Book excerpt: How can all of us encourage commitment to society as a whole, both in the next generation and in ourselves? This landmark book answers these questions by looking at more than one hundred people in many walks of life who live and work on behalf of the common good. The voices of these diverse individuals, and the authors' careful analysis, show that family and community relationships, education, the workplace, the arts, religion, and media all matter; they can all help - or hinder - the formation of a life of commitment.