What really matters from the point of view of social capital and civic engagement is not merely nominal membership, but active and involved membership.

Most Americans watch Friends rather than having friends.

What really matters from the point of view of social capital and civic engagement is not merely nominal membership, but active and involved membership.

School performance, public health, crime rates, clinical depression, tax compliance, philanthropy, race relations, community development, census returns, teen suicide, economic productivity, campaign finance, even simple human happiness - all are demonstrably affected by how (and whether) we connect with our family and friends and neighbours and co-workers.

Our national myths often exaggerate the role of the individual heroes and understate the importance of collective effort.

A society that relies on generalized reciprocity is more efficient than a distrustful society, for the same reason that money is more efficient than barter. Trust lubricates social life. Networks of civic engagement also facilitate coordination and communication and amplify information about the trustworthiness of other individuals.

People may go to the library looking mainly for information, but they find each other there.