Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity, and Courage in a World Gone Mad (review)

Frances Moore Lappé offers a framework for moving beyond, beyond the Spiral of Powerlessness to the life-giving Spiral of Empowerment through the process of confronting the myths perpetuated by “Thin Democracy.” Thin Democracy, as Lappé notes, is born out of a limited understanding of what democracy can be (pp. 8–9). For many Americans, democracy has been so distorted that it bears little meaning beyond simply the responsibilities of voting and purchasing goods to fuel the economy. This mindset perpetuates feelings of hopelessness; the cure for disengagement of this sort is Lappé’s “Living Democracy.” As the United States grapples with the challenges of creating a Living Democracy, other countries are too, making this book applicable for a wide international audience.

Lappé’s book is organized into three parts, based on the notion that clarity, creativity, and courage are all essential elements for participating in a Living Democracy. The beauty of a Living Democracy lies in that it is not a utopian view of democracy, but rather supposes that disagreements and challenges will arise; however, instead of shrinking back into Thin Democracy, we engage with difference, allowing our individual selves room to experience discomfort, thus beginning the journey of dialogue. Lappé provides real-world examples of these principles at work, and through her well-balanced presentation is able to achieve her stated goal: to explore “a richer understanding of democracy—one strong and vital enough to meet today’s challenges, and compelling enough to stand up to extremists’ claims” (p. 19).

Lappé’s carefully structured sections offer readers a clear picture of where the book is heading. In summary, “Part 1: Clarity” schools the reader on the pitfalls of Thin Democracy, particularly in the area of allowing big business to participate so closely in our democracy, giving it the option of hijacking our individual voices. The section then explains “an ecology of democracy,” five principles necessary for a Living Democracy. These principles provide the backbone of “a premise of plenty” and the Spiral of Empowerment. The first section finishes with specific examples of everyday U.S. citizens, businesses, and institutions that are taking an active role in creating a Living Democracy.

“Part 2: Creativity” begins by taking a look at power and many of our negative connotations around power that lead to Thin Democracy. Through examining power and viewing it as the ability to act, citizens are able to reclaim and utilize power for relational purposes that are community building rather than destructive. This section also highlights the importance of language, pointing out the old vocabulary around democracy and offering new meanings to invigorate the timeworn.

“Part 3: Courage” takes the reader through the visceral side of a Living Democracy, pointing out the inevitable fear that comes from speaking truth. Lappé offers support and encourages the reader to see fear as a tool in the Cycle of Hope instead of experiencing fear as a crisis. Further, by using fear as a tool, we can transform it into energy. Lappé cautions us to use this newfound energy carefully; our good intentions may blind us, causing damage. Finding “entry points” to solving tough problems is the way to go, rather than taking on “issues.”

Lappé does not discuss the underlying principles of democracy in depth; instead, she offers a wide-lens view and then delves into several of the hot-button topics of our time, including power imbalance, corporate greed, ecological strife, and the perils of globalization. Indeed, this text has areas that need to be updated; hence the publication of Getting a Grip 2: Clarity, Creativity, and Courage for the World We Really Want in February 2010.

Overall, Lappé’s clear, levelheaded but passionate writing style shines through in this text. She offers readers simple principles for engaging in complex issues, makes use of tables to draw comparisons, and provides dynamic flow charts to help readers visualize complex concepts. Applications of...