Community reading.

I have been thinking a lot about community since reading the book I spoke about yesterday, Peter Lovenheim's In the Neighborhood.*

I liked the book, but I think there were some other books I liked better, or at least made me think about community and neighborhoods in slightly different ways (other than feeling guilty that I don't know many--any--of my neighbors). They were:

Peter Kilborn's Next Stop, Reloville: Life Inside America's New Rootless Professional Class. Not a perfect book, but it should make you realize what we're up against in our culture, trying to form communities. Kilborn points out that a large portion of the population simply has to move where their jobs are, and they want to live in innocuous, safe, homogeneous suburbs when they get there.

Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. A classic work, if a little dry, about changing participation in civil and public activities in America. I'd actually like to re-read this one; lately I've been wondering where we're going to go, soon, just to be among other people, as I believe video stores, music stores, and book stores are all on their way out.

Sudhir Venkatesh's Off the Books: The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor. Again, a bit sociological, a bit academic, but really interesting, and a good look at how people everywhere are still bartering and doing what they can to get by utilizing the resources nearest them.

I know there's more but I'm blanking on them right now. Anyone else have any suggestions? Either way, and regardless of where your community is, I hope you have a great weekend.

*Many thanks to Katharine, by the way, for suggesting this one.

Comments

[Rachael]

Michael Perry? He writes great books about community, and communities, in a round-about way. Population: 485 is an excellent read.

[Thomas at My Porch]

I may have mentioned this one before but The Death and Life of the Great American City by Jane Jacobs is a must. It deals with community mainly vis-a-vis the physical environment, but it is a must read for anyone thinking about community.

[Citizen Reader]

Rachael,
That's so embarrassing. How could I forget Michael Perry? Of COURSE Michael Perry--he's awesome. Although I think he gets along better in a small town than I ever could. Probably because he's more skilled and helpful than me, that sort of thing never goes amiss in a small town.

Thomas,
Ah, thank you. I forgot about Jane too. Still meaning to read "The Death and Life..." And add the recent book "Wrestling with Moses" by Anthony Flint, about Jane Jacobs's battle to keep her NYC neighborhood intact. Inspiring stuff: http://www.citizenreader.com/citizen/2010/02/you-go-jane-jacobs.html

[Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness)]

I put the Venkatesh book on my to read list after I read Gang Leader for a Day last year. I liked Gang Leader, but wanted something a little more academic on the topic and this one sounded good.

[nan]

On the theme of physical environs, James Howard Kunstler's Home From Nowhere is very good -- it explains why places built for humans feel right and places built for cars don't. He's a polemicist, for sure, but one who can write.

[nan]

Hey if you thought they were good I imagine you would have mentioned them but have you read The Seduction of Place by Joseph Rykwert or The Experience of Place by Tony Hiss? Or The Power of Place by Winifred Gallagher and Almost Home by David Kirp. All of them are sitting on my shelf, as they have been for years, unread. I bought them because I am a bit of a civic planning geek or whatever you call this field. I have a bunch of books by Wytold Rybczynski, too, and generally like his stuff.

[Citizen Reader]

Kim,
I really enjoyed the more scholarly Venkatesh book. If you read it let me know what you think!

Nan,
LOVE James Howard Kunstler; thanks for the reminder. Have you read his novel "Made by Hand"? I haven't yet, but want to try it.

Nan2 (same Nan, or are there two separate Nans? Cool, if so, and hello to both of you):
I have not tried any of the books you mentioned, except I think the Gallagher, which was a bit wordy for me (if I remember correctly). Thank you for the suggestions! And I do like Witold, but I can only read him a little bit at a time, for some reason. His stuff isn't really dense but it is very, very smart, so I like to give it some time while reading it.

[Nan]

Same Nan -- and I did read World Made By Hand, quite recently -- in fact I blogged about it here http://boneislandbooks.wordpress.com/2010/06/03/most-of-the-humans-are-dead/ which I point to mostly because it will give you an excuse to watch The Flight of the Conchords "The Humans Are Dead," and then have the song stuck in your head for the next two weeks. The short version of the review is that I liked the book quite a bit but beware that the opening part is heavyhanded on the how-we-got-here stuff. I'm in an apocalyptic frame of mind, unfortunately -- now reading The Passage by Justin Cronin ... and waiting to see if/when the oil from the BP spill will make its way here. Who said summer reading was supposed to be fun??!!!