This work is a description of vulnerabilities that help account for many of the serious problems facing contemporary society in industrialized countries, including high rates of crime; homelessness; alcohol, tobacco, and other drug addictions; and a breakdown of the psychological sense of community.

Historical, philosophical, and epistemological issues are also explored in this book as a foundation for understanding what appears to have gone wrong. Several solutions are suggested, borrowing heavily from the fields of education, religion, and mythology. Several wisdom traditions are presented as illustrations of alternative conceptualizations for defining mental health, along with discussion of the implications of borrowing from these models to set new directions for the helping fields. The final chapters provide examples, from communities of healing to successful community-based interventions, of how these elements promote human well-being and social improvement today.