Daring Democracy is one of two books selected as UU Common Reads for 2017-2018. It has been described as an optimistic book that demystifies how our democracy has been eroded, taking away the rightful power of Americans, then offering solutions.  The book details how millions of Americans are uniting across causes and ideologies to create a Democracy Movement that is “leaving despair behind” and proving that “courage is contagious in the daring fight for democracy.”

The discussion will be divided into three parts based on a study guide provided by the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Additional information on this book is available at the UUA Bookstore.  Discounted copies of the book are available from Amazon. A limited number of copies are also available at the Social Justice Desk.

Here’s the review published on Amazon.com:

An optimistic book for Americans who are asking, in the wake of Trump’s victory, What do we do now? The answer: We need to organize and fight to protect and expand our democracy.

Americans are distraught as tightly held economic and political power drowns out their voices and values. Legendary Diet for a Small Planet author Frances Moore Lappé and organizer-scholar Adam Eichen offer a fresh, surprising response to this core crisis. This intergenerational duo opens with an essential truth: It’s not the magnitude of a challenge that crushes the human spirit. It’s feeling powerless—in this case, fearing that to stand up for democracy is futile. It’s not, Lappé and Eichen argue. With riveting stories and little-known evidence, they demystify how we got here, exposing the well-orchestrated effort that has robbed Americans of their rightful power. But at the heart of this unique book are solutions. Even in this divisive time, Americans are uniting across causes and ideologies to create a “canopy of hope” the authors call the Democracy Movement. In this invigorating “movement of movements,” millions of Americans are leaving despair behind as they push for and achieve historic change. The movement and democracy itself are vital to us as citizens and fulfill human needs—for power, meaning, and connection—essential to our thriving. In this timely and necessary book, Lappé and Eichen offer proof that courage is contagious in the daring fight for democracy.