We won't make progress by doing the wrong things righter". The Green Book challenges current disregard for the inter-relationship between the State and the citizen in nurturing sustainable communities where love and care are valued more than profits. The format of stories, analyses, poems, verses and questions challenges and entertains. In Much More to Life than Services (2010) Bob Rhodes invited readers to consider the often unintended and destabilizing consequences that result from outsourcing so many aspects of our lives, and particularly those associated with caring for each other from the cradle to the grave, to public institutions and businesses. More than 40 years as an innovator, practitioner, thinker and leader in the community care field had caused him to doubt the sanity of converting care into commodities. Much More to Life was littered with inspiring stories and advice about how to secure good lives", rather than simple survival, in the face of disability. The Green Book is very different but complementary. Through stories, analyses, poems, sometimes humorous verses, parodies and songs it sets out to encourage readers to think about what really matters and how they might want to order their lives in accordance with those priorities. It asks questions about how we are socialised or, as Bob provocatively often poses, 'groomed' to accept and even support expectations of compliance and subordination that may not be in the interests of ourselves or those we love. Implicitly it challenges us to give a little time, now and then, to musing upon the meaning of our lives, the importance of our relationships, and, perhaps, the society we aspire to. It is a call to action. Bob's writing is bolstered by thought-provoking contributions from LivesThroughFriends stalwarts, Colin Campbell and Ken Davies.

'Much more to Life than Services' challenges everyone to think about what they want out of life, what they would want out of life if disability, illness or frailty caused them to become very dependent upon the support and care of others, and what sort of a society they want to live in and what they could contribute to making their vision come true. It calls for more attention to be given to the nurture of democracy, personal responsibility, mutuality, and interdependence and debunks the commonly held misconception that institutions and services can or should be seen as a comprehensive solution to human needs and aspirations. It, through the career experience of the author, tells the story of an insidious transfer of power from citizens and their associations to professionals and institutions and the damaging consequences of often well-meaning but perverse social policies. Above all, 'Much More to Life than Services' celebrates the gifts and talents of people and the assets that are abundant in us all and our communities. It proposes that we adopt a mindset that builds on these gifts. The core objective of the book is to provide a person and community centred perspective on the real opportunities that can be grasped if contemporary initiatives in the UK around personalisation, self-direction and individualised funding in social care are addressed from a gifts rather than needs and deficiencies perspective. It is replete with stories that illustrate these themes. It brims with questions. It seeks to offer assistance to 'self-directors', ideas and challenges to policy makers, and observations about leadership to those who are called to lead services. It asks readers to think and reflect. It suggests a new beginning. It is a polemic - not an academic treatise. It addresses us all. We are striving to live in a democracy. A democracy is a politics that gives us the freedom to create our vision and the power to make that vision come true. We strive to be citizens-people with the vision and the power to create our own way, a culture of community capacity, connection and care - Our institutions can only offer service-not care. We cannot purchase care. Care is the freely given commitment from the heart of one to another. - Professor John McKnight Bob is one of those rare individuals who truly seeks to help others make a difference. - Ian Chakravorty, Go MAD Thinking