It's a thrill (and a nice morning surprise) to learn that I am on the short-list for the ($10K!) Vine Award for Canadian Literature in the Non-Fiction category. Lots of interesting books on all the short-lists. It's an honour just to be nominated. But I'll be honest:...

I had the pleasure of talking about the history of the kibbutz and especially the lessons for contemporary communities to Stefan Morales for his new podcast, called "Working Together". It was a great conversation with Stefan, who is passionate about ideas that can...

“Chasing Utopia: The Rise and Fall – and Transformation – of the Kibbutz Ideal in Israel” (October 27, 2016, American Unviersity, Washington, D.C.) by David Leach Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here. I was asked to provide an overview of the rise, the fall and the...

Here's an interesting short news item about potential changes to Israel's tax system aimed at privatized kibbutzes. In short, the proposal will restrict "collective" tax rates to those few kibbutzim who have maintained their communal economies (what are known as...

While much attention over the past year has focused on the experiences (and location) of Bernie Sanders as a kibbutz volunteer, it turns out that another major politician did a tour of duty on a kibbutz: Boris Johnson, the blonde-bemopped former mayor of London...

Speaking of blurbs, I also got a look at the (almost) final front and back cover design for the book — and it's gorgeous. I was thrilled by the integration of my photo (overlooking the Hula Valley), the title and subtitle fonts, and the four wonderful blurbs from two...

And so it begins... the anxiety over book reviews!With the official launch of Chasing Utopia still two months away, the book got its first early review from Kirkus, the influential trade magazine... and I was relieved (nay, thrilled) that the reviewer liked the...

Anybody in Canada or the U.S. who wants to win an advanced copy of my book via GoodReads, should sign up below. Spread the word! Goodreads Book Giveaway Chasing Utopia by David Leach Giveaway ends June 30, 2016.See the giveaway details at Goodreads.Enter...