ABCD Resources: Jay’s Picks
March 12, 2012 Leave a comment
Someone recently asked me, “If you were going to recommend three books on Community Development in the US context what would you recommend?”
Here is my preferred beginner’s list:
1. The team that I work with wrote a book called Communities First - it needs a re-write, but it still introduces the themes I work with today. You can order it here. I recommend the main text without the workbooks as a starter. The workbooks go a little further into application.
2. Toxic Charity by Bob Lupton is a book along the lines of When Helping Hurts. It is a good read and goes beyond naming the problems to proposing solution directions.
3. Peter Block and John McKnight have an excellent book titled The Abundant Community.
A few more resources (because I can’t resist):
- A website I recommend for Asset Based Community Development and training is www.mike-green.org. Mike has been a mentor for us. Another is www.abcdinstitute.org. Both sites list excellent resources.
- Peter Block also wrote a great book called Community: The Structure of Belonging.
- CCDA’s beginner’s primer by Mary Nelson called Empowerment. You can find it here.
