''The Great Good Place'' is a book by

Ray Oldenburg Ray Oldenburg (April 7, 1932 – November 21, 2022) was an American urban sociologist who is known for writing about the importance of informal public gathering places for a functioning civil society, democracy, and civic engagement. He coined th ...

, originally published in 1989. More recent reprints have occurred in 1997 and 1999. While "Cafes, Coffee Shops, Community Centers, General Stores, Bars, Hangouts, and How They Get You through the Day" was the original subtitle, the more recent reprints of this work use the new subtitle "Cafés, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community."

Third places

Oldenburg suggests that for a healthy existence, citizens must live in a balance of three realms: home life, the workplace, and the inclusively sociable places. Other cultures such as the French have their ''rendezvous'' term to describe this third realm, though as the American English language has no vocabulary to describe this third realm, Oldenburg adopts the accepted term

third place In sociology, the third place refers to the social surroundings that are separate from the two usual social environments of home ("first place") and the workplace ("second place"). Examples of third places include churches, cafes, clubs, public ...

to describe these locations throughout the book. Other than the numerous personal benefits third places offer their regulars, Oldenburg advocates for the immense social value they bring and points out their historical role, amongst others: * The American tavern in the American Revolution * The French café in the French Revolution * The London coffee house during the Enlightenment * The

agora The agora (; grc, ἀγορά, romanized: ', meaning "market" in Modern Greek) was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. It is the best representation of a city-state's response to accommodate the social and political order of t ...

in Greek democracy The largest causes underlined in the passing of third places are urban planning practices and suburban development. If the deterioration of American community is to be addressed, the third place may be a solution in reframing the way interpersonal interaction is approached on an individual level.

Contents (1999 reprint)

Part I

1. The Problem of Place in America
2. The Character of Third Places
3. The Personal Benefits
4. The Greater Good

Part II

5. The German-American Lager Beer Gardens
6. Main Street
7. The English Pub
8. The French Café
9. The American Tavern
10. Classic Coffeehouses

Part III

11. A Hostile Habitat
12. The Sexes and the Third Place
13. Shutting Out Youth
14. Toward Better Times... and Places

Sources

(New York: Paragon House, 1989) 1989 non-fiction books Sociology books Da Capo Press books {{sociology-book-stub