Catalysts and Communities

May 22, 2025

Last week in this space, my column “Flocking” described how powerful it feels to stand shoulder to shoulder with others who share your values and energy. I talk about these sorts of ideas a lot... and whenever I do, people typically ask, “OK, but how do we actually build that kind of community?” That question led me to write my new book, The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Opportunities to Build Strong Communities (Post Hill Press, release date December 9, 2025), which is now available for pre-order.

The idea took root in 2017, when my daughter Ella and I stood in the shadow of a total solar eclipse in Kimmswick, Missouri. I’d thought I was just tagging along on her science adventure... but the experience left me transformed. Suddenly, I understood what people meant by awe. And I realized that rare, collective moments like eclipses can be more than just inspiration—they can be catalysts for real, lasting connection and action. (You can read that story in the book's introduction here.)

So I got to work. Over 7 years, I helped lead Rochester's Eclipse Task Force, coordinating hundreds of partners to help our community seize its 2024 eclipse moment. In doing so, I drew on two decades of watching communities thrive through my work at KidsOutAndAbout.com. The strategies I saw succeed—again and again, in cities and small towns—shaped the book’s core message: that anyone, anywhere, can turn a fleeting spark into something enduring.

The Eclipse Effect is aimed at anyone who wants to pull people together to make something happen. That can be large, like a national movement, or just within your family: If you’ve ever used a graduation, birth, or anniversary to bring people together, you already understand the power of the right moment, harnessed well. So if last week’s column lit a spark in you, this week’s news is your next step. You can read The Eclipse Effect as a practical guide—or simply enjoy it as the story of dozens of real people who made the 2024 eclipse meaningful across North America. Pre-orders now help us reach 2,400 copies sold this summer—our publisher's trigger number for widespread national distribution. The book is available for pre-order at several outlets: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Bookshop.com, Target.com, Walmart.com. Thank you! I look forward to hearing what you all think!

—Deb