November/December 1985 RAIN Page 27 FROM: Builders of the Dawn strike a balance between various polarites, such as group responsibility/individual freedom, planning/spontaneity, idealism/ realism, and so on. Still another chapter delves into the historical roots of the modern intentional community movement. In parhcular, the "communes of the sixties" are compared with the communities of today, indicating a growing maturity within the latter. The authors also present "Guidelines for Building Communities," for those interested in forming their own. These guidelines seek to distill what has been learned about forming communities through trial and error, so that aspiring communiteers need not continue to reinvent the wheel. The book concludes with an annotated directory of 85 communities. Builders of the Dawn should appeal to a number of audiences: those who are already living in such communities can learn from the successes and failures of other communities; those interested in forming or joining communities can get a better idea of what to expect; and those merely interested in staying abreast of cultural trends can find thoughtful, well- researched information about a movement that is generally misunderstood by the public. Whereas Builders of the Dawn is organized thematically. Seeds of Tomorrow is a collection of extended profiles of particular communities. Seeds of Tomorrow is also more international in its compass: of the 21 communities described, only seven are in the U.S. The rest are found in Australia, France, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa. Each community is discussed in terms of its origins, motivating beliefs and principles, economic and administrative structures, and so on. In a brief conclusion, the authors also try to identify some general principles for community success. Both books are biased toward communities organized around "new age" spiritual values; nevertheless, both have much to offer readers who may not share that orientation. Also, though both books are decidedly upbeat—as evident from their titles—neither paints a picture of intentional communiHes as mini-utopias or the ultimate answer to society's problems. Level-headed and occasionally critical, these books are valuable resources for understanding, and perhaps advancing, the efforts to create new cultural forms in small communities. —FLS ACCESS: X-Mas Excess Unplug the Christmas Machine: How to Have the Christmas You’ve Always Wanted, by Jo Robinson and Jean Coppock Staeheli, 1982, 239 pp., $6.95 from: Quill 105 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10016 If the fact that another Christmas is fast approaching doesn't bring a smile to your face; if your expectations for Christmas never match your experiences of it; if your family seems mired in gifts and gluttony during the Holidays; if you want to change your Christmas tradition, but don't know how or how to involve others in the changes ... relax. Take one giant p step forward, and unplug the Christmas ' Machine. That's the advice of authors Jo Robinson and Jean Staehli, who not only suggest how to unplug it, but also, to finish the book's title, how to have the Christmas you've always wanted. That's a tall order, given the nearly impossible sugarplums-and-blazing- hearth imagery that most of us first- worlders have of Christmas. Robinson and Staehli acknowledge the Christmas icon within us, and provide steps for women, men, children, and families (you probably fall into one or more of those categories) to take that release us from our self-imposed, though not necessarily self-generated, holiday bondage. They guide the reader to a better understanding of what he or she is currently doing regarding the Christmas season, help to clarify what we genuinely would like to be doing, and then outline some steps to getting there. This is not a book that forces the reader to abruptly alter his or her holiday lifestyle, or leave friends and family behind as changes are made. It is written and designed to be a gentle and inclusive, though far-reaching, journey of holiday evolution, one that may take several years to travel, and that accommodates new passengers along the way. It is a journey to the heart of Christmas meaning, and in fact, to the heart of all celebration. Unplug the Christmas Machine contains many resources for a simpler Christmas, one based on a sense of celebration arising from within ourselves, rather than imposed on us from the outside. Here is the Christmas pledge, from the book: 1. To remember those people who truly need my gift; 2. To express my love for family and friends in more direct ways than presents; 3. To rededicate myself to the spiritual growth of my family; 4. To examine my holiday activities in light of the true spirit of Christmas; 5. To initiate one act of peacemaking within my circle of family and friends. Ultimately, this book offers people a way to a Yuletide as warm as the mythic Macy's one, but much more genuine. Wouldn't that be a fine thing to wake up to on Christmas morning? —RC
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