Etienne Wenger

Helpful introduction as the concept of the community of practice is introduced. Bogs down a little as the concept is teased out in a variety of contexts, mostly huge multi-national corporations. I'm much more interested in how the ideas might apply in a much smaller, more organic context (esp. the local church).

This book is written very clearly and concisely. The examples they give provide a very good understanding between apprenticeship and legitimate peripheral participation. Good for students interesting in the learning sciences to help understand educational environments.

The best and most practical volume on communities of practice (CoP), groups of people who share a passion for a topic or profession. In true CoPs, most learning is collaborative, among peers, rather than from masters (in the traditional sense). In a CoP, more experienced members facilitate new members' movement from peripheral participation to greater degrees of integration into the core activities and operations of the community. Mastery, in this context, is fluency in the social learning show more network. The authors present the fundamentals, add ample case examples, and offer expert guidance for establishing and nurturing CoPs in order to advance organizational goals. show less

A book that is very easily readable, and has a good structure. It gives an overview of CoP findings across different companies, and provides with some recommendations on how to sustain and "cultivate" communities of practice.