On Belonging

Finding Connection In An Age Of Isolation

BY KIM SAMUEL

What does it mean to belong? Today we’re at an inflection point. Stress, disconnection, and increasing environmental degradation have people yearning for more than just material progress, legal liberty, or political stability. We are yearning for deeper connection. We are longing to belong.

In On Belonging, Kim Samuel explores our current crisis and maps out four dimensions of belonging: in our relationships with other people, in our rootedness in nature, in our ability to influence political and economic decision–making, and in our finding of meaning and purpose in our lives. An expert on the subject and an advocate with strong international ties, Samuel introduces readers to innovators around the world who are cultivating belonging. Whether it’s through sports, music, education, mental health, cultural traditions, or the environment, they are healing a rift and offer lessons in how every one of us can create a world where we feel at home.

Kim Samuel is an activist, educator, and movement builder. She is the founder of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness and an academic lecturer at institutions including Oxford, Harvard, and McGill Universities. Samuel was recently named visiting scholar at the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, University of Oxford and the first–ever Fulbright Canada ambassador for diversity and social connectedness. She lives in Toronto.

Selling Points

MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER: Even before the pandemic, loneliness and social isolation were major problems, and they’ve only gotten worse. This book will show what belonging is, why it matters, and how innovators are fostering it around the world.

CONNECTED AUTHOR: Samuel is a powerhouse, an international leader and philanthropist whose foundation supports this work. She is well–connected to experts and influential figures across many fields.

MAJOR CAMPAIGN: Publication will coincide with a Global Symposium on Belonging, hosted by the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness. Samuel, recently named the first–ever Fulbright Ambassador for Inclusion and Social Connectedness, has been invited on a tour to universities and consulates under their auspices, and additional outside publicity will be part of the campaign.

HOT TOPIC: LinkedIn, Harvard University, Nordstrom, HubSpot, and a diverse group of companies and institutions have launched new executive roles with titles including director of “diversity, inclusion, and belonging” or VP of “global culture, belonging, and people growth.” Belonging is the topic of major industry conferences and political campaigns.

SPECIFICATIONS

* 304 pages

* WIDTH: 6" - mm

* HEIGHT: 9" - mm

* Hardcover with jacket

PUB MONTH: SEPTEMBER 2022

ISBN 978-1-4197-5303-9

US $26.00

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