Here are some of the comments people
across the country are making about Rich
Harwood's groundbreaking new book, Hope
Unraveled: The People's Retreat and Our Way
Back.
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Here is one American who has not retreated from public life! Richard Harwood is a practical visionary who is himself the best example of the everyday heroism and civic engagement he is working so hard to re-ignite in his fellow Americans.
Jean Feraca
Host/Executive Producer
of "Here on Earth," Wisconsin Public Radio
A must read for people who want to understand the country we have become, and who wish to make it, and us, better.
JD Hoye
President
Keep the Change, Inc.
Richard Harwood has given us an accessible glimpse into how Americans perceive politics and public life. More importantly, the author challenges us to examine our part in the lives of our communities and our nation. Central to the book is the notion of authentic hope - an affirmation to engage in collective conversations that foster a sense of shared purpose and, ultimately, effect change for the public good.
William Milliken
Founder and Vice-Chairman
Communities In Schools
"Hope Unraveled should be required reading for anyone who wrongly argues that our nation is a house divided. Rich Harwood clearly articulates our common desire to believe in an America that is greater than the sum of its individual parts."
Bret Bicoy
President,
Nevada Community Foundation
"Margaret Mead once said, ëNever doubt the power of a small group of individuals to change the world.í Rich Harwood in Hope Unraveled challenges you to join him in changing our world."
Dr. Jack D. Dale
Superintendent,
Fairfax Co., Va., Public Schools
"Americans seem to have lost the art of listening, but Richard Harwood hasn't. For years he has been listening to - and hearing - the worries and concerns expressed across this land about our public life. Hope Unraveled engages the rest of us in this conversation, which has such enormous implications for a truly healthy democracy."
Dorothy S. Ridings
Former President and CEO
The Council on Foundations
"Hope Unraveled offers useful insight into re-engaging the public. People want their voices heard and this book provides a way that the community can become involved in public policy."
Pam Iorio
Mayor
Tampa, Florida
"Over the past two decades, no one has been listening to the American people more attentively than Richard Harwood. This book eloquently summarizes what he has learned - the growing disconnect between the people and their political institutions, why it matters, and what we can do to begin turning the tide."
William A. Galston
Saul Stern Professor
School of Public Affairs
University of Maryland
"Hope Unraveled speaks to the heart of all Americans. It is an urgent call to recapture authentic conversations and connections in all aspects of public life ñ from our communities, to our schools, to our politics."
Chad Wick
CEO
KnowledgeWorks Foundation
"Harwood finds promise among public pathos and carefully extracts hope from impassioned pessimism. Here is a ringing endorsement of the public and political possibilities resident in the still strong foundation of the promise of the United States Constitution, the indefatigable strength of this nation, the content of Harwoodís vision, and the substance of our civic hope - 'WE the people'."
C. Welton Gaddy
President, The Interfaith Alliance
and The Interfaith Alliance Foundation
"Rich Harwood has an intuitive grasp of the spirit of America today. His keen analysis combines with his positive attitude about the power we have to influence our common life, to produce compelling reading for anyone who believes that we are not victims of 'the system'. We can make our own community - and our country - into the kind of place in which we want to live; Rich has the vision and track record to guide us in that process."
Rev. Dr. Deborah Kohler
Woodside Church
Flint, Michigan
"Hope Unraveled is a testament to our times; to where we have come from, and to where we can go. It offers hope for the future - a way back for America."
Angela Quinn
President
Boys and Girls Club of Las Vegas
"Hope Unraveled digs deep, beyond the easy answers, to find the real reasons citizens have been in retreat from politics and public affairs. Rich shows his great listening skills and uses them to help us re-engage the public in the most critical of missions: that of taking charge of our own democracy."
T. Jan Wiseman
Executive Director
Greater Salisbury Committee
Salisbury, Maryland
"Rich Harwood is both master and mentor for communities across the nation that are on the journey to create civic will and capacity to do public good. Hope Unraveled is the culmination of his life's work that provides a genuine sense of hope and creates the realm of the possible in the minds of its readers."
Carolyn Akers
Executive Director
Mobile Area Education Foundation
"This book chronicles the voices of America in a time of mistrust and hopelessness regarding the influence of personal involvement in politics and public life. Richard C. Harwood shines a light on a process to return hope for our future through true community engagement. This is a ëmust readí for those who believe in collaborative decision making for the public good in neighborhoods, communities, states, and the nation."
Joyce E. Brooks
Executive Director
Mahoning Valley Vision for Education
Youngstown, Ohio
"In a society that puts so much stock in the big event, the silver bullet, the pivotal point, Hope Unraveled offers its antithesis: listening to each other as a way to find our common ground, to realize the public good. Politicians, pundits, and government officials take heed. Harwood has put his finger on the future. It springs up from a renewed sense of community, and it may well occur when youíre not looking."
Gregory Lebel
Assistant Professor of Political Management
The George Washington University
"In Hope Unraveled, Rich Harwood weaves a compelling narrative of Americans trying to make sense of our troubled public life. Sifting through 15 years of conversations, he deepens our understanding of the nation's mood and plots an inspiring course for renewal."
Marla Crockett
News Director
KERA 90.1 Dallas, Texas, Public Radio
"Rich Harwood does the important work of holding up a megaphone to amplify the public's voice of discontent about our politics and community life. I know first hand how much the problems Rich outlines have undermined our collective ability to create effective supports for our youth. This book is an important read for anyone working to bring people together to solve public problems."
Karen Pittman
Executive Director
Forum for Youth Investment
ìIn these unsettling times, Richard Harwood has seen through the cynicism and mistrust and proposes an America that is once again full of possibilities and hope.î
Ruth Wooden
President
Public Agenda
"Hope Unraveled gives honor to the voices of millions of Americans who feel no one hears them. It provides a pathway of authentic hope and possibility for re-engagement in public and political life in America today."
Pamela Loving
President and CEO
Career Alliance
Flint, Michigan