Sociocracy books – for enjoyable governance and powerful transformation
This is the place for sociocracy books – to make your sociocracy practice and journey enjoyable and smooth! We have sociocracy books for all levels.
These books offer accessible, comprehensive information on sociocracy – how to facilitate meetings with sociocracy, how circle structure works and how to start a group sociocratically – even how to use sociocracy with children.
Sociocracy booklets
Master the sociocracy essentials: your quick-start guides to the sociocracy process!
Meeting evaluation cards
These cards are useful for closing rounds – and help elicit better meeting evaluations.
How it works: choose a prompt and crowdsource how to improve your meetings one step at a time
The Sociocracy Manual: Many Voices One Song
“Many Voices, One Song” is a comprehensive handbook that serves as a guide to sociocracy, a governance and decision-making framework for organizations. If you’re looking for the sociocracy book, this is the one!
This manual covers a wide range of topics crucial to understanding sociocracy.
Many Voices One Song has been sold more than 6000 times since 2018 and serves as a reference book for sociocracy in many organizations.
- 300 pages
- clear and simple explanations, beautiful diagrams
- detailed Table of Contents and a thorough index
- print: softcover, 8×10 in | ebook: epub, mobi, pdf
- Bulk orders (6 and more copies): 40% off
– Fredrick Laloux, author of Reinventing Organizations
– Diana Leafe Christian, author of Creating A Life Together
– John Buck (Co-author of We The People)
– Stéphane Brodu, Collaborative governance coach and collective intelligence consultant
“Many Voices One Song” [english edition] (print)
Also available in other languages!
Who Decides Who Decides?
How to start a group so everyone can have a voice!
You can launch a new group in 3 meetings and establish shared power and self-management!
To get off to a good start, start by defining the purpose, and put the infrastructure and practices in place that you will need to decide together so all voices can be heard.
This sociocracy book for new groups shows you and your group exactly how to do that.
The success factors are well-studied, even though the lessons learned hardly make it into the design of those who start groups. That makes sense – groups form because people feel the urgency for change in an area of their attention, not because they are experts in how to start a group.
Yet, starting a group can be learned – and this book is your guide into the unknown!
- 119 pages
- clear and simple explanations, illustrations and diagrams
- print: softcover, 6×8 in | ebook: epub, mobi, pdf
- Bulk orders (6 and more copies): 40% off
Resource page with demo videos and agendas
Nathan Schneider – Professor of Media Studies, University of Colorado Boulder
“Ted Rau has done an outstanding job of tackling how to avoid the sneaky slide into a power struggle amongst well-meaning people who really want to cooperate and collaborate but need better tools. A practical, accessible approach to decision-making, this book is an excellent handbook for groups wanting to fulfill a mission and not spend their time stuck in a decision-making quandary.”
Dawna Jones, author, Decision Making for Dummies
Humanity is undergoing a species level rite of passage. We can choose to disagree on how to address the problems of climate change, cascading ecosystems collapse, obscene levels of inequality, etc., or we can manifest our evolutionary potential and mature into new ways of collaboration for the common good of people and planet. This will happen place by place, community by community, bioregion by bioregion. It requires paying attention to the biocultural uniqueness of places and people. We are capable of moving from a culturally dominant story of competitive scarcity to co-creating a world of collaborative abundance and in the process heal the Earth and her people. In order to do so we need to work on inclusion, participation and collaborative decision making. Sociocracy offers effective ways to accomplish just that.
Ted Rau’s book makes its practice and processes easy to understand and apply for any group ready to step into the adventure of co-creating diverse regenerative cultures everywhere.
Daniel Christian Wahl, Author, Speaker, Advisor
“Ted Rau applies his Sociocratic brilliance to the perennial “chicken- and-egg” conundrum for emerging groups: “who decides who decides”? Having just navigated this very issue in an emerging group with Ted,
I can attest two things: first, Ted’s strategies work; and second, this book will be a required resource the next time I’m in such a position without Ted there! Read, enjoy, emerge, decide!”
Bill Baue, Systems Transformation Catalyst, Senior Director r3.0
“What I love about Ted’s writing is that he speaks from the heart and from experience. Everything Ted discusses in this book he has tried and tested; and everything works! Our world seems to be mov- ing through a phase of increasing division and rampant self-interest. Forming small groups that embody cultures of caring, empathy and ‘power-with’ rather than ‘power-over’ is a way for each of us to prac- tice the skills that the world needs to move toward greater harmony. Well functioning small groups are a powerful piece of the more net- worked world we are creating. Ted is a gift to the world, and this book is a fantastic, practical guide to creating groups with the culture we need.”
Paul Atkins, Prosocial.world
“Ted Rau has written another invaluable survival guide for groups interested in distributing power and working towards a shared purpose. He demystifies common and frustrating pain points of governance and offers practical, down-to-earth tips for running effective meetings and clearing the path for meaningful collaboration.”
Lisa Gill, founder of Reimaginaire and self-management coach
“Who Decides Who Decides” – print
Also available in other languages!
Sociocracy with children: Let’s decide together
Are you tired of fighting over who will do the chores? Or how about managing a rowdy and disruptive classroom?
Decisions about these problems are usually made by adults for children, leading to an authoritarian dynamic and conflict.
Sociocracy can provide a useful framework for making decisions together with children.
This leads to investment in outcomes and positive solutions that work well for everyone.
Readers can use this sociocracy book to make more values-aligned, egalitarian, and inclusive decisions together with children in the home, at school, clubs, neighborhood groups, or in any group where adults and children are empowered to decide together.
- 104 pages
- clear and simple explanations, lots of templates ready to copy
- print: softcover, 8.5×11 in | ebook: epub, mobi, pdf
- Bulk orders (6 and more copies): 40% off
—Will Gowen, Director of Programs at School Around Us Co-Learning Community
—Marianne Osorio, director of School Circles film and founder of Wondering School
“I like that everyone gets to agree instead of most people. I don’t know what to say, it’s just awesome.”
Kira Gillespie, age 8
“My kiddo feels so empowered during family meetings now and it takes so much stress out of chores and other day-to-day activities. I’d recommend Let’s Decide Together to anyone working with kids.”
Erik Gillespie, parent
“Hope Wilder to the rescue!”
“Let’s Decide Together is simple! Practical! Useful! A cookbook for inclusivity! A workable guide that, if applied correctly, is an utter takedown of all the less-kid-friendly governance systems out there being deployed everywhere from schools to family meetings.”
- Mitra Martin, Director of Organizational Learning at AnswerLab
Gina Simm, author of Heart to Heart: 3 Systems for Staying Connected
“Let’s decide together” – print
Coming in other languages – French and Spanish
Collective Power
Explore effective collective building principles in this book, highlighting unity, power sharing, and governance as crucial for impactful change. Dive into team congruence, network coordination, and essential concepts like Prosocial. Navigate group dynamics while balancing centralization and decentralization to foster agency within your collective efforts.
Discover a comprehensive roadmap for collective building, focusing on unity, power sharing, and governance for meaningful change. Learn to strike a balance between centralization and decentralization to nurture agency within your collaborations.
This is more than a sociocracy book – it’s a guide. understanding the deeper levels of governance.
- 348 pages
- print: softcover, 6×8 in | ebook: epub, mobi, pdf
- Bulk orders (6 and more copies): 40% off
— Professor Charlie Schweik, President of the International Association for the Study of the Commons
– Paul Atkins, Co-founder Prosocial World
“I love this insightful sensemaking around our social constructs, hand in hand with candid sharing of the unlearning and relearning process around power and responsibility. A sweet blend of practical tools, pointed sensemaking, and inner ponderings, that help travel to the many complexities of being more collective together.“
Samantha Slade, author of Going Horizontal
Donnie Maclurcan, Executive Director of the Post Growth Institute
For anyone interested in creating a better world considering the different levels: individual, group, societal and planet, this book is a must. Ted presents the views of collectively distributed power without the struggles of “power over” and“ power-under” by using stories, anecdotes and dialogs in a pedagogical and brilliant way.
Alicia Medina, author of Teal, Trust, Transparency
“Distribution and acceptance of power is at the core of developing truly shared led teams and organizations. Acknowledging the power of power and knowing how to balance it unlocks the door to better, more safe, inclusive and effective teams and organizations. With Collective Power, Ted Rau elegantly explores and explains power dynamics while he oers insight, examples, inspiration and actionable help to manage the discipline of power distribution. This is the kind of book you wish had been published many years ago. It’s a must-read for all who are serious about developing more healthy and sustainable formats for addressing the challenges of today – and tomorrow.”
Mette Aagaard, author of Medledelse – når teamet er chef (Shared Leadership – When the team is the boss)
Cecile M. Green, author of Collaboration that Works: A Ruthlessly Practical Handbook for a Generative World, Co-founder of Round Sky Solutions
“Collective Power: Patterns for a Self-Organized Future by Ted J. Rau” [english edition] (print)
Booklets
Sociocracy Introduction booklet
The perfect gift for those ready to embark on a journey of inclusive governance – an accessible, short and colorful sociocracy book.
Sociocracy: A Brief Introduction is a short introduction of the main tools and processes of sociocracy – perfect as a refresher or a first overview of consent-based, decentralized decision-making and governance.
Light and easy to read, this booklet shows consent decision-making, circles, roles, linking, selections, feedback processes and co-creative processes all in one booklet.
- 72 pages, lots of pictures and diagrams
- Bulk orders (6 and more copies): 40% off
- Buy one book: $14 plus shipping.
- Buy two booklets (any combination): $20 plus shipping.
- Buy three booklets (any combination): $30 plus shipping.
- Buy five booklets (any combination): $45 plus shipping.
- Buy ten booklets (any combination): $90 plus shipping.
Sociocracy: A Brief Introduction is also available as a free e-book.
Facilitating Meetings in Sociocracy booklet
Empower yourself with the tools and knowledge to start facilitating meetings – unlock successful and smooth meetings
This sociocracy book provides a brief overview of the essentials of sociocracy for meeting facilitation. “Facilitating Meetings in Sociocracy” includes meeting preparation, meeting format and tricks to keep meetings on track. Includes the essential processes for meetings and templates.
- 72 pages, lots of pictures and diagrams
- Bulk orders (6 and more copies): 40% off
- Buy one booklet: $14 plus shipping.
- Buy two booklets (any combination): $20 plus shipping.
- Buy three booklets (any combination): $30 plus shipping.
- Buy five booklets (any combination): $45 plus shipping.
- Buy ten booklets (any combination): $90 plus shipping.
A Guide For Serving in Circle Roles booklet
Navigate Circle Roles with Confidence using “A Guide For Serving in Circle Roles.”
This booklet includes an overview of the responsibilities of each circle role with tips to help you succeed. Leaders, secretaries, delegates and facilitators will appreciate learning what makes their role easier and more productive.
Give a copy of this easy-to-read sociocracy book to role holders in your organization!
- 72 pages, lots of pictures and diagrams
- Bulk orders (6 and more copies): 40% off
- Buy one booklet: $14 plus shipping.
- Buy two booklets (any combination): $20 plus shipping.
- Buy three booklets (any combination): $30 plus shipping.
- Buy five booklets (any combination): $45 plus shipping.
- Buy ten booklets (any combination): $90 plus shipping.
Wholesale and bulk orders of sociocracy books
Need more sociocracy books?
Do you need 6 copies or more? Bulk orders are 40% off the regular price plus shipping. (Shipping prices within the USA.)
