Renowned Harvard Professor of Political Sciences, Robert Putnam delivered a talk at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina on community involvement in America. The talk was moderated by Ismail Serageldin and was very well received by the audience. During his talk, Professor Putnam spoke of how during the last thirty years, Americans have become increasingly disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and social institutions. He demonstrated that the decline of community has serious consequences for our civic and personal health. While generational changes, suburban sprawl, two-career families, and prominence of television in our lives have drastically changed civil society in America, Putnam sees some reasons for hope. Professor Putnam is author and co-author of a dozen books and over thirty scholarly articles published in twenty languages. His book Bowling Alone has achieved world renown.