Image from the SNCC Legacy Project, of SNCC staff singing freedom songs. (Singing is a powerful way to build strong community bonds.) Atlanta, 1963.
Although these books are not directly about activism or organizing, effective activism and organizing rests on the strength of the bonds we build together. A strong sense of community and connection supports the energy and emotional health of organizers, prevents burnout, keeps people invested over the long haul, and contributes greatly to growth, meaningful learning, and effective action.
Fay Bound Alberti: A Biography of Loneliness: The History of an Emotion.
Peter Block: Community: The Structure of Belonging.
John T. Cacioppo & William Patrick: Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection.
Geoffrey L. Cohen: Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides.
Julia Hotz: The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging.
Kasley Killam: The Art and Science of Connection: Why Social Health Is the Missing Key to Living Longer, Healthier, and Happier.
Matthew D. Lieberman: Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect.
Jeremy Nobel: Project UnLonely: Healing Our Crisis of Disconnection.
Priya Parker: The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters.
Francesca Polletta: Inventing the Ties That Bind: Imagined Relationships in Moral and Political Life.
Vivek H Murthy: Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.
Jeremy Nobel: Project UnLonely: Healing Our Crisis of Disconnection.
David Robson: The Laws of Connection: The Scientific Secrets of Building a Strong Social Network.
Keith Sawyer: Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration.
Daniel J. Siegel M.D.: IntraConnected: MWe (Me + We) as the Integration of Self, Identity, and Belonging.
Toko-pa Turner: Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home.
Charles Vogl: The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging.
Melody Warnick: This Is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are.
Ruth K. Westheimer: The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life.
Books for cultivating friendship
Billy Baker: We Need to Hang Out: A Memoir of Making Friends.
Rhaina Cohen: The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center.
Marisa G. Franco: Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make–and Keep—Friends.
Ann Friedman & Aminatou Sow: Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close.
Anna Goldfarb: Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Connections.
Danielle Bayard Jackson: Fighting for Our Friendships: The Science and Art of Conflict and Connection in Women’s Relationships.
Shasta Nelson: Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness.
Adam Smiley Poswolsky: Friendship in the Age of Loneliness: An Optimist’s Guide to Connection.