A powerful, surprising, and achievable vision of a society based on cooperation and community instead of competition and commodification.
This book counters the dominant and destructive story that we are polarized, violent, selfish, and destined to consume everything in sight. That is not who we are. The challenge, Peter Block says, is that we are suffering under an economic theology that is based on scarcity, self-interest, competition, and infinite growth. We’re told we can purchase and outsource all that matters. Block calls this the “business perspective narrative.” It dominates not only the economy but also architecture, faith communities, journalism, arts, neighborhoods, and much more.
Block offers an antidote: the “common good narrative.” It embodies the belief that we are equally communal and cooperative. And that we have the capacity to collectively produce what we care most about- raising a child, safety, livelihood, health, and a clean and sustainable environment.
This book describes how shifts to the common good perspective could transform many areas, fostering journalism that reports on what works, architecture that designs habitable spaces creating connection, faith collectives that build community, a market that is restrained and local, and leadership and activism that build social capital by creating trust among citizens. With these shifts, we would fundamentally change the world we live in for the better.
Exclusive invitations to conversations with Peter Block and other relational activists
Access to exclusive interviews and long-form pamphlets.
Download the Activating the Common Good Discussion Guideto use in your own organizations, neighborhoods, and book clubs.
2. Develop the Skills for Activating the Common Good
Master the common good protocols.
Sign up today for Skills for Activating the Common Good: A Learning Track for Relational Activists to learn how to implement common good protocols in 1-on-1 relationships, group meetings, and settings where trust is low.
Included in Skills for Activating the Common Good:
3x coupon codes redeemable for you or a colleague* to attend the following Designed Learning's Public Workshops:
3. Connecting for the Common Good: A Masterclass with Peter Block and Friends
Tuesdays from July 8, 2025 until August 5, 2025 - 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
In a time of fragmentation, polarization, and deep institutional mistrust, our work in community is more urgent than ever. This masterclass invites you to dive deeper into where and how the protocols of connection and engagement can make a difference. It is in our hands to create an alternative world — one rooted in relationship, agency, and the radical possibility of the common good.
Led by Peter Block alongside visionary co-hosts from across disciplines, this five-session series explores how we can reframe the way we engage with our communities, workplaces, and institutions—shifting from control to trust, from doing for to building with.
Each session is an invitation to pause, reflect, and step into a new story about what’s possible in the impact we make on all we care about.
"Our well-being cannot be purchased or healed by more professionals or programs. What we have and what we are is enough. Economically. Politically. Socially. Personally.
This is the foundation of the common good narrative."
— Peter Block, Author
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