How We the People can reclaim our democracyupdated with a discussion guide, author videos, and a new chapter-length Introduction

In this updated edition of his prophetic book, renowned author and activist Parker J. Palmer celebrates the power of We the People to resist the politics of divide and conquer. With the U.S. now on a global list of backsliding democracies, Palmer writes about what we can do to restore civil discourse, reach for understanding across lines of difference, focus on our shared values, and hold elected officials accountable. He explores ways we can reweave the communal fabric on which democracy depends in everyday settings such as families, neighborhoods, classrooms, congregations, workplaces, and various public spacesincluding five habits of the heart we can cultivate as we work to fulfill America's promise of human equality.

In the same honest, vulnerable, compelling and inspiring prose that has won Palmer millions of readers,Healing the Heart of Democracy awakens our instinct to seek the common good and gives us the tools to pursue it. With a text enhanced by a Discussion Guide and forty online author videos on key issues, you'll be able toReflect on the personal implications of the claim that the human heart is the first home of democracyConsider everyday actions you can take to restore the infrastructure that supports our democracyTranscend the us vs. them mentality and find ways to expand and enrich your life by appreciating the value of othernessReignite your sense of personal voice and agency to resist authoritarian appeals and restore a politics of freedom and responsibility

Healing the Heart of Democracy is for anyone who values the gift of citizenship and wants to make a difference for themselves, their families and communities, and our collective wellbeing. As the late Congressman John Lewis said, We have been trying to bridge the great divides in this great country for a long time. In this book, Parker J. Palmer urges us to keep on walking, keep on talkingjust as we did in the civil rights movementuntil we cross those bridges together.

PARKER J. PALMER, whose books have sold more than two million copies, holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley and thirteen honorary doctorates. Palmer is a recipient of the William Rainey Harper Award, previously given to Margaret Mead, Paulo Freire, and Elie Wiesel. He is Founder and Senior Partner of the Center for Courage& Renewal.

Introduction to the 2024 Edition xv

Prelude The Politics of the Brokenhearted 1

Chapter I Democracys Ecosystem 11

Chapter II Confessions of An Accidental Citizen 29

Chapter III the Heart of Politics 49

Chapter IV the Loom of Democracy 69

Chapter V Life in the Company of Strangers 89

Chapter VI Classrooms and Congregations 119

Chapter VII Safe Space for Deep Democracy 151

Chapter VIII the Unwritten History of the Heart 175

Gratitudes 195

Notes 199

The author 219

Index 221