Introduction to The Connected Community (Part 1)

Cormac Russell, interviewed by his cohost Sacha DeWolfe, shares his perspective on The Connected Community and provides a synopsis of what the podcast will highlight for listeners.

Thanks for listening to our first episode. Sacha based much of her conversation with Cormac on the contents of his new book, The Connected Community - Discovering the Health, Wealth, and Power of Neighborhoods. 

 You can read a book review  here.

Other books and thinkers referenced in the first episode include:

1. At the beginning of the episode, Sacha mentions Community Engaged Learning, and you can find out more here.
2. Parker Palmer, who wrote the Foreword to The Connected Community, Cormac mentions one of Parker’s most influential books: The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life. 
3. Abraham Maslow’s Hammer: “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” This famous quote by Abraham Maslow refers to a concept commonly known as the 'law of instrument' or Maslow's Hammer. It refers to an over-reliance on a familiar or favourite tool.
4. Sacha draws parallels between the teachings of author, theorist, educator and social critic bell hooks key insights from Asset-Based Community Development. 

If you’d like to learn more about Cormac’s current thinking about ABCD’s place in the world, check out a recent keynote address he delivered in Vancouver to an audience of 1,200 healthcare professionals and patient advocates from across British Columbia:  https://healthqualitybc.ca/resources/cormac-russell-plenary-presentation-quality-forum-2023/