One Book. Thousands of Readers. A Chance to Strengthen How We Know One Another.

 

What if reading one book together could help us become better neighbors?

This fall, Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute is inviting people across the country to participate in the Weave BIG READ, a shared reading and conversation experience centered on David Brooks’ book How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.

The BIG READ will take place Oct. 1 to Nov. 5, 2026, bringing together thousands of people to read, reflect, talk, and practice the skills that help us better understand one another.

And for anyone interested in neighboring and building stronger communities, this seems like a particularly timely opportunity. 

Why This Book—and Why Now?

We spend a lot of time talking about loneliness, polarization, declining trust, and the weakening of community connections. But rebuilding our social fabric ultimately requires more than identifying the problem.

It requires learning how to relate to one another differently.

That is at the heart of How to Know a Person. Brooks explores something that sounds simple but has become increasingly difficult: how to truly see another person and help them feel seen, heard, and understood. (Read my review of the book).

Those skills matter in our families and workplaces, but they also matter tremendously in our neighborhoods.

Being a good neighbor isn't just about being friendly or waving as we drive past. Strong neighboring requires curiosity. It means listening. It means learning people's stories. It means noticing people who might otherwise go unseen.

In other words, knowing our neighbors begins with learning how to know a person.

More Than a Book Club

The BIG READ isn't simply an invitation to read a book independently.

Throughout October, participants will read alongside thousands of others, join weekly conversations, share stories and reflections, and connect with other community builders through Weaving Us, Weave's free online community.

Participants will generally read two to three chapters each week, with one or two optional 60-minute virtual events offered weekly. You can read at your own pace and participate as your schedule allows. You can even join after the BIG READ has started.

The experience concludes at 6:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 5 with a celebration featuring David Brooks and Weave Executive Director Frederick J. Riley, along with stories from participants and ideas for continuing the learning.

Who Should Participate?

Weave is extending the invitation broadly to educators, faith leaders, volunteer leaders, nonprofit professionals, civic leaders, grassroots organizers, community builders, artists, mediators—and really anyone who wants stronger relationships.

That last category may be the most important.

You don't have to run an organization or lead a major community initiative to benefit from learning how to see people more deeply. These are skills we can practice across the fence, on the sidewalk, around the dinner table, at work, and anywhere people encounter one another.

Organizations can participate as well and can inquire about becoming a National BIG READ Partner. MU Extension is a national partner in this program.

A Neighboring Challenge Worth Accepting

One of the things I appreciate about this effort is that it connects big societal challenges with something very personal. We may not individually be able to solve America's loneliness epidemic or repair declining social trust.

But we can become better listeners, become more curious, and learn people's stories.

We can help another person feel noticed and valued. And we can begin with the people who live around us.

Perhaps the BIG READ can be more than a national reading experience. It could also become a neighborhood experiment: What would happen if we became more intentional about truly knowing the people who live near us?

That's a question worth exploring together.

The BIG READ runs Oct. 1–Nov. 5, 2026, and participation in the online BIG READ activities through Weaving Us is free.

Learn more and join Weave’s BIG READ


WRITTEN BY

David L. Burton

For more information, visit the Engaged Neighbor website. Take our pledge and become part of a movement! Or subscribe to our newsletter. Access some of the research documents written by David Burton, the author of this blog. Or better yet, purchase one of his books off Amazon. Contact David L. Burton via email at dburton541@yahoo.

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