North Dakota State University
NDSU Extension Service

Community Development Books

50 Ways Farmers Can Protect Their Groundwater
Coop. Ext. Service, U. of Illinois College of Ag.
1993, 189 Pages
This book provides farmers with research and management tips on ways to cut back on pesticides and fertilizer without cutting yields, ways to determine which pesticides are less likely to leach, and ways to apply chemicals more efficiently. It also includes sections on chemical storage, wells, septic systems, livestock waste management, irrigation, chemigation, water testing, and water treatment.

Boom Town USA: The 7 1/2 Keys to Big Success in Small Towns
Jack Schultz
2004, 191 Pages
In Boomtown USA, Schultz describes the keys needed for small towns to thrive and grow. He asserts that in small, rural communities, a solid core group of bright, dedicated people working as a team can make a difference. To back up his premise, the author has filled his 167-page book with over one hundred examples and case studies.

Bowling Alone: the Collapse and Revival of American Community
Robert D. Putnam
2000, 541 Pages
Few people outside certain scholarly circles had heard the name Robert D. Putnam before 1995. But then this self-described "obscure academic" hit a nerve with a journal article called "Bowling Alone." He argued that civil society was breaking down as Americans became more disconnected from their families, neighbors, communities, and the republic itself. The organizations that gave life to democracy were fraying. Bowling became his driving metaphor. Years ago, he wrote, thousands of people belonged to bowling leagues. Today, they’re more than likely to bowl alone. The conclusions reached in the book Bowling Alone rest on a mountain of data gathered by Putnam and a team of researchers since his original essay appeared.

To Build a Bridge: Working with American Indian Communities
John Poupart, Cecilia Martinez, John Red Horse, Dawn Scharnberg
2001, 60 Pages
This guide is for educators, human service professionals, policy makers, and others who work with American Indians.  It is developed with 3 purposes in mind: 1) to improve social service delivery in Indian Communities; 2) to incorporate Indian Values into research methodologies when working with Indian people; and 3) to educate policy makers and program developers about the unique situation of American Indians.

Lost Prizes: Talent Development and Problem Solving with At-Risk Students
K. McClusky, P. Baker, S. O’Hagan, D. Treffinger
1995, 224 Pages
This book is about the forgotten and hidden needs and potentials of high-risk children and youth in our society. For example, orphans who have been neglected, rejected, or ignored by caregivers. Other youth as well, who haven’t experienced excitement or achievement in school or making their own decisions.

Positive Peer Culture
Harry Vorrath
1985, 173 Pages
This book contains the specific procedures for getting youth hooked on helping through peer counseling groups and for generalizing a caring behavior beyond the school or treatment environment through community-based service learning projects.

Racial Politics in American Cities
Rufus Browning
230 Pages
This is a unique collection of original essays by distinguished urban scholars is a progress report on the continuing struggle for minority access to political power in American cities.  It talks about what the government has achieved in the last 25 years and what it has not.

Ripples from the Zambezi: Passion, Entrepreneurship and the Rebirth of Local Economies
Ernesto Sirolli
1999, 151 Pages
This book leads the reader through the fascinating story of development failures and successes that led eventually to this technique that has been successful in over 250 communities in four countries.  Inspiring, amusing, and easy to read, this book will appeal to a wide range of people interested in a new and successful approach to revitalizing our communities.

The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century
Thomas Freidman
2006, 592 Pages
This book describes the expansion, globalization, and changes of our time when it comes to advancing in technology and communications, putting people all over the world in tough like never before. You make think: has the world gotten too small and too fast for human beings and their political systems to adjust in a stable manner? Thomas explains to you how the "world is getting flatter," what happened at the dawn of the twenty-first century, and how it effects counties, communities, governments, individuals and companies.

Books can be checked out for one month, audio and video tapes for two weeks. Contact the Distribution Center at NDSU.distributioncenter@ndsu.edu or 701 231-7882 to check out Staff Resource Library materials, or stop by Morrill 10 to browse the shelves.