Study Guide
What do you want for your community or organization?
Imagine a future 10 years from now – what impact do you have on your neighborhood or field of endeavor?
Who do people say that you are?
Conflict does not always have to be a problem.
Conflict becomes a problem when problem-solving escalates into rivalry.
If this has happened to your community or is happening now, the Wicked Truth Study Guide helps you recognize the signs of rivalry in Oz before looking at the wounds or fallout from rivalry in your context.
Over the five sessions, you’ll learn to shift your and your community's focus away from winning and back to problem-solving, and renewing your commitment to each other and your work.
Get the book today, and download your free study guide below!
Facilitator Resources
Learn more about the Study Guide and the work that inspired it!
Dr. David Anderson Hooker
David has over 40 years of experience helping transformation happen as a mediator, community builder, scholar and advocate. He’s held academic posts including at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame (2016-2021) and served as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia. He is a founding member of the Board of Directors for the Chicago Torture Justice Center helping communities heal from police violence. Proceeds from book sales through the end of 2026 will be donated in David’s honor to the Chicago Torture Justice Center.
Third Things First
David was the perfect first guest to launch the Wicked Truth podcast, Third Things First. In this episode, David shares his experience gathering communities around a “third thing” to help heal past trauma or to transform ongoing conflict. A third thing is a work of art that creates an opening to imagine something the rival sides haven’t been able to imagine – a future where everyone can flourish in peace.
Introduction to Transformative Community Conferencing
David presented the Raven Lecture at the 2026 annual meeting of the Colloquium on Violence and Religion in Chicago. He provided an introduction to Transformative Community Conferencing and engaged with questions from the audience who welcomed the impact his innovative approach could have on their own efforts to transform conflict in their contexts.
The Little Book of Transformative Community Conferencing
Suzanne first encountered David as the author of The Little Book of Transformative Community Conferencing. This book stands out as a work of practical peacebuilding because it provides a roadmap for communities to move from dialogue about problems to an action plan for transformation. It was practical, actionable, hopeful, and provided inspiration for the Wicked Truth Study Guide. You can purchase this invaluable guide here.