New! Taking Action

Taking Action is especially designed for discussion groups and staff development programs in a wide range of service-oriented organizations. Fifty-five short readings—essays, stories, and poetry—and six visual images provide the perfect material for group sessions of educators, social workers, community organizers, medical and law enforcement personnel, and book discussion groups of all kinds. These provocative readings will prompt lively, reflective discussions about the convictions, assumptions, and challenges of those who work to make the world a better place.

The book is divided into six sections, each focusing on a different aspect of community service:

• Need and Care
• Teaching and Learning
• Difference and Connection
• Serving and Protecting
• Action and Outcomes
• Here and Now

Discussion questions are provided for each selection and there is an appendix with guidelines for conducting successful discussions.

Praise for Taking Action: 

“My god, this is an incredibly well-chosen collection. Every single selection holds great power. Taking Action is a wonderful primer for the young citizen, sure, but it works just as well for anyone of any age—anyone interested in a truly participatory and humane democracy.”—Dave Eggers, author of Zeitoun and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and cofounder of Voice of Witness and 826 Valencia.

Taking Action is a collaboration between the Great Books Foundation and the Center for Civic Reflection. Adam Davis, the editor, is the director of the Center for Civic Reflection. He also edited Hearing the Call Across Traditions: Readings on Faith and Service and The Civically Engaged Reader.

To view the complete table of contents or to order, visit our bookstore.

Enjoy images from the Taking Action: Book Release Champagne Reception by visiting our facebook page.