Best books written about community

Welcome to the Community Coach newsletter, a value packed read
for community builders who still read books about community no matter how seasoned they are!

In this newsletter…

📚 Community 101: Books about Community

🔥 New real world communities are popping up that offer “alternatives to San Francisco” - what community builders can learn from them

👋 Youtube tutorial: Step by step guide to build your own AI quiz → attract new members + engage current ones (includes how The Generalist World community did this with great results!)

Community 101: Books about Community

A while back I was on Tiktok and came across a marketing guy (can’t find his name to tag him!) who was ranking marketing books he loved. It inspired me to re-create his format in the graphic above: the community builder’s edition. Admittedly I recall he also included a “Load of cr@p” category but I haven’t read any community book that fits into such a negative bucket… so I’ve categorised it a bit differently.

I still read community books today - despite having over 10 years experience building communities. I always check my ego at the door and know that I can constantly learn new things from other community builders (and people outside of the community building world too). They offer unique experiences, insights and takeaways that I enjoy absorbing and updating they way I approach community building even to this day.

Here is my list:

• The Business of Belonging by David Spinks
  → Solid book for anyone in community, highly recommend

• The Indispensable Community by Rich Millington 
  + Buzzing Communities by Rich Millington
  → Highly recommend anything written by Rich Millington, I’m a huge fan

• Building Brand Communities by Carrie Melissa Jones & Charles H Vogl
  → Highly recommend and a solid read for those building brand communities

• Power of Moments by Chip & Dan Heath
  → Great framework for those who run a lot of events (online/offline)

• Get Together by Kevin Huynh, Kai Elmer Sotto & Bailey Richardson
  → Solid real world case studies of communities in action

• The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
  → Another great framework for events of all kinds

• Tribes by Seth Godin
  → More a leadership/management book but I enjoyed reading this

• Cultish by Amanda Montell
  → It’s a fine line between community and cult, this helps you understand where that line is and focuses on the importance of linguistics (it’s definitely helped me identify “hidden cults” a lot faster!)

• Culture Code by Daniel Coyle
  → Great for those looking to build communities where members need to collaborate/work together

• The Art of People by Dave Kerpen
  → For those looking to improve their people skills

• Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
  → This book made me pause and deeply consider the ethical impacts of building online communities. The book's insights continue to resonate with me - highlighting the potentially profound negative effects that pushing online engagement has on humans (from a scientific perspective). It's a powerful reminder that stays with me as I reflect on the strategies, implications and responsibilities we have as community builders.
  
  Know any other community books that you loved and should be added to this list? Reply to this email and let me know!

New communities are being formed as an alternative to life in San Francisco

There’s a growing trend of people building their own visionary real-world community - reflecting a growing desire for lifestyle alternatives that resonate more deeply with personal and collective values vs. the current life in San Franscico is serving.

Two projects I’m keeping an eye on are the Network School which launched in Forest City (just off the coast of Singapore), and Esmeralda in California's wine country. Both of these “new” communities are perfect examples of this trend, offering alternative living experiences for their community members grounded in specific values & principles.

The Network School is an initiative by Balaji Srinivasan, offering an alternative education and community experience “for those who want Silicon Valley without San Francisco”.

Network Schools Beliefs & Values:

• Equality of Opportunity: Inspired by the founder's own personal background and a desire to empower those from less privileged circumstances, often referred to as "dark talent."

• Alternative Education and Continuous Improvement: Emphasizes lifelong learning and daily self-improvement through a blend of structured and unstructured educational formats.

• Internationalism and Technology: Advocates for a global perspective, embracing trade, peace, and technological advancements as pillars of community development.

• Democracy and Digital Polities: Seeks to revitalize democracy for the internet era, fostering digital governance models that emphasize transparency and participation.

Who Belongs in the Network School/ community:

• Individuals from all age groups, not limited to traditional students, including remote workers, engineers, creators, and digital nomads.

• People who value self-improvement, both personally and professionally, and are looking for an integrated approach to learning, working, and living.

• With affordable rent ($1000/mth) and a commitment to continuous education, daily self-improvement with regular workout sessions and Blueprint longevity meals, Network School aims to empower what is referred to as "dark talent" – individuals from underserved backgrounds with potential to excel if given the opportunity. This project not only addresses educational accessibility but also aims to revitalize democracy and internationalism through technology (yes they have strong thoughts about Bitcoin, AI and Jordan Peterson - all topics that could be considered polarizing to the broader population).

Esmeralda: Building a people-first town from scratch

Envisioned by Devon Zuegel, Esmerelda represents a shift towards smaller, values-driven communities as an alternative to urban living.

Located in California's serene wine country, Esmeralda emphasizes a pedestrian-friendly environment, multi-generational living, and a culture of learning and building.

This initiative taps into the desire to escape the bustling city life of San Francisco, promoting a lifestyle that harmonizes with nature while building a community centered on creativity and wellness.

Beliefs and Values:

• Integration with Nature: A strong emphasis on living in harmony with the surrounding environment, promoting sustainability and ecological awareness.

• Learning and Building Culture: Focuses on cultivating a community where continuous learning and creativity are part of everyday life.

• Health and Wellness: Prioritizes the physical and mental well-being of its residents, integrating healthful living practices into the community’s fabric.

• Pedestrian-friendly Design: Advocates for a layout that prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists over cars, aiming to create a more connected and accessible community.

• Who Belongs:

  • Individuals and families seeking an alternative to the hectic pace of urban life, particularly those from creative, high-agency backgrounds.

  • People looking for a community that supports multi-generational living and values a blend of privacy and communal engagement.

What can we learn from these as community builders?

Both of these communities not only redefine the concept of alternative community setups but also offer takeaways for community builders aiming to match business goals with the genuine needs, motivations and interests of their community members.

It’s clear to me that both these community examples have begun by understanding their purpose - and they both share the common painpoint that “life in San Fransisco isn’t meeting their needs, values and motivations”.

They both have developed very clear and specific values that in turn can attract and engage members who identify with the purpose and values set, ultimately creating a strong, cohesive group of people that shares common goals and interests.

They both offer alternatives that are backed up by all of the community programming - from carefully determining physical locations that support their needs to crafting spaces and experiences that truly reflect the aspirations and needs of their members.

In short, understand your purpose, communicate clearly your values & beliefs and GO BEYOND to deliver exciting new community programming that is in line with all of this.

Latest Youtube tutorial: Using quizzes to attract new members + engage current ones.

I have been playing a lot with AI quizzes lately and had received requests to create a tutorial on how to do this step by step to attract new members + engage current ones.

Introducing a quiz worked really well for the Generalist World community - they saw a huge uptick in newsletter subscribers once they introduced a quiz produced using AI.

More newsletter subscribers = greater awareness your community exists = higher chance of converting to community members

You can direct people to anything you’d like - it doesn’t have to be subscribing to a newsletter. You could re-direct them to apply to join your community (if they’re the right fit), follow your social media accounts, schedule a 1:1 call or attend a “community discovery” event to learn more.

Watch my tutorial where I go through how to do this and the benefits in more detail.

Got a question for me? DM me on Twitter and ask away. Your question may be answered in a future newsletter (and I’ll reply to everyone who asks).

Until next time,

Carmen
Community Coach

Connect with me on Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn.