CMMi Press
The CMMi Press was established in 2019 as the publishing arm of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution. The Institute is committed to making better social worlds through paying particular attention to the quality of the communication patterns in which we participate. The CMMi Press publishes books that promote this approach with the intent of inspiring better communication practices for making social worlds we would all want to live in.
If you have a publishing idea or a manuscript in preparation that you think will fit the aims of our Press, please contact Robyn Penman, our commissioning editor, at CMMI.penman@gmail.com.
Books
Penman, R. (2025) Justice in the Making: Relating, Participating, Communicating
Penman, R. & Jensen, A. (2019) Making Better Social Worlds: Inspiration from the Theory of the Coordinated Management of Meaning.
Jensen, A. (2020)
A Call to Cosmopolitan Communication: A Narrative of richness and mystery.
Penman, R., ed. (2021)
A Cosmopolitan Sensibility: Compelling stories from a Communication Perspective
Working Papers
Penman, R. (2022)
Re-storying the “white problem”: Working towards racial justice, Part 2
Penman, R. (2022)
Racial justice, relational responsivity and responsibility
Jensen, A., Jensen, S., Pearce, K., Penman, R. (2021)
The elephant in the room: Righteous minds and cosmopolitan communication
CMMiPress news
Interpersonal Communication has won a McGuffey Longevity Award
Interpersonal Communication has won a McGuffey Longevity Award
The 8th edition of Arthur Jensen and Sarah Trenholm’s Interpersonal Communication textbook has been awarded the McGuffey Longevity Award by the Textbook and Academic Authors’ Association. This award recognizes the longevity in the marketplace and is a strong testimony to the quality of the book. We congratulate Arthur and Sarah on this remarkable achievement.
A review of Justice in the Making: Relating, Participating, Communicating
A review of Justice in the Making: Relating, Participating, Communicating
Robyn Penman’s ground breaking new book, Justice in the Making: Relating, Participating, Communicating was published last month and is already being highly acclaimed. In this quarter’s news, Sheila McNamee, Professor Emerita, New Hampshire University, offers a considered review of the book; noting that “Penman offers an impressive review of established understandings of justice…, thoroughly introduces the limitations of those understandings and offers an alternative that speaks directly to the pragmatic appreciation of possibilities for justice in our lived experience”
Interpersonal Communication: Award nomination
Interpersonal Communication: Award nomination
Earlier this year we announced that the 8th edition of Arthur Jensen and Sarah Trenholm’s interpersonal communication textbook had been published. Now the publishers, Cognella, have nominated the 8th edition of Interpersonal Communication for the McGuffey Longevity Award which honors textbooks that have had a long shelf life.
Replicability and fraud: Unintended consequence of modernity
Replicability and fraud: Unintended consequence of modernity
We often take the idea of forms of communication to indicate different ways of engaging with others. However, different forms can go beyond the interpersonal level to impact on social structures and practices. In a fascinating paper, John Parrish-Sprowl, argues that the form of modernity has had a direct and often deleterious effect on the scientific research enterprise.
Stories of destiny
Stories of destiny
What is destiny and to what extent do we have a role to play in controlling the events of our lives? How much we can be effective in shaping our fate, life and death? These are the central questions explored in a new book, The Valley of Loneliness, written by Hossein Kaviani, a past CMMi Fellow.
A great new interpersonal communication text: Review
A great new interpersonal communication text: Review
John Chetro-Szivos reviews Arthur Jensen’s and Sarah Trenholm’s newly published interpersonal communication text. This is a significantly revised eighth edition of their undergraduate text that John describes as masterfully weaving information on interpersonal theory into a vibrant tapestry of ideas and applications. John sums up his review with “this is the text I wish I had as an undergraduate”.
Better ways of negotiating
Better ways of negotiating
Following on from the success of her latest book, New story, new power: A woman’s guide to negotiation, Beth Fisher Yoshida has contributed to a number of specific publications addressing different aspects of her work. These include the role of power dynamics, stories of gender, using new generative patterns, and overcoming stereotypes in negotiations.
Changing our way of understanding communication to align with a quantum paradigm
Changing our way of understanding communication to align with a quantum paradigm
John and Susan Parrish-Sprowl have just published an exciting new article, A case for a quantum informed approach to health communication research. In this paper, they argue it is time that communication theory and research shifts from a Newtonian understanding of the world to more a quantum paradigm. This would help us in ways to invite more inclusion as well as a more meaningful conceptualization of communication and its relationship to health.
Rituals that sustain and nurture relationships: Honoring Ed Schein
Rituals that sustain and nurture relationships: Honoring Ed Schein
Emeritus Professor Edgar H. Schein, a social psychologist who bridged the academic and practical sides of culture and organization by practicing his own tenets on humble presence, inquiring and reflecting, died earlier this year. Ilene Wasserman recently published a paper in honour of Ed Schein in which she reflects on the profoundly simple lessons learnt from her relationship with him.
CMM-informed perspectives on creating online learning environments
CMM-informed perspectives on creating online learning environments
Lilya Shienko, a 2021-2022 CMM Institute Fellow, has co-authored two book chapters with CMM Institute Board member Barton Buechner. These chapters are extensions of her Fellow’s project work in which she extends her fellow’s project work. The first of these chapters is on “Co-constructing belongingness— Strategies for creating community and shared purpose online: The social construction of community and meaning” and the second is “Getting ‘unstuck’—Transforming lived experience of veterans in transition to civilian life.”
New Story, New Power: An exciting new publication
New Story, New Power: An exciting new publication
Beth Fisher Yoshida has just published an exciting new book, New Story, New Power: A Woman’s Guide to Negotiation. Her book draws on 30 years of negotiation research and practice, offering a critical guide on how women can dump the cultural baggage that makes negotiation difficult and how they can write a new story to strengthen their resolve and negotiation acumen.
Narrative Timelines in Negotiation Preparation
Narrative Timelines in Negotiation Preparation
Following on from the successful publication of her new book on negotiation strategies for women, Beth Fisher-Yoshida describes some of the conceptual background to negotiation practices. In this article, Beth explains the importance of narrative awareness in the preparation for negotiations.
New Working Paper: Restorying the “white problem”
New Working Paper: Restorying the “white problem”
We have just published our third paper in the Working Paper series: “Restorying the ‘white problem’: Working towards racial justice, Part 2”, authored by Robyn Penman. This paper builds on the previous paper in the series, “Racial justice, relational responsivity and responsibility”. One reviewer of the new paper described it as a “powerful, practical, and a very strong application of the communication perspective to a very tough issue. I feel compelled to take your recommendations, learn more about them, practice them.”
A cosmopolitan sensibility: Compelling stories from a communication perspective: A review
A cosmopolitan sensibility: Compelling stories from a communication perspective: A review
A cosmopolitan sensibility: Compelling stories from a communication perspective was published towards the end of last year. Gitte Haslebo, an educator and trainer in social constructionist theory and practices for more than 30 years and a Taos Associate, reviews this edited volume of compelling stories, finding them ”rich in key CMM ideas.”
Highlights and replays of the 2021 Joint Conference
Highlights and replays of the 2021 Joint Conference
The 2021 joint conference held with the AFT, the CMM Institute and Friends of KCC, was a special conference in many ways. The collaboration between our three organisations led to an exciting showcase of just what the systemic approach developed by the Kensington Consulting Centre and the CMM approach that was deeply embedded in the training could do towards making better social worlds. If you missed the conference or just want to immerse yourself again, we have some wonderful material for you to read.
Call for proposals: CMMi Working Paper series
Call for proposals: CMMi Working Paper series
The CMMi Working Papers is a new publishing venture. We have already published two papers in our new Working Paper series and have a third in production. We are now calling for proposals from our broader community for publishing consideration.
New CMMi Working Paper: Racial justice, relational responsivity and responsibility
New CMMi Working Paper: Racial justice, relational responsivity and responsibility
This is the first paper to emerge from discussions in the CMMi Social Justice Working Group. In this paper, Robyn Penman considers the issue of racial justice within a relational framework, that includes a relationally-responsive, and responsible, form of understanding emerging from an “us”. Drawing on the various models and heuristics of CMM, she shows us how we can develop a different sense of racial justice and how we can expose the pervasive relational dynamics at work in perpetuating injustice. Community discussion of the paper is invited.
New publication
New publication
Sergej van Middendorp, one of our Board members, has just co-authored a chapter on collaborative support networks as a form of organizing that can help address issues of sustainability leadership in a variety of contexts. The chapter is part of an edited collection that focuses on the reciprocal relationship between leadership and sustainability in a turbulent world—well worth a read!
New Working Papers series
New Working Papers series
We have started a new series of Working Papers, to highlight new developments in CMM and stimulate conversation. Our first paper, The Elephant in the Room: Righteous Minds and Cosmopolitan Communication, evaluates the moral psychology of Haidt using a communication perspective and taking into account insights from IPNB and developmental psychology.
A must-read new book Resounding: introducing an alternative metaphor for organization change
A must-read new book Resounding: introducing an alternative metaphor for organization change
Beth Fisher-Yoshida, Columbia University and board member of CMMi, reviews a must-read new book by Rik Spann (another board member) and Simon Martin. She says that the authors “ have given a gift to the world” in their innovative and thoughtful book that takes a fresh approach to the workings of organizations.
Just published: A Cosmopolitan Sensibility
Just published: A Cosmopolitan Sensibility
A Cosmopolitan Sensibility, edited by Robyn Penman, is a collection of compelling stories from a communication perspective. This is the third book in our Making Better Social World series and builds directly on the first two books showing the significance of cosmopolitan sensibility for offering fresh ideas and new hope for living in the challenging multiverse of the 21st century.
New publications
New publications
Four new CMM related publications have recently been released: on cosmopolitan communication, health, CosmoKidz, and a special Cosmokidz book for children.
Reviews of A Call to Cosmopolitan Communication
Reviews of A Call to Cosmopolitan Communication
Arthur Jensen’s book, A Call to Cosmopolitan Communication, was published at the end of last year by CMMi Press. It has already started to receive glowing reviews: it’s a “must read”, there is no “better resource”, and “offers a powerful way to build a pathway forward.”
Review: Special volume of Human Systems: CMM: Extensions and applications
Review: Special volume of Human Systems: CMM: Extensions and applications
We invite you to explore this rich collection of ideas, examples, and innovative applications with an appreciation for the depth and breadth of CMM circa 2004 and for what is even more possible today.
New publication on moral injury
New publication on moral injury
Bart Beuchner examines one of the best potential sources for learning about social systems and communication in conflict buried in “unheard” stories of returning military veterans—many of whom also suffer from the burden of moral conflicts encountered during service.
Communication at the Crossroads: 2020 NCA Conference
Communication at the Crossroads: 2020 NCA Conference
This year’s conference explored the intersection of the Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) theory with other disciplines and areas of scholarship and practice: including mental health, peacebuilding, and the enactment of socially responsible marketing by businesses. Each areas of exploration contained valuable lessons for rebuilding better post-COVID-19 social worlds.
Making Better Social Worlds: Reviews
Making Better Social Worlds: Reviews
“Probably the most important book of our era!”
“Makes dense concepts and technical vocabulary accessible.”
“Clear, useful and written for anyone who wants to expand their horizons and develop practices for making better socials worlds.”
“I’d relish conversing about each chapter with a group of upper-division undergraduates, grad students, or community members.”
The CMMi Press: a new initiative
The CMMi Press: a new initiative
We are really excited to announce the formation of the CMMi Press, the publishing arm of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution.
Making social worlds better: Grammars of action in traditions of practice
Making social worlds better: Grammars of action in traditions of practice
In this post, Sergej van Middendorp discusses the article, Making social worlds better: Grammars of action in traditions of practice, that he retrieved from the W. B. Pearce Archives. It was a controversial article and Sergej raises some provocative possibilities from it.
The Handbook of Communication Training
The Handbook of Communication Training
There are two significant chapters with a CMM orientation in this latest handbook: one by Bart Buechner and colleagues and another by Don Waisanen, last year’s CMM Fellow.
Embodying metaphors in systems
Embodying Metaphors in Systems
Sergej van MIddendorp has recently published his book, using CMM and exploring the metaphor of jazz improvisation to help design systems that support the creation of health and wealth.
Moral Injury on the front lines of truth
Moral Injury on the front lines of truth
This is an exciting and innovative chapter written by three of the CMMI’s board members, Bart Buechner, Sergej van Middendorp and Rik Spann. The chapter interweaves CMM and the metaphor of jazz improvisation in the context of Schutz’s lifeworld phenomenology.
On starting a dialogue with Robert Kegan
On starting a dialogue with Robert Kegan
Sergej van Middendorp reviews another article from the W.B.Pearce Archive at Fitchburg University, “On Starting a Dialogue with Robert Kegan, on Reading ‘In Over our Heads: the Mental Demands of Modern Life'”
Coordinated management of meaning (CMM): A research manual.
A new focus book on CMM research methods
Three post-graduate students from Columbia University, Filippa Naka, Adrian Jofre Bosch, Shengjie Ma, review the second book in the CMM Focus book series: Natasha A. Rascon’s and Stephen W. Littlejohn’s Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM): A Research Manual.
Sources of inspiration: The On Being project
Sources of inspiration
We are part of a broad community of practitioners, researchers, scholars and students concerned with exploring what it means to be human and how we can make better social worlds. Here we offer an introduction to another member of this community and inspirational source for us all: The On Being project
New models and metaphors for communication
New models and metaphors for communication
Sergej van Middendorp discusses an unpublished paper on new models and metaphors of communication from the Barnett Pearce Collection at Fitchburg State University’s digital library.
The Manager’s Dilemma, a new book by Jesse Sostrin
The Manager’s Dilemma: Balancing the Inverse Equation of Increasing Demands + Shrinking Resources
Offers solutions to anyone feeling undermined by the impossible expectation of producing more and better work with less time and fewer resources