (easy reference to find the community that best serves your needs), RESOURCES, and an ANNOTATED READING LIST.

Well-written, entertaining, informative and comprehensive, this guide has the potential to change your life. No kidding, An earlier edition changed mine.

Russ Reina - Talking Leaves - Lost Valley Community

I'm torn between saying "This is the only book of its kind" and/or "This is the best book of its kind." Both statements are true. I can't imagine a more comprehensive directory of contemporary intentional communities.

This is the life's work of people dedicated to providing current information of the structure and philosophies of groups wishing to be listed.

Many of us suspect or know our personal fulfillment needs more than the traditional *two people stuck in a box*. If this comment resonates with you, the _Communities Directory_ is a must.

Happy Trails!

all my life i've been pitied that i was "born too late" ~ you see, i missed the 1960's. fortunately, i was never as grief-stricken as those around me. living in the 21st century i'm blessed to be learning about communal living first hand. although any communitarian will most likely answer "no" if asked "is it utopia yet?" (another great book to check out), this resource can help connect you with other amazing people who are actively working to re-create their world on their own terms. there are no easy answers, but there definitely is a tremendous amount of support & inspiration out there.

"never doubt that a small group of committed individuals can change the world ~ indeed it's the only thing that ever has" (my apologies to ms. mead for most likely butchering her quote, and my thanks for phrasing the sentiment so wonderfully)

Communities Directory

Anyone interested in intentional community, of whatever variety, could not do better than starting their quest with the 2000 edition of Communities Directory: A Guide to Intentional Communities and Cooperative Living. The initial 140 or so pages have some well thought out articles about all aspects of communal living, whether Christian, gay, straight or whatever. The articles are not written as if for an academic treatise - but neither are they flippant and naive. They offer many valuable insights to seekers of a communal way of living. People often ask me how to start an intentional community. My advice is generally "don't". Instead, the seeker of community should learn about the numerous intentional communities that are spread around the globe, and stay with several of them for some period of time. They will then have a far better idea of what he/she wants. It may well be that there is no need to create a new community when there is just what you want - and they are looking for new members. The second part of the Communities Directory lists seven hundred intentional communities, not only across North America but also around the world. These are indexed in various ways to help the seeker find the sort of community in which she/he is interested. Details are provided to facilitate making contact. The third section comprises a Resource Guide, listing many books, magazines, videos, organisations, etc., all dealing with communal living as most broadly defined. They enable to community seeker or serious student to delve more deeply into whatever areas interest them. I would recommend this well researched and very useful guide to anyone interested in intentional community.

Dr Bill Metcalf President, International Communal Studies Association

Essential resource for seekers, communitarians, teachers, researchers, and anyone who wants to learn about another way of living. I've used it in my classes and students are fascinated. Couldn't ask for a better guide!

The book contains a number of interesting, well written articles, as well as a huge amount of well organized information on communities from all over the world. As far as I can tell, you can't find this information anywhere else. It's an invaluable resource.

Okay, I'm a bit prejudiced. I was one of the creators of the first two editions, and have the priviledge of having written an article or two for this 3rd edition. But the first two editions got RAVE(!) reviews, and this one is better still. That's why my own personal copy is so dog-eared at this point. >>> Having been networking among many of the various intentional communities over the past few decades, I pretty much know the bulk of what's in this book--yet I keep a copy next to my desk, and never go anywhere without it. Why? Simply because it's the handiest reference around for learning about or contacting more than 700 of the most happening intentional communities in existence today. When somebody asks me for referrals, this is where I turn to jog my memory, or to look up a group's contact information. >>> The communities featured are society's pioneers--the folks with the inspiration to envision a better world, and the passion to try to create a life that's aligned with their values. >>> Want information about back-to-the-land groups? Organic farmers? Kibbutz-like societies? Alternative technology outposts? Ecovillages? Cohousing? Student Co-ops? Look no farther--it's all here! In great detail, including insiders' views of what works and what doesn't. >>> If you want to get more of a sense of community in your life, or if you just want an overview of what various groups are experimenting with, this is the book for you!

Essential resource for seekers, communitarians, teachers, researchers and anyone wanting to learn about another way of living. I've used it in my classes and students are fascinated. Couldn't ask for a better guide!

I am happy to see the Communities Directory so well-researched and presented to mainstream audiences, because the idea of living in alternative ways is especially important at these times. Living in one form or another of intentional community makes sense economically, socially and spiritually when the nuclear family has fallen into such stress and disrepair. I hope many people read this book, and honestly reflect on whether their present lifestyle affords them what they most deeply want out of life. If they decide to explore alternatives, as thousands of us already have, then the Communities Directory will be an essential part of their exploration.