Think Like a Commoner, Second Edition

One of the great scandals of our time is the theft of our shared wealth by elites feasting on our broken market-state. Fortunately, the surging paradigm of the commons is pioneering bold, practical responses. Think Like a Commoner introduces the people, projects and vision now spawning a global movement.

Welcome to the Commonsverse, a parallel social economy helping millions of commoners take charge and escape the predatory Market/State order.

This completely revised and updated edition of Think Like a Commoner offers a succinct yet thorough account of the history and future of the commons.

Working outside of both market capitalism and state power, commoners are deeply committed to developing local, practical solutions, social trust, and community. From relocalized agriculture to open-source learning, diverse types of commons — ecological, social, digital, urban — are building a decentralized Commonsverse. This parallel economy is powered by the peer governance of shared wealth; respectful engagement with the Earth; participation; and fairness.

Widely respected activist and scholar David Bollier explores the full scope of the commons in contemporary life, including:

• A survey of successful commons initiatives, from shared land and water, to digital commons, mutual aid networks, alternative currencies, cohousing, and more
• The centuries-old cultural traditions, Indigenous practices, and historical folkways that gave rise to the modern commons Commons under siege – how enclosures of shared wealth through trade treaties, copyright and trademark law, commodification, privatization, and outright theft are dispossessing commoners and worsening inequality
• Understanding the commons as a profoundly relational, living social organism that itself generates value.

The Commonsverse is a dynamic, evolving socio-political space that is constantly being reimagined and rebuilt. Driven forward by worldwide networks of traditionalists and innovators working collaboratively outside of mainstream institutions, commoning constitutes a quiet revolution of real, functional alternatives. Pull up a chair, relax, and let’s talk about the commons.