About the Book
admin August 13th, 2007
Now a National Bestseller!
Read Praise for Frances & Getting a Grip
Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity & Courage in a World Gone Mad is a little book with a big message. Frances Moore Lappe - author of sixteen books, including three-million-copy bestseller Diet for a Small Planet - distills her world-spanning experience and wisdom in a conversational yet hard-hitting style. Getting a Grip is a rare “aha” book that flouts conventional right-versus-left divisions and affirms readers’ basic sanity - their intuition that it is possible to stop grasping at straws and to grasp instead the real roots of today’s crises, from hunger and poverty to climate change and terrorism. Getting a Grip leaves readers feeling liberated and courageous.
Because we are creatures of the mind, says Lappe, it is the power of “frame” - our core assumptions about how the world works - that determines outcomes. She pinpoints the dominant, failing frame now driving our planet toward disaster. Then, with fresh insights, startling facts, and stirring vignettes of ordinary people pursuing creative solutions, Lappe uncovers a new, empowering frame emerging worldwide.
She writes: “My book’s intent is to enable us to see what is happening all around us, but is still invisible to most of us. It is about people in all walks of life who are penetrating the spiral of despair and reversing it with new ideas, ingenious innovation - and courage.”
Introduction to Getting a Grip
Chapter 4 - Power Invisible (PDF)
Spiral of Powerlessness / Spiral of Empowerment
Frances, As a long-time “disciple” of yours (goes back to Presbyterian Hunder Program work in the late 70’s) I have evolved with you from hunger work to democracy work and now to clean election work — each gets harder and more frustrating!! I just saw your short video on the website and wondered how our local Living Democracy Committee could purchase a copy of it to use in our efforts to educate and inspire the public here to action. We have used the Public Campaign/Bill Moyers one, but I think yours makes the same points more succinctly! Please come to the midwest on your tour. Here in Bloomington/Normal,Il., we have two universities and a populace of over 125,000 and we would give you a wonderful welcome! By the way, your Democracy’s Edge is what got our committee to evolve from civil discourse to clean elections. Let us know any ideas you have for moving the public. Gosh, it’s hard when they don’t itch or hurt enough, or they don’t know it! Thanks for listening. Charline Watts