The "third place" is a place where people can gather, put aside the concerns of work and home, and hangout simply for the pleasure of good company and lively conversations. They are the heart of a community's social vitality, the grassroots of a democracy, but, sadly, they constitute a diminishing aspect of the American social landscape. Author Ray Oldenburg portrays, probes, and promotes the bar, bistro, and coffee shop, holding out a vision for the restoration of great good places in our community. Eloquent and visionary, this is a compelling argument for these settings of informal public life as essential for both the health of our towns and ourselves.