What makes some communes work, while others fail? Why is it so difficult to put utopian ideals into practice? Rosabeth Kanter offers a unique analysis of the nature and process of enduring commitment, basing her theory of commitment mechanisms on exhaustive research of nineteenth–century utopias, sharpened by first–hand knowledge of a variety of contemporary groups. The book moves in a lively fashion from Oneida, Brook Farm, and the Shakers to present–day phenomena such as rural communes and Synanon.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter is Professor of Sociology and of Organization and Management, Yale University.