34 Summer Books, Movies, and Podcasts to Mend America’s Divisions

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The waning weeks of summer often mean quiet inboxes, long vacations, and ideally, hours in a lawn chair. This much-needed pause allows for the deep thinking that the busyness of fall makes virtually impossible.

Which means now is a good time to take in new stories and perspectives about the country’s divisions and how to bring people together — nationally, but also in your community and organization. With that in mind, the Chronicle of Philanthropy asked experts to share books, movies, podcasts, and TV shows that will help you think differently about what divides us — and how to find solutions.

We’ll be noting some other choices in upcoming issues of our LinkedIn newsletter.

Books and Plays

The Upswing, by Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett. Putnam, a political scientist, wrote the famous Bowling Alone in 2000, which first documented the collapse in America’s civic culture. This book, published 20 years later, is less well known but points to reforms from America’s Progressive Era as a model for how to fix things.

“It’s a means to understand that America’s current hyper-obsession with individualism and material achievement is not destiny,” says U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, who’s backing legislation to address the country’s loneliness crisis.

Small Boat, by Vincent Delecroix, translated by Helen Stevenson. The recommendation for this short novel by the French philosopher and writer comes from Dame Louise Richardson, president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and a veteran board member for the Booker Prizes for literature.

“This gripping book,” she says, “explores individual and collective responsibility for the fate of migrants who cross the English Channel in dangerously overcrowded and unseaworthy boats.” Another Richardson pick: Brotherless Night, by V.V. Ganeshananthan, a book set in the early years of Sri Lanka’s civil war, which ran from the late 1900s to early 2000s.

The Neutrality Trap, by Bernard Mayer and Jacqueline N. Font-Guzmán. Experts in mediation and conflict resolution, the two outline the drivers of social change — particularly confrontation through protest and activism. Julia Roig, founder of the democracy-building organization Horizons Project, says the book explains why dialogue isn’t effective “when disconnected from a commitment to confront the underlying systems of injustice.”

On Character, by Gen. Stanley McChrystal. A retired Army general who led U.S. forces in Afghanistan for several years, McChrystal argues that the value of someone’s life doesn’t lie in accomplishments. It comes from living with purpose and virtue. As Manu Meel, CEO of BridgeUSA explains, the book “stresses the importance of character in our very divided times.”

Meel also points to “Two Concepts of Liberty,” a lecture by philosopher Isaiah Berlin to the University of Oxford in 1958 that Meel says defines “what pluralism actually means.”

The Amen Effect, by Rabbi Sharon Brous. Jen Carnig, president of Spitfire Strategies — authors of a new guide on how nonprofits can build trust — recommends the work of Brous, a renowned American rabbi: It “employs thousands of years of storytelling to show that the most powerful gift we can offer is to really see each other, even when that’s the last thing we want to do.”

Undivided, by Hahrie Han. Han — head of the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins and a Commons contributor — spent years with evangelicals in Cincinnati who confronted racial injustice through a faith-based program. Liz Vogel, co-executive director of the funder collaborative New Pluralists, calls it a good example of “pluralism in practice” that “illustrates how communities can wrestle with complexity and pursue shared purpose even in the face of division.”

Angels in America, by Tony Kushner. Eboo Patel, a Chronicle of Philanthropy columnist and the founder of Interfaith America, is rereading the script of this Pulitzer-Prize-winning drama about the AIDS crisis in 1980s New York City: “It’s about how a diverse range of Americans, both historical figures and imagined characters, build community and country, amidst their various prejudices and foibles.”

Radiant, by Brad Gooch. Jirair Ratevosian, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says he was deeply moved by this biography of artist and AIDS activist Keith Haring: “At a time when science and human rights are under attack, his story is the antidote I needed to keep fighting, keep seeing others, and keep working to change hearts and minds.”

High Conflict, by Amanda Ripley. Ripley, an investigative journalist, warns of disagreement that devolves into life-and-death battles between good and evil — and writes of how to manage conflict so that it’s healthy for society.

Kristen Scott Kennedy, an executive vice president at the Council on Foundations, says she keeps this book and Mónica Guzmán’s I Never Thought of it That Way on her desk: They “fundamentally changed the way I personally think about conflict — from something that should be avoided to something [that] can be generative.”

Born for Love, by Bruce Perry and Maia Szalavitz. The duo — a science journalist and a psychiatrist — explain how empathy works and why it’s important. “As authoritarian structures seek to divide us, this is a remarkable book that reminds us to turn toward each other to form and sustain bonds with love and empathy,” says john a. powell, who leads the Othering and Belonging Institute at the University of California at Berkeley.

American Covenant, by Yuval Levin. Levin, an American Enterprise Institute political analyst, points to the Constitution as a framework for resolving today’s discord and disunity. Mónica Guzmán, a senior fellow at Braver Angels, says Levin, illustrates “the care America’s founders took to design a republic that’s managed to steward wild disagreement for almost 250 years.”

When No Thing Works, by Norma Wong. “This book blends Indigenous wisdom and Zen practice into a powerful guide for collective resilience and shared purpose — exactly the medicine we need to heal our fractured social fabric,” says Edgar Villanueva, author and head of the Decolonizing Wealth Project. Wong is an Indigenous Hawaiian leader who has been active in state politics for decades, including leading negotiating teams on the munitions cleanup of Kahoʻolawe Island.

Palaces for the People, by Eric Klinenberg. This book is about the importance of shared spaces such as libraries, daycare centers, and parks. Janay Johnson, executive director of Montana’s Bozeman Library Friends and Foundation, says it’s a “bible for those of us in the library world.”

The Persuaders, by Anand Giridharadas. Giridharadas — author of Winners Take All and a provocative critic of philanthropy — explores the “deep canvassing” of activists and organizers to assess what it takes to change minds and bring people to a cause. This recommendation comes from fundraising strategy adviser Jess Gorman.

Podcasts, Music, Journalism, and More

Connective Tissue. The Substack led by democracy scholar and former nonprofit leader Sam Pressler explores what it takes to build a healthy and robust civic life. It’s “an insightful, irreverent watering hole” for people working to build stronger communities, says David Hsu, senior director at the Omidyar Network.

Sarah McBride on “The Ezra Klein Show.” McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, discusses changing opinions on trans rights and the need for empathy and grace in politics and in life. She “shows us a way forward by meeting people where they’re at,” says Brad Clark, outgoing CEO of the Gill Foundation.

Hidden Brain. Layla Zaidane, CEO of Future Caucus, shared this podcast about the human mind and how it works. She said it’s made her reflect on “the science and psychology behind decision-making … especially in high-stakes environments like politics,” and is “a fun listen for anyone interested in behavioral science and how people form (or change) their views.”

Reimagining Us. Co-hosted by social psychologist Nichole Argo and Scott Hutcheson of the E Pluribus Unum fund, this podcast looks at how philanthropy is fostering connection and healing divisions. Wendy Feliz, managing director of democracy at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, finds it thoughtful and hopeful. She also suggests the Greater Good Science Center, for “quick, meaningful insights on how to live, love, and connect better.”

“My Mississippi River Playlist.” The legendary musician and filmmaker David Byrne curated this collection of songs. It “captures the spirit of the people connected by one of America’s defining rivers” and is a “resonant reminder that water can both sustain and disrupt—and that protecting the full watershed is key to strengthening the communities that depend on it,” says Stephanie Cornell, executive director of the Walton Family Foundation.

The Great Battlefield. In each episode of the podcast, host Nathaniel Pearlman talks to people fighting to repair democracy. Guests include organizers, advocates, political leaders, and tech experts. Recommended by Matt Leighninger, director of the Center for Democracy Innovation at the National Civic League.

“The Anti-Social Century” by Derek Thompson. Joseph Bubman, founder of Urban Rural Action, calls this Atlantic article the most impactful thing he’s read in a while. He explains that it explores how to strengthen social ties and “recruit participants into our programs in an era when folks prefer to stay at home.”

“How to Talk to People.” Part of the Atlantic’s “How To” podcast, the series explores topics such as small talk, meeting neighbors, difficult conversations with friends, and more. It “discusses how to engage with friends and neighbors in a healthy, constructive way, as well as the infrastructure that facilitates community building,” says a Chronicle reader.

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