Coming very soon: the Oxford Handbook of Civil Society, edited by Michael Edwards. As the blurb says, “In the past two decades, ‘civil society’ has become a central organizing concept in the social sciences. Occupying the middle ground between the state and private life, the civil sphere encompasses everything from associations to protests to church groups to nongovernmental organizations.”

The Handbook provides 38 chapters, including Theda Skocpol on “Civil Society in the United States,” Nina Eliasoph on “Civil Society and Civility,” Craig Calhoun on “Civil Society and the Public Sphere,” Harry Boyte on “Civil Society and Public Work,” Mark E. Warren on “Civil Society and Democracy,” and me on “Civic Knowledge.” I have mentioned authors whose work I happen to know especially well, but of equal importance are the chapters on civil society in other parts of the world. The price is steep at $150, but you can recommend that your friendly librarian order it from Oxford University Press.