{"id":46511,"date":"2025-12-17T16:16:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T16:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/?p=46511"},"modified":"2025-12-17T16:16:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T16:16:29","slug":"7-books-that-bring-us-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2025\/12\/17\/7-books-that-bring-us-together\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Books That Bring Us Together"},"content":{"rendered":"

Forgot a gift? Don\u2019t panic. These books from our Movement Partners are about unity, understanding, and coming together\u2014which feels like a pretty solid way to do the holidays.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Beyond the Politics of Contempt <\/i><\/b>by Doug Teschner and Beth Malow, 2025<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

In addition to working for our partner organization, <\/span>Braver Angels<\/span><\/i>, these authors boast an impressive resume of bridge-building. Teschner served as a GOP state legislator and led the Peace Corps in Ukraine. Malow is a neurologist, science communicator, and TEDx speaker with a focus on public health. Together, they offer nourishment for America\u2019s hungry soul. While many are fearful about our nation\u2019s future, <\/span>Beyond<\/span><\/i> features personal stories and useful ways to better our lives, our relationships, and our country.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Certainty Trap <\/i><\/b>by Ilana Redstone, 2024<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Sociologist Ilana Redstone explores a feeling most of us know too well: the moment when disagreement turns into moral outrage and everyone else suddenly seems clueless. Redstone argues that our fiercest debates\u2014from politics to culture\u2014are rarely simple, even when certainty makes them feel that way. By unpacking how overconfidence distorts our thinking, she makes a case for clearer values, better questions, and more trust across divides.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness by Jamil Zaki, 2024<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Stanford psychologist Dr. Jamil Zaki digs into why cynicism feels so justified right now\u2014and why it\u2019s quietly making us more anxious, isolated, and wrong about other people. Blending sharp science with real-world stories, he shows that humans are far kinder than we give them credit for, and that expecting the worst often makes things worse. Zaki\u2019s antidote isn\u2019t blind optimism, but what he calls <\/span>hopeful skepticism<\/span><\/i>: staying clear-eyed <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> humane at the same time. It\u2019s a surprisingly practical guide to trusting again without being na\u00efve.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World <\/i><\/b>by <\/b>Scott Shigeoka<\/b>, 2023<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

A roadmap for anyone who\u2019s tired of feeling disconnected from the world around them. Scott Shigeoka, an internationally recognized curiosity expert and bridge builder, argues that our real problem isn\u2019t disagreement, it\u2019s a lack of <\/span>deep curiosity<\/span><\/i>. Blending research with candid personal stories, he introduces the DIVE model\u2014a practical way to drop assumptions, prepare your mindset, recognize everyone\u2019s dignity, and stay open even when things get uncomfortable. This isn\u2019t about winning arguments or fixing people. It\u2019s about relearning how <\/span>to be genuinely curious again\u2014and using that skill to heal relationships, workplaces, and communities that feel stuck or broken.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Breaking the Social Media Prism: How to Make Our Platforms Less Polarizing <\/i><\/b>by Chris Bail, 2021<\/b><\/a>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The book that gently (and scientifically) explains why scrolling Twitter doesn\u2019t actually help you \u201cunderstand the other side.\u201d Sociologist Chris Bail shows that social media doesn\u2019t just reflect who we are\u2014it warps it, amplifying the loudest extremists while quietly sidelining the exhausted middle. Using real experiments, interviews, and some genuinely surprising findings, Bail explains why leaving your echo chamber can sometimes make polarization worse, not better. The good news: you don\u2019t have to delete your accounts or move to a cabin. Bail offers practical, research-backed ways to engage online more sanely\u2014and a glimpse of what social media <\/span>could<\/span><\/i> look like if we redesigned it to bring people together instead of tearing them apart.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Call to Unite<\/i><\/b> by Tim Shriver and Tom Rosshirt, 2021<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Born out of the early days of the pandemic, this book collects prayers, poems, reflections, and hard-won wisdom from an unexpectedly wide range of voices\u2014faith leaders, artists, activists, doctors, and people who\u2019ve lived through real loss. Edited by Tim Shriver and Tom Rosshirt, it\u2019s less about fixing everything and more about reminding us how to be human together. When the news feels overwhelming, this is the book you open to steady your breathing and remember you\u2019re not alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Become America <\/i><\/b>by Eric Liu, 2019<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

A<\/span> pep talk for democracy\u2014minus the shouting and with way more heart. In 19 short, sermon-style essays, Eric Liu asks a deceptively simple question: <\/span>What if loving America meant actually showing up for it?<\/span><\/i> He writes about citizenship, equal justice, and responsibility in plain English, with warmth and urgency, reminding us that democracy isn\u2019t something we spectate\u2014it\u2019s something we practice. Liu, a longtime civic advocate and former White House speechwriter, offers hope without ignoring the mess, and makes getting involved feel possible, not preachy.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2014Alex Buscemi (abuscemi@buildersmovement.org<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Forgot a gift? Don\u2019t panic. These books from our Movement Partners are about unity, understanding, and coming together\u2014which feels like a pretty solid way to do the holidays.   Beyond the Politics of Contempt by Doug Teschner and Beth Malow, 2025 In addition to working for our partner organization, Braver Angels, these authors boast an…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":46512,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"collection_feed":[],"type_feed":[77],"class_list":["post-46511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n7 Books That Bring Us Together - Builders<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Forgot a gift? 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