This article comes at a very opportune moment for me, as I've been reading "Bowling Alone" over the past weeks. The book chronicles the many facets of decline i

This article comes at a very opportune moment for me, as I've been reading "Bowling Alone" over the past weeks. The book chronicles the many facets of decline in civic participation in the US (voting, church attendance, donation to charity, engagement with local schools, running for local office, etc.) and explains some of the consequences of the decline. HN readers, as a whole, are very focused on science, technology, and startup businesses; this focus produces incredible innovation and wealth, but at a very real cost to communities, family life, and other "olive trees" that make life worth living.