To Give Their Gifts: Health, Community, and Democracy [Library Binding]

Richard A. Couto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2002 | ISBN-10: 0826514103 | ISBN-13: 978-0826514103 | Edition: 1

Democracy needs the extraordinary efforts of ordinary people. The experiences of the twelve creative community health leaders, which this book presents, provide excellent examples of innovative democratic leadership. To Give Their Gifts recaptures the neglected narratives of democracy. It places community and mutual responsibility for one another at the center of democratic leadership, explains health care as social justice, and asserts the belief that everyone has the "gifts"--and the right--to contribute to community.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A brilliant piece of work, and one that not only adds new dimensions to our thinking about leadership but also tailors it to the community health field with wonderful and inspiring stories.
--Meredith Minkler,  School of Public Health, UC Berkeley

The importance of the programs so vividly described in this important book-what they stand for, what they have accomplished, what it takes to make them work-cannot be overstated. Besides the powerful narrations of 'ordinary people' confronting very real and human situations, their accounts describe effective strategies that work, even in the most difficult situations. The verification of how actual change can take place at the grass-roots level is especially relevant in this post-September 11 era.
--Edward J. Eckenfels, Emeritus Professor, Rush Medical College

About the Author

Richard A. Couto is a professor in the Ph.D. Program in Leadership and Change at Antioch University. His most recent book, Making Democracy Work Better: Mediating Structures, Social Capital and the Democratic Prospect, won the 2000 Virginia A. Hodgkinson Research Prize of Independent Sector.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 256 pages
• Publisher: Vanderbilt University Press; 1 edition (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826514103
• ISBN-13: 978-0826514103
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,981,205 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, February 4, 2003

By A Customer

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This review is from: To Give Their Gifts: Health, Community, and Democracy (Library Binding)

Richard Couto's book is a subtle but steady reminder to us all that there is more to be done before we rest. The book was easy to read and relate to "real life," yet packed a powerful message. Recommended reading for anyone!

4.0 out of 5 stars Community Leadership and Giving Local Voice to Problem-solving, May 11, 2007

By 

J. Gresham "Jon, the CivilSociety and MultiSm... (Montgomery, AL usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Give Their Gifts: Health, Community, and Democracy (Library Binding)

Dr. Couto gives us insights into how local cultures change through time, and how an individual with passion and wisdom can improve the quality and quantity of life of those involved. Favorite Quotes:

--I think there are leaders who are not good with detail but can be good with building some mechanism so that that detail is taken care of. If you don't take care of the detail, the quality of leadership starts spiralling downhill and people start leaving.

--I think a leader is by nature sensitive to hearing and paying attention to the people he or she works with. I'd almost have to say a "good" leader because there are leaders who don't pay any attention to that at all and just march forward. But a really good leader, who's going to be effective, is certainly able to always take in new information. Part of that new information is listening to the people that you are involved with. Sensitivity to people is an area where I see an awful lot of failure in lots of leaders.

--Our job, I think, as a community-based organization, is to be a vehicle for other people to lean and self-discover what they have inside their hearts and to provide and opportunity for them to see their vision about what they would like to see happen in the community happen. And so we provide a place for them to meet. We provide technical support for them to carry out their vision, and we facilitate the process. We facilitate the process by which neighbours converse with each other. And that's what we do.