KaBOOM! : how one man built a movement to save play / By Darell Hammond.

Cont.: Introduction : Looking out for other people ; Half-full not half-empty ; The process is as important as the product ; A 7-year-old's grin ; "We've got a problem" ; You can do routine tasks without doing them routinely ; Audacious dreams ; Transactions versus transformations ; Play matters ; It only takes a single spark to start a fire ; It starts with a playground ; A better us ; Imagination and innovation ; The blurry line between for-profits and nonprofits ; What we're up against ; When better is expected, good is not enough -- Anatomy of a build -- Boomerisms.

"KaBOOM! chronicles Darell Hammond's amazing journey from a childhood spent living in a group home in Illinois to becoming the cofounder and CEO of KaBOOM!, an organization with this mission at its core: harnessing the power of community to save play for children. one playground at a time. Like The Blue Sweater and Three Cups of Tea, KaBOOM! demonstrates how one idealist can change the world and how small, civic-minded steps create a ripple effect that can precipitate change in communities and eventually change in the world at large. More than just a memoir, KaBOOM! is a call to action that will inspire readers by challenging them to rethink traditional notions of community and social change. This is the story of a man with a vision: Play is the best natural resource in a creative economy. Kids need more of it; it is not a luxury but a necessity for their lives. Through hard work, commitment, and the conviction that access to a safe play environment is the fundamental right of all children, Hammond built an organization that has raised almost $200 million, directly built 2,000 playgrounds with a million volunteers, and touched the lives of countless children and families"--Provided by publisher