Book List

Building Consensus: Conflict and Unity. (2001) Monteze Snyder, et al. Basic overview from a Quaker perspective. Earlham University Press, $15.00

*Building United Judgment: A Handbook for Consensus Decision Making. (1981) Michel Avery, et al. Explains why, when and how to use secular consensus process effectively. This book, originally published by the Center for Conflict Resolution, has been reprinted by the Fellowship for Intentional Community (see below). $19 ppd.

Consensus: A New Handbook for Grassroots Social, Political, and Environmental Groups (2006) Peter Gelderloos. The examples drawn directly from typical activist groups are nice, but overall i found this book too weak to recommend. For something of this kind, go with On Conflict and Consensus or The Consensus Pocket Guide instead. See Sharp Press, $10.95.

The Consensus Pocket Guide: How to Achieve High-Commitment Decisions. (2004) Larry Dressler. Straightforward information clearly presented; misses some nuance but its simplicity makes this short book very appealing as an overview. Blue Wing Consulting, $11.95.

*Introduction to Consensus. (2000) Beatrice Briggs. Set of basics for workshops. Also available in Spanish. $15 ppd.

On Conflict and Consensus: A Handbook on Formal Consensus Decisionmaking. (1987) CT Butler & Amy Rothstein. Formalizes procedural steps for decision-making method. Full text available for free on the internet. Food Not Bombs Publishing, PO Box 853, Burlington, VT 05402; 800-569-4054; www.consensus.net. $14 ppd.

Rules for Reaching Consensus. (1994) Steven Saint & James Lawson. Another version of formal procedures. Too many misses on important elements; if you need something of this type go with The Consensus Pocket Guide instead. Pfeiffer & Company, $24.00.

Sharing Consensus: a handbook for consensus workshops. Sweet, homespun booklet filled with Quaker anecdotes, written by a man who uses no name. Available c/o Nova Land, 128 Hidden Springs Lane, Cookeville, TN 38501. $5.00 suggested donation for copying and postage.

*The Art of Facilitation: How to Create Group Synergy. (1992) Dale Hunter, Anne Bailey & Bill Taylor. Good, solid nuts and bolts info on facilitation (including the importance of working on yourself and staying clear), though the short section on consensus is ill-informed. Fisher Books, $17.95.

Extreme Facilitation. (2005) Suzanne Ghais. Well-balanced, solid, realistic. Jossey-Bass, $40.00.

*Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making. (1996) Sam Kaner. Lots of handouts, information presented visually. Community at Work, $24.95.

*Great Meetings! Great Results (recently reissued as Great Meetings! Great Results). (1997) Dee Kelsey & Pam Plumb. Nice overview, very accessibly written. Hanson Park Press, $29.00.

*A Manual for Group Facilitators. (1977) Brian Auvine, et al. Clear writing, practical approach, covers many key topics. This book, originally published by the Center for Conflict Resolution, has been reprinted by the Fellowship for Intentional Community (see below). $19 ppd.

Meeting of the Minds: A Guide to Successful Meeting Facilitation. (2001) Daniel Iacofono. Includes nice illustrations and a great section on graphic recording. MIG Communications, $29.95.

The Skilled Facilitator: Practical Wisdom for Developing Effective Groups. (1994) Roger Schwarz. Thorough, well thought out; very useful information if you don't mind the dry analytical style. Jossey-Bass Inc., 350 Sansome St., San Francisco, CA 94104; 415-433-1740; www.josseybass.com. $34.95.

The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today's Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems (2007) Peggy Holman, Tom Devane, Steven Cady. Tightly written profiles of more than 60 different whole system change methods, incredible. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, $59.95.

*Creating Community Anywhere: Finding Support and Connection in a Fragmented World. (1993) Carolyn Shaffer & Kristin Anundsen. Chapters 14-16 on communication, governance and conflict provide useful information and examples. Tarcher/Putnam, $15.95.

Democracy in Small Groups Participation, Decision Making and Communication. (1993) John Gastil. More solid basis in theory and research than most books on these topics and still very readable; has fantastic footnotes. New Society Publishers, $14.95.

Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most. (1999) Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen. Clear information for laypeople, variety of examples, realistic—highly recommended. Penguin, $14.00.

Head, Heart & Hands: Lessons in Community Building. (2004) Shari Leach. Specifically geared toward cohousing groups. Wonderland Hill Development Company, $20.00 ppd.

*Nonviolent Communication ... A Language of Compassion. (1999) Marshall Rosenberg. Outlines a particular approach to conflict resolution that has been successful in a variety of contexts. Center for Nonviolent Communication, $15.95.

Playing Along: 37 Group Learning Activities Borrowed from Improvisational Theater. (1997) Izzy Gesell. In most books of this type i find only a few useful exercises for groups; in this book i marked over a dozen. PO Box 962, Northampton, MA 01061; 413-586-2634. $24.95.

Roberta's Rules of Order. (2004) Alice Collier Cochran. As the subtitle says, "Who is Robert and why do we still follow his rules anyway?" This book is about what is sometimes referred to as "agreement-seeking," that is, using a bunch of consensus techniques to refine a proposal, and then voting if needed. It is targeted at nonprofits and includes sections on bylaws and board functions, but don't look here for sophisticated info on group dynamics. Jossey-Bass, $26.95.

*Sitting in the Fire: Large Group Transformation Using Conflict and Diversity. (1995) Arnold Mindell. Lao Tse Press, $15.95.

The Tao of Democracy: Using Co-Intelligence to Create a World That Works for All. (2003) Tom Atlee. Inspiring and practical methods for applying consensus principles at a national or state level. Co-Intelligence Institute, PO Box 493, Eugene, OR 97440; www.taoofdemocracy.com. $15.95.

You can also read short reviews of a bunch of these books.

* Items marked with a star are available through the Bookshelf service of the Fellowship for Intentional Community. Call 800-995-8342, email bookshelf@ic.org, or look on the web at store.ic.org. FIC, RR 1 Box 156, Rutledge, MO 63563.