"The most flexible and comprehensive guide I've found for strategic planning, convening the community, and empowering emerging leaders. Built on a solid theoretical foundation, this book offers a format that is easy to use in real life and real time. The worksheets are organized without being restrictive and the examples are both practical and inspirational." --Karen Papouchado, mayor pro tem, City of Aiken, South Carolina

"This is a superb resource for professionals and citizens seeking to create healthy communities." --John McKnight, director of community studies, Institutue for Policy Research, Northwestern University

"Read and listen to these stories of people working together to improve their community's health. This book is a must for cities with health providers, consumers, and organizations." --Linda Burnes Bolton, chief nursing officer, Nursing Research and Development, Cedars Sinai Medical Center

"The workbook sets a new standard for informative, user-friAndly, helpful, and inspirational materials in community-based collaboration, not only in healthcare but also for many other areas of interest and concern. It should be a basic resource for any community initiatives seeking to become 'learning organizations' in their common efforts." --Arthur Himmelman, principal, Himmelman Consulting, former senior fellow, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs