Democracy's Edge

Choosing to Save Our Country by Bringing Democracy to Life

by Frances Moore Lappé Buy Now

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"Poetic and passionate...A small number of people in every generation are forerunners, in thought, action, spirit, who swerve past the barriers of greed and power to hold a torch high for the rest of us. Lappé is one of those.”
— Howard Zinn
Author, A People’s History of the United States

In Democracy’s Edge, Lappé reveals an invisible revolution that is taking place in communities throughout our country. She shows how ordinary citizens, driven by a desire to move beyond rhetoric and ideology to solve problems in a direct, practical way, are changing the way we live, work, and govern ourselves. Democracy’s Edge explores how this new approach, what Lappé calls “living democracy,” is working in local government, education, the workplace, human services, and the media. Offering real lessons learned from ordinary Americans, Lappé explodes popular myths about public life, power, and self-interest that stop individuals from discovering the rewards of public involvement. In an era of citizens’ great frustration with the way our democracy is working, Democracy’s Edge provides a powerful and practical way forward.

ISBN 9780787943110

Responses to Democracy's Edge

Please, please, please make this audacious book a priority, for it is written with the most careful and tender feelings about what we are all so near to losing—our democracy.”

—Dame Anita Roddick
Founder, The Body Shop

America is lost in a gnarled thicket of bought politicos, corporate con men, and media hucksters. Lappé has drawn the map that will get us out alive.”

—Greg Palast
Author, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

Lappé is a pioneer in democratic thought and action.”

—Cornel West
University Professor of Religion, Princeton University

Extraordinary. A provocative and exciting new approach to reviving democracy.”

—Amy Domini
Founder and CEO, Domini Social Investments

Democracy’s Edge is an exciting and hopeful account of the rebirth of a living American democracy as people connect with each other around the country to solve problems and build a better society.”

—Jim Wallis
Author, God’s Politics, Editor of Call to Renewal

Acknowledgements
The Path

PART ONE: Living on Democracy's Edge
1. The Frame
2. The Long Arc
3. Power is not a Four-Letter Word

PART TWO: Democracy Growing Up
4. Our Coat
5. The Elephant

PART THREE: Democracy as a Verb
6. Attention
7. Action
8. Choice
9. Voice

PART FOUR: Democracy in Our Bones
10: Learning
11. Security
12. The Invitation
Two Frames for Democracy
Towards a Language of Democracy

Notes
Entry Points for Living Democracy
The Author
Index

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Frances & Anna Lappé

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Surprising Facts

Ninety percent of Americans make less in real dollars than they did in 1973 – on average $4,000 less. The wealthiest 400 Americans now control more wealth than half the world’s people.

Worldwide, more people are members of cooperatives than own shares in publicly traded companies. Cooperatives provide a fifth more jobs than do global corporations.

More than a third of both the world’s grain and fish catch now go to feed livestock, which return to us only a fraction of the nutrients.

If the whole world moved to sustainable agriculture, a U. of Michigan study found that enough food could be grown to feed the world’s current and projected population.

An MRI study of people competing vs. cooperating found that cooperating stimulates the same parts of our brain as does eating chocolate!

America emits twice the carbon per person that Europe does. But think what’s possible: California emits 20 percent less carbon per dollar GDP than Germany; and it gets almost a quarter of its electricity from renewables!

In Washington DC, more than two dozen lobbyists push mainly corporate interests for every one representative American citizens have elected to protect our interests.

In 2011, solar use grew all over the world, soaring 54% to 28 gigawatts.

Organic farming yields are about the same as conventional yields under normal weather conditions, and during times of drought, organic farming outperforms conventional methods by 31 percent! Organic farming also uses 45 percent less energy.

Because of lower overhead costs, farmers using a non-pesticide approach in India enjoy a 23 percent increase in income, and report their health improving as well.

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