"A riveting personal account of the ingenious and courageous efforts Don Eberly and other volunteers made to keep Iraq from collapsing in the wake of the invasion. I served in the trenches with Don, and he has captured the whole tumultuous experience at ground level. This book is brimming with lessons for Diplomats, warriors and aid workers— especially those on President Obama’s new team."

AMBASSADOR ROBIN RAPHEL
former Senior Advisor, Coalition Provisional Authority

 

"The Rise of Global Civil Society is a brilliant book that captures a growing movement transcending national, cultural, and ideological differences. No one in America is better positioned to tell this story than Don Eberly, who has worked both in the trenches in communities around the world and at the highest levels of our government."

"No one has studied or participated in U.S. civil society efforts to assist the least advantaged more consistently and discerningly than has Don Eberly. In his latest book, he turns his attention to what is happening beyond our borders."

"Don Eberly is America’s leading thinker about civil society. His timely book is a blueprint for a people-first globalization movement. It charts a new course to homegrown peace and prosperity that can benefit children and families all around the world."

"Don Eberly underscores a central fact about development in poor countries today: it must be driven by local, participatory processes. This book offers wise advice for how to approach the problem of global poverty in the future."

"Drawing from his considerable experience in and out of government, Don Eberly outlines the urgent need for America to design an effective strategy that promotes civil society, the rule of law, economic development, and political freedom."

"Don Eberly’s well-documented book is one of the best surveys of today’s wide-ranging reassessment of how countries develop, what works and what does not work in foreign aid, and cutting-edge innovations in aid delivery. The book could make Alexis de Tocqueville smile."

"Drawing on a wealth of experience, Don Eberly offers a bold vision for combating global poverty in an evolving world. This is a timely argument for civil society as a flexible means to engage and empower the world’s poor."

"Don Eberly addresses the positive social and economic aspects of globalization. The Rise of Global Civil Society is a clarion call to leaders in government as well as those in the private sector to reach out to the poor as producers, consumers, and partners in enterprise as an alternative to handouts."

"If you have ever doubted that the United States has an important role to play in world development, read this book. Eberly argues, clearly and persuasively, that the world’s biggest constituency for the ‘American values’ of the market, the rule of law, and democracy are the poor of the developing world."

"Don Eberly is a leading theorist and practitioner of civil society—he helped give birth to today’s civil society movement in the United States. This book takes the idea global, showing how an energized civil society not only can change the world, but is already doing so."

"Eberly’s analysis is required reading for international philanthropies and development agencies who need to understand the current realities of development assistance."

"Building Nations from the Bottom Up is a work of extraordinary breadth and depth. Eberly’s experience in key assignments at the highest levels of government give him a unique vantage point, and his expertise infuses every chapter of the book."

"Anyone in international business should read this book. Eberly describes the dynamic force-multiplying interaction of technology, communications, compassion, and civic norms and practices in Third World (and Second World) countries. He reveals both the surprising scale and important nuances of a new and hope-filled force in our age."

"Don Eberly has been at the forefront of the struggle to preserve and strengthen civil society. His work in the White House and internationally has led him to invaluable insights about the delicate relationship between government and civic entrepreneurs."
 
"This book clearly shows how community associations, entrepreneurship, property ownership, and integration into the world economy improve the lives of the disadvantaged and strengthen democratic practices. It is essential reading for those seeking more effective ways to advance liberty and prosperity in developing countries."

"Few tasks are more urgent for American foreign policy than building the ‘infrastructure of democracy,’ as President Ronald Reagan said nearly 25 years ago. Don Eberly offers a timely set of strategies and insights on how to do exactly this, based on years of experience around the world. His book is a must-read for all who seek to fulfill Reagan’s vision."

"The profusion of nongovernmental organizations dedicated to doing good around the world seems like an unalloyed blessing—a fast-off-the-mark alternative to the ponderous and impersonal institutions of government. But as Don Eberly argues cogently in this timely new book, it also raises a host of difficult questions. We are lucky to have a guide so knowledgeable and perceptive to help us parse the complexities."

"Companies, philanthropy, governments, multilateral agencies, religious groups, civil society, diasporas, and others are working in a variety of new alliances because we have collectively concluded that we can solve the world’s pressing problems by working together. Don Eberly’s book is about development’s future."

"At a time of enormous and often confusing global change, Don Eberly provides a hopeful vision of how the four revolutions—economic, political, cultural, and technological—can result in global commitment to civil society. This book is a blueprint for how America can help lead the world toward decisions that base policy on the best aspirations of humankind."

"Building Nations from the Bottom Up offers insight about the brave new multipolar, multisector world that we are moving into, and the vital role that civil society organizations will play in its development. This is an important book to have in your library if you want a well-rounded perspective on the forces shaping modern events."

"Eberly carefully documents the emergence and evolution of important new trends in the way society—especially in America—is now tackling some of the really big ills it faces. For those of us engaged on this front daily, he provides a heartening reminder that great progress is being made."

"Eberly reminds us that democracy and prosperity remain where they began for both America and the world—in the hands of ‘we the people.’ He details how individuals and movements are surmounting many of the world’s great challenges that have so vexed traditional institutions."

"Drawing on his background as a scholar, policymaker, and practitioner, Don Eberly gathers a disparate set of trends into a holistic vision for a better future. He demonstrates how private entrepreneurship, wise public policies, and the mediating platoons of civil society can come together to promote human dignity, liberty, and prosperity."

"Building Nations from the Bottom Up is a must-read for anyone who wants America to be known for compassion and thoughtful international engagement. It comes at a critical time as we enter an age in which each of us has a role to play in a worldwide movement for progress, lasting development, freedom, democracy, and human dignity."

"This book is a positive counterpoint to the daily onslaught of depressing world news. Eberly offers an eyes-wide-open assessment of the world’s most severe problems, then highlights trends powerful enough to overcome them. Thoughtful people everywhere will be nourished by his profound perspectives."

"With a discerning eye, Don Eberly surveys the global landscape, tracing out the feature missing from most analyses: the untapped power of a global civil society rooted in mutual respect and the rule of law. He reveals the exciting roles that social capital can play at the grassroots level, while reminding Americans of the compassion that has made their country great."

"Don Eberly has experienced how some of the hardest problems of our age can be uniquely addressed by civil society precepts that are less purely American than they are essentially human. Building Nations from the Ground Up is very good news for those who care about the world their children will inherit."

"Don Eberly offers a compelling account of how a revitalized and dynamic global civil society can address the seemingly intractable social issues of the 21st century. This is a book of hope and possibility."

"Don Eberly’s breadth and depth of understanding are impressive, and these pages are lively and enjoyable. To anyone interested in knowing more about the full dimensions of global works of compassion, I say ‘read it and get involved.’"