Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

a look at 6 attempts to create alternative societies that provide spaces for re education, philosophical thinking and self sufficiency. the structure of the book, a chapter for each, felt somewhat dry in places and lacking in connection between the groups.

the chapters very much focused on the creation and systems in place within the communities and although interesting were often times, less important to the overall narrative being told

The Utopians is the remarkable story of six experimental communities – Santiniketan-Sriniketan in India, Dartington Hall in England, Atarashiki Mura in Japan, the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man in France, the Bruderhof in Germany and Trabuco College in America – that sprang up in the aftermath of the First World War.

I found it fascinating reading of the various different philosophies of the different communities. You could see with some of them as you were reading how the community would evolve. This would work much better as a hard copy/physical book rather than an E-book.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

This was a really interesting read that can definitely be used within a school setting to help facilitate debate and discussion.

A really lovely tour of different intentional communities around the world.

Really well written, with a good balance of information about the general philosophy behind some of the places, and the human stories and characters that shaped them.

It was particularly interesting to see the connections across the different communities, and the way they influenced each other.

A hopeful read about human nature and its capacity to organise (and persevere!) in the face of difficulties, as well as our ability to experiment and challenge the status quo.

This book is a history of six attempts during the inter-war years to build a better life in a number of countries such as India, Japan, England and France to name a few. It displays how the people generally by a captivating personality persuaded people to become part of a new community to fundamentally change society and make life better.

A really interesting common thread throughout all of the communities was that the people were interesting thinkers who could outline a philosophy but couldn't work out the practicalities of how a community would work in practice such as finding living arrangements for all their community and how to make it financially sustainable. There was also an issue that the people that lived in these utopian communities tended to look to the founders to guide them even though that wasn't the intention.

I found it fascinating reading of the various different philosophies of the different communities. You could see with some of them as you were reading how the community would evolve.

Good to read of various attempts to make the world a better place.

Thank you for NetGalley for getting me access to this title.

I found all of the ‘Utopias’ mentioned within interesting. I just wish that the book went more in-depth. Or there was a more human component. The information presented was purely factual. I would have enjoyed a more 1:1 portrayal of what it was like to live there.