Healing the Heart of Democracy

How “We the People” can reclaim our democracy―updated 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 spaces―including five “habits of the heart” we can cultivate as we work to fulfill America's promise of human equality.