Builders of the Dawn: Community Lifestyles in a Changing World

Corinne McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson are co-founders of the Sirius Community in Massachusetts, as well as former member of Scotland's Findhorn community. In 1985, they published this book they dedicated to the "builders of the dawn - the courageous pioneers of the new communities who are inspiring us with visions of a positive future for humanity." However, they note that "This book appeals to a wider audience than those living in an intentional community ro contemplating joining or creating one, for it is about much more than just community living. Specifically, it is about the power we all have, whether we express it through a community or not, to envision the future we want for ourselves and for humanity and to make a positive contribution to the emergence of that future." The authors lament that "Information on today's communities is lacking even in books with comprehensive overviews of the new consciousness today, such as The Aquarian Conspiracy: Personal and Social Transformation in Our Time and Networking, the First Report and Directory. Today's communities are a very well-kept secret!" There is a wealth of fascinating information contained herein, such as: "The majority of community members today are in their late twenties to mid-forties..." "New patterns of male/female relationships are being tested and experimented with in communities." "most communities today do not refer to themselves as 'utopian.' Instead they prefer to call themselves 'new age communities,' 'earth communities,' or 'planetary villages.' "Many people drawn to communities tend to be the 'workaholic' types." "Unlike communities of the 1800s, nearly all modern commmunities use some kind of psychological techniques, such as gestalt or psychosynthesis." Numerous examples from real-life communities (e.g., Twin Oaks, Ananda, The Farm, Esalen, etc.) are included as well. Combine this book with books like Seeds of Tomorrow: Communities That Work and the current Communities Directory: A Guide to Intentional Communities and Cooperative Living (Communities Directory), and it's even more valuable!