The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace by M. Scott Peck

The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace Reviews

• 
  Melissa McClintock

  I read this in my early twenties after the Road less travelled. It impacted my identity, because I wasn't in the "mainstream" and I was the black sheep of my family and as most 2o somethings checking things out. I thought "aha, I"m not the only one!" It was encouraging.
• 
  Deacon Tom F

  One of my favorite books of all time.
  
  I highly recommend
• 
  Breanna Peskleway

  6.5/10
  
  There are 3 types of community:
  
  1. pseudo community - the basic assumption that the problem of individual differences should be avoided, people are overly polite, and focus on small talk
  
  2. mob psychology - the basic assumption that all members of the group (not a community) must not have considerable differences, and anyone who thinks differently is treated as a pariah
  
  3. true community - understanding we cannot heal or convert others, we can only offer a space free from judgement where people can heal or convert (if they choose) themselves. Members get along even with opposing world views and religions. This is what psychologists try to establish during treatment.
  
  To become a true community every member must:
  
  - understand there is no leader, we are all leaders
  - be inclusive
  - transcend individual differences for the good of the whole; to think and feel as a group
  - become vulnerable, share with the group and empty yourself to create space for welcoming others' fears and frustrations.. give and ye shall receive
  - show integrity: you can't go to church on Sunday then turn around and write anti-Christ advertisements at work during the week, your Sunday best, your work self, the person you show to your friends.. They are all the same person and we really thrive when we don't compartmentalize
  - all decisions must reach consensus, no voting, no making decisions until 100% of members are on board even if that means putting a project off for a year to continue researching, everyone's opinion is valued the same
  
  I liked the biblical references. I loved the proverbs, and the stories of how real individuals built up communities. This book has inspired me to find groups to get involved with, and to push myself to be more vulnerable. It's crazy how fleshed out my idea of community is now, it's not a word you can apply to just any group. This book was recommended by John Holt and I can see why thriving communities are important with regards to home education.
  
  I was not a fan of the last few chapters regarding community in the arms race, and United States government. The author is clearly a Freemason. He is passionate and believes the arms race is a result of poor communication; in his opinion, a one world government is the answer. Transitioning to a single policing nation seems an impossible feat as no government wants to appear vulnerable to the others, or give up control, which is a necessary step in establishing community.
• 
  Kathy

  Scott Peck is very creative at writing memorable opening sentences in his books. "A Road Less Traveled" begins: "Life is difficult." The Different Drum begins: "Community is rare." He purposely does not define community, but devotes the majority of the book describing its characteristics and how to acquire it. His ideas are idealistic, and leave the reader to conclude that community is not only rare, but, based on his principles, impossible. His ideas of religion are thought-provoking, and he includes his hierachy of "spiritual maturity",in which he describes the most spiritually mature being those who are "mystics", and not afraid to question their faith. In other words, those who are dogmatic in their faith(or religion) are less spiritually mature. I'll be chewing on that one awhile.....
• 
  Peter

  Brilliant on community , white anted by Jesus glasses
  
  Really really good ideas on the importance of community plus solid suggestions how to do same. Skip the religious blather and focus on human beings and thus is a stunningly excellent book
• 
  Doug

  It was raining. I remember standing around smoking with Scottie under a porch at Emory. He was a great chain smoker, tall and thin, lovely sense of humor, and quite warm. Must have been circa 1984-85. I enjoyed his workshop - all on the topic of this book. Funny though, now, many years later, I don't remember much about the book. His first two, Road and
  People of the Lie (have never tired of telling the story of the boys and the Christmas gun), made a much deeper impression. Come to think of it - I put 1987 down as the reading date - but I must have read it earlier - unless, I'm only thinking I must have since I attended the conference.
• 
  Christie Bogle

  I directly quote from this book in the process of writing my first year of research designing an ESL class in a community center. I refer to it again in my MA "file paper" (the only thing they offered that approached a thesis at the time.)
  
  I found it one of the most useful pieces of writing for defining and giving me a lexicon for community building and classroom communities.
• 
  Lisa Kentgen

  Wonderful sections on group process as community. Highly recommend.
  
  He used words that needed explanation, like 'evil'. He had apparently defined in a past book but there is a danger to using in reference to human behavior without being clearer.
  
  I read this book for research on community-building and, for those purposes, this is a must-read classic.
• 
  Marta Mellinger

  model i've used for years and years about life...
• 
  Jillian

  This would be a good text book. the first part was interesting but not what I thought it was going to be.
• 
  Charles Bell

  An excellent read.
• 
  Nathan Albright

  This book is an example of a work that began very well and ended with somewhat of a thud.  And why was that the case?  Most of this book is spent, rather sensibly, dealing with issues of peacemaking and the building of communities on an interpersonal level, looking at families, congregations, and various other groups.  It is at the end of the book when the author looks at politics on the national and then the international scale where this book fails, and it fails specifically for a few reasons that are worth discussing.  For one, the methods of dealing with "evil" become more problematic with the author's pacifism the higher up you go.  For another, the author seems afflicted with that postmillennial optimism that believes that it is the achievement of peace and unity on earth that will inaugurate the millennial kingdom, rather than a direct and forceful intrusion by Jesus Christ on a rebellious world, and those who are not optimistic about the possibility of genuine peace and moral progress for humanity as a whole are not likely to view the author's suggestions as realistic.  That the author, rather typically, labels this pessimism as simply resulting from fear is a notable blind spot.
  
  This book is divided into three parts.  Beginning with a prologue and introduction, and going on for a bit more than 300 pages, this marks the effort of Peck to put his thoughts about community as a method for others to follow.  The first part of the book, and best part, examines the foundation of his thoughts about community-building (I), with chapters on how he stumbled into community in his own life (1), examines the fallacy of rugged individualism (2), looks at the true meaning of community (3), discusses how communities form either by accident or design in times of crisis (4), and looks at the stages of community building (5), their further dynamics (6), and maintenance (7).  The second part of the book, which is also very good, examines the bridge between people and communities (II), with chapters on human nature (8), patterns of transformation (9), emptiness (10), vulnerability (11), and the issue of integration and integrity (12).  It is at this point where the author moves into much more dangerous territory in looking at community as the solution to the world's problems (III), with chapters on communication (13), the arms race (14), the Christian Church in the United States (15), the American government (16), and empowerment (17), after which there is an altar call of sorts for the author's perspective and a look at what people are to do now.
  
  The author's treatment of community is almost evangelical in fervor, but I think the author underestimates the difficulties of the community he seeks.  There are definitely some tensions that the author is able to recognize, such as the way in which it is hard for people to feel intimate unless there is a safe space where people can be themselves and let their guard down.  And if that is true of individuals meeting in a basement or forming a group of like-minded people, that is certainly even more true when we get to congregations and larger institutions where vulnerability can be very hazardous and where issues of safety and trust are all the more important.  That said, the author seems to be writing to people who are already interested in a certain degree of broadmindedness, intimacy, and honesty about one's weaknesses and shortcomings and struggles.  After all, the reader has already engaged with this book and (more than likely) others by this oversharing and vulnerable and idealistic writer.  Yet the author's experience does not really allow him to understand just how dark and unsafe much of the world is the majority of people within it, and so he tends to think that the problems of trust that make peace so difficult will be easily solved through patient listening.  But had the author not underestimated the amount of fear and evil that exist in this world, it is unlikely that he would have written as he did.
• 
  Vojtěch Tatra

  I perceive "real" spirituality in Christianity through Scots eyes which I probably didn't see in any other author. Even it's actually about any spirituality, it's through the eyes of Christian and its rightfully not denied. There is great knowledge of people from Scots lifelong psychotherapy practice well set in this book too. In the times when Russia attacked Ukraine and uses its typical propaganda to dilute truth and instigate helplessness in people the parts about arms race are very striking again.
  Nearing the end of the book Scott seems to bring out, in my view, kind of unscientific speculation a projection of his views on cummunity (not necessary religious phenomenon but religionised by Scott) onto the Christianity. I am not saying it's not that way, but Ive got a feeling, that it's somehow biased. The word evil is also used in a vague manner for me. The latter parts of the book looks a bit like motivational cermon or political speech. I probably don't like that some statements are presented like facts, I think it should be more emphasized that most of it are just authors views. And the part with exorcism is hardly speculative, quite unscientific constructs are built there. The identification of community with Christianity is a bit like that too, but still kind of sensible for me.
• 
  Tarek Omran

  Interesting idea of how building a community is not just about all of us gathering around the bonefire with a polite smile on our face. That could be called, temporarily hosting guests over and not a community. It was surprising to hear that Scott's experience with building a community involved starting off with the phase of "polite smiles" (pseudo-community) and ended up in a different phase of having a community showing their true colours (a real community). It inevitably comes with a sizeable chunk of conflict (chaos), because we are often trying to convert one another to our own ideologies and beliefs. However, by sticking with the process, the community members and the discomfort of emptiness...something real and true is nurtured. It is through emptiness and surrender that we can learn to cultivate acceptance of ourselves, our differences & one another. That's when a community is formed.
• 
  Carol Palmer

  Sounds like such a simple thing -- just get people to live in community in peace. Yeah, right. Peck understands the difficulties of that challenge, yet he seems to have found a way to achieve positive results. However, I'm not sure it's as easy as just reading his book and following a recipe. You have to be a very skilled person, with a real knack for working with people and knowing the right thing to say (or not say) at the right time. Developing those kinds of skills don't just happen overnight from reading a book. Having said that, I think the book is a wonderful start and is certainly a good guide through the process. It's worth a read if you are in the position of trying to unify a group of people into a valid community.
• 
  Karsten W.

  I have not read the book from cover to cover. But maybe it is a book where you look at the table of contents and pick out one or two chapters.
  
  Community building is not easy and the book helps pave the way.
  
  Would be nice if there was a newer book. A 35 year old book sometimes seems a bit dated with its references to the Cold War. Community building is gaining importance again, after Corona, etc.
  
• 
  Jennifer Pope

  Enlightening read, which has evoked a move in me to change.
  I leave you with this paragraph which was one of many that stood out for me: "Such spiritual as well as political strength is far beyond that of any individual. The strength for real servant leadership can be found only when people work together in love and commitment."
• 
  Chelsey

  Pontificating about religion aside (breathes to empty) but this book is an amazing look at community and what that term really means. For social workers, this is invaluable knowledge to think critically about.
• 
  Jacob Petrossian

  Some really powerful insights into the art and process of community building. I particularly found what Peck writes about Pseudocommunity to be interesting, and more of a clique than community.
  
  There were some parts of the book that I don’t think were needed, but overall an interesting read.
• 
  Brian Wilcox

  Superb, practical guidance, with excellent case studies, on forming community.
• 
  Jonathan Wichmann

  Just the best. Peck was on my parents' shelf as a kid. This spoke to me so strongly. I was a community organizer dreaming of utopian solutions.
• 
  Robert Bob

  Kick the can down the road!
  My life's journey. .nice.