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pp.252.paperback edition.”Ever since humans first gathered around a cooking fire, they have toyed with big ideas for a better community. Many have felt passionate and hopeful about creating a utopian society. For some, that has meant abandoning their homeland and traditions, and pushing into the wilderness to realize their dreams. Those ground-breaking communities are long gone, but today you can still visit many of their physical ruins, some of which have been preserved in parks or heritage sites. When you wander the grounds of ancient sites, you can marvel at the people’s optimism and zeal. Imagine the courage it took to abandon what they knew, board a rickety ship with only the threadbare clothes on their backs, and arrive in North America with dreams and—maybe—practical plans.

A handful of dreams did come true, while others faded away. Sometimes egos or hero worship hindered common sense. Some leaders could lure followers, but had no idea how to attract and manage enough money for the project. In this collection, you’ll find the inspiring and often heartbreaking stories of twenty North American communal experiments, and you will marvel at how far people will go to live life the way they think it should be lived.”