Calling the Circle: The First and Future Culture (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I come from the middle..." (more)
Key Phrases: piece council, talking piece, intentional speaking, Second Culture, Third Culture, First Culture (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The original small-press edition of Calling the Circle has become one of the key resources for the rapidly-growing "circle" movement. This newly revised edition brings Christina Baldwin's groundbreaking work to an even broader audience ranging from women's spirituality groups to corporate development teams.

50,000 years ago, women and men gathered around campfires to decide the key issues in their lives. Today, groups everywhere are discovering a new form of this ancient ritual for communication, mutual support, teamwork, and social change. Now, in a book as consciousness-changing as Riane Eisler's The Chalice and the Blade or Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline, Christina Baldwin offers this powerful new tool to everyone who longs for a community based on honesty, equality, and spiritual integrity.

In this simple, profound practice, participants sit in a circle, pass a talking piece from person to person, and speak and listen from the heart. Christina Baldwin gives detailed instructions and suggestions for getting started, setting goals, and solving disagreements safely and respectfully. She also offers inspiring examples of circles in action: a women's spirituality group, a father and son in crisis, a PTA group that averts a school strike and a work project team that accesses a new level of creativity and caring.

From the Inside Flap

The original small-press edition of Calling the Circle has become one of the key resources for the rapidly-growing "circle" movement. This newly revised edition brings Christina Baldwin's groundbreaking work to an even broader audience ranging from women's spirituality groups to corporate development teams.

50,000 years ago, women and men gathered around campfires to decide the key issues in their lives. Today, groups everywhere are discovering a new form of this ancient ritual for communication, mutual support, teamwork, and social change. Now, in a book as consciousness-changing as Riane Eisler's The Chalice and the Blade or Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline, Christina Baldwin offers this powerful new tool to everyone who longs for a community based on honesty, equality, and spiritual integrity.

In this simple, profound practice, participants sit in a circle, pass a talking piece from person to person, and speak and listen from the heart. Christina Baldwin gives detailed instructions and suggestions for getting started, setting goals, and solving disagreements safely and respectfully. She also offers inspiring examples of circles in action: a women's spirituality group, a father and son in crisis, a PTA group that averts a school strike and a work project team that accesses a new level of creativity and caring.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; Rep Sub edition (March 2, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553379003
• ISBN-13: 978-0553379006
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,013 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Works! From individuals into a community of sharing., November 19, 1999

By	Judy O'Leary ([e-mail]) (Tucson, Arizona) - See all my reviews

The Council of Grandmothers Planning Committee for the Annual Gathering of October 1999 in Oracle, Arizona made a commitment to use Christina Baldwins "Calling The Circle", along with "A Guide to Peerspirit Circle" by Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea as the foundation of their Gathering. Creating a center for safety, placing our sacred objects, using a talking piece to lovingly speak our truths, the importance of the timekeeper, using a bell to go within, the self monitoring, and the listening, really listening, worked and it was rewarding and magical! The evaluations of these women on their small circles of 12 to 13 along with the large circles of 50 include words such as "supportive, empowering, want to continue them in my other life, very harmonious, non-ego dominated, very compassionate group, good as a teaching tool for this kind of process." I recommend Christinas' Circle book for any organization, corporation, school or group, any age and all ages, male and female. It successfully brought women who had never met before to a level of sharing, working and bonding, previously not realized at our Gatherings. Thank you Christina and Ann! Judy O'Leary, The Weaver, Council of Grandmothers.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding piece on bringing people together in council., September 14, 1999

By A Customer

Baldwin's "Calling the Circle" is by far the best book and methodology out there on using the "circle" as a form of bringing people together into communities and teams with clear intention(s), respect, compassion and openness. This process is also marvelous in helping people in conflict situations to be able to hold those "challenging conversations" with honesty and integrity. A truly outstanding piece of work that is a must read for today's business and community leaders who need to deal with so many critical issues with very diverse communities of people.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What the world needs now!, October 15, 2001

By	Catherine Wilson (Brooklyn Park, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This is a book for our times. Christina provides a much needed paradigm - a new container within which human interaction can happen in a spirit of respect and tolerance. It is an important answer for anyone who has ever wondered how to be a peace maker in their own lives and in the world. I have used what Christina teaches, and it enhances every interaction all the way from talks with my spouse to large organizational meetings. It is useful at every level of life. It is beautifully written, and it leaves you with highly useful tools in your hand and hope in your heart.