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Reviewed by Doug Henton
 John W. Gardner, Americas mentor or as Brian OConnell puts it in his Afterword, the nations teacher was a guiding force in the development of the Alliance for Regional Stewardship. A collection of his most important essays has now been assembled by his daughter and published in a new volume: Living, Leading and the American Dream. This book is essential reading for regional stewards who want to understand the principles that guided John W. Gardners public career, as well as the core values behind the emerging regional stewardship movement.
As Bill Moyers says in the Foreword to this book, I remember what he told me when he came to Washington in 1965: What we have before us are some breathtaking opportunities disguised as insoluble problems. A man who knows the score and is unafraid of it. I was fortunate to have met him so young and to know him so long. He taught me the best way to live is to image a more confident future, wake up every day and do whatever one can to bring it about. Asked about his legacy, he replied that he would like it not to be another John Gardner but thousands of John Gardnersall out there to improve the quality of life in America. The Alliance for Regional Stewardship and its John W. Gardner Academy are dedicated to that legacy.
The book is organized into several parts, including essays on Gardners career, the courage to live and learn, the release of human possibilities, leadership, and the renewal of our society. A constant theme of his writing and work was a strong belief in realizing human potential. This was a foundation for his deep commitment to democratic values and the importance of empowering every man and woman to achieve the best within them. Yet, he also believed that we are capable of much that is not asked of us. The courage and spirit are there, poorly hidden beneath self-interest and self-indulgence, waiting to be called forth.
At the time of his death in 2002, Gardner was immersed in an exploration of attitudes, beliefs and practices that can restore social wholeness while incorporating diversity. A new essay in this book, titled The American Experiment, reminds us that our nation is an experiment that is still in progress. In this essay, Gardner helps define the essence of regional stewardship, saying that one thing that cities and metropolitan areas are learning is that revitalization requires leaders who can work cooperatively across boundaries; leaders who can work in networks of responsibility with all who share common goals; leaders who know how to listen to the voices of participants.
Gardner writes, The good news is that there are grounds for hope, despite the negative mood reflected in the polls. Extraordinary things are happening at the grassroots in city after city across the nationso extraordinary that I believe that we are about to write a whole new chapter in the tumultuous American story. In fact, the chapter is already being written.
Here then is John W. Gardners charter for the Alliance for Regional Stewardship: While the cities and metropolitan areas have a long way to go, the heartening aspect is the sheer spirit and determination of the problem solvers who are driving the wave of innovation. Just that they exist is a beacon of hope for the rest of the nation& One of our many chores is to remember that. Its essential that we spotlight them, talk about their victories and disseminate the lessons they have learned.
In the end, John Gardners credo can be captured in his well-known phrase, Liberty and duty, freedom and responsibility. Thats the deal. A strong commitment to the individual values of liberty and freedom bound within deep communities of duty and responsibility was a clear statement of Gardners values. Even in the most challenging times, he had a biding faith in the American people to do the right thing. I believe that most Americans would welcome a new burst of commitment. I do not believe the self-centeredness and disengagement of which they are accused is their natural state. The best-kept secret in America today is that people would rather work hard for something they believe in than live a life of aimless diversion.
John W. Gardner spent his life inspiring others to make that commitment, to strive for excellence, and help build a stronger community. We can hope to live up to his example.
To order Living, Leading and the American Dream, go to www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA.
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