The Quest for Community: A Study in the Ethics of Order and Freedom

The Quest for Community, published in 1953, stands as one of the most persuasive accounts of the dilemmas confronting modern society.

Nearly a half century before Robert Purnam's Bowling Alone documented the atomization of society, sociologist Robert Nisbet argued that the rise of the powerful modern state had eroded the sources of community-the family, the neighborhood, the church, the civic association. Alienation and loneliness inevitably resulted. But as the traditional ties that bind fell away, the human impulse toward community led people to turn even more to the government itself, allowing statism-even totalitarianism - to flourish.

ISI Books is proud to present this new edition of Nisbet's magnum opus, featuring a brilliant introduction by New York Times columnist Rose Douthat and three critical essays. With our communal life growing ever weaker and with many Americans displaying cultish enthusiasm for a charismatic president, The Quest for Community is as relevant today as ever.