Eight Habits of the Heart: The Timeless Values that Build Strong Communities

In Eight Habits of the Heart Taulbert illuminates his message that by building strong communities we build strong, responsive individuals, holding up his own life as compelling proof. Taulbert's "benefactors, " the kinfolk and neighbors who supported him in his youth, had no material wealth to pass along, yet their legacy left him richer than most. With poignant stories about these unforgettable people who raised him, he illustrates each of their values and shows us how we can embrace them in our own lives. Taulbert's voice shines through as a refreshing guide to the spiritual core we as a society seem always to be seeking.

Grade 6 Up. Taulbert, who came of age in the small African-American Mississippi Delta community of Glen Allan, returns to this territory of memory in search of lessons to aid people everywhere in the fine art of building community. The catalyst for the book was a commencement address he delivered to an affluent midwestern prep school. He recalls the brave and kind people who raised him and the lessons he learned, realizing that, in truth, he was raised by an entire community. The eight habits of the heart that Taulbert extols are a nurturing attitude, dependability, responsibility, friendship, brotherhood, high expectations, courage, and hope. For each one, he tells stories of his youth that illustrate that value in action. He then generalizes from his own childhood to the present day and the much larger world, relating how elders serve as models for all who build today's communities. He urges readers to create caring and supportive environments in the workplace, on playing fields, wherever they are needed. The book concludes with exercises for adults to help foster the healthy building of communities and family reading lists. Much is written today about secrets and stratagems for success, happiness, and fulfillment in many life arenas, but few such guides have the ring of truth that Taulbert achieves. Eight Habits of the Heart is a voice to trust, to savor, and listen to for its wisdom.?Jerry D. Flack, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.