This is a book that aims to make a difference, and does.  It's goal is to promote an awareness, first and foremost, of the simple fact that arts make a difference -- a positive, life affirming difference that can and does effect substantial grassroots social change -- in the lives of both individuals and the communities they are a part of.   In addition, as the book's title clearly suggests and where it especially excells, this book's central function is to serve as a guide on how to go about initiating, organizing and planning community arts. It does so by providing in depth presentations of ten transformative local arts projects.  Each of these presentations begins with a description of the setting in which it takes place -- in 7 of the 10 cases it is an inner city neighborhood -- in order to understand that there is a necessarily organic connection of the form the art takes to the community it grows out of and takes root in.  The core of each presentation (and why we here at Copacetic are especially excited about this particular book) is a narrative in comics describing the people (primarily), the place(s), the genesis of the project and how it plays out.  Each of these pieces are excellent examples of the power of comics to effeciently and effectively communicate both stories and ideas.  All the comics pieces are between seven and ten pages in length.  The lion's share of the comics work is by the much acclaimed satirist Keith Knight of The K Chronicles Fame, who here amply demonstrates heretofore hidden strengths.Several pieces are done by Ellen Forney, author of the under-rated Monkey Food: The Complete "I Ways Seven in '75" Collection (which we currently have on offer at a quite affordable price), who employs a different but equally successful approach.  The final piece by newcomers Courtney Collins and Rondall Crier.  This a book that has so many potential uses that it is hard to know where to begin.  Let's just start off by saying that evey community group in America could benefit by having a copy of this in their library, and every co-op with a bookshelf should make sure to have a copy on hand at all times.  This is a book that is sure to inspire.