Plenty by Alisa Smith and J. B. MacKinnon was the featured read of the One Book One Community program for 2007-08.

Make a suggestion for the 2008-09 One Book One Community program by contacting Harry Paidas at .

Plenty carries the subtitle, "One Man, One Woman and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally," chronicles the challenges of two people who spent a year trying to eat foods produced within 100 miles of their Vancouver, British Columbia home.

Plenty was selected among dozens that were nominated by members of the Alliance community, according to Harry Paidas, vice president for public affairs and marketing at Mount Union College who chairs the committee.

"Since this is the fifth year of One Book One Community in the Alliance area, we were intent on picking a book that could actively involve our readership," Paidas said. "With the selection of Plenty, we not only have a well written and engaging book, but also we have several opportunities to promote the concept of eating and buying locally. By becoming better informed, our citizens can make better decisions about benefiting the community."

Paidas said the programming is still to be determined but the committee plans to consult with Mayor Toni Middleton's green team and Mount Union President Richard Giese's sustainability task force to provide interactive activities for the community. Among the ideas being discussed are the establishment of a farmer's market, cooking demonstrations using local foods, and discussions featuring local food producers and backyard gardeners.

The selected books for the past four years have been "The Color of Water" by James McBride, "Riding the Bus with My Sister" by Rachel Simon, "Real Time" by Pnina Moed-Kass, and "Beyond the River" by Ann Hagedorn.

According to Paidas, one of the features that makes the Alliance program different from the One Book programs in the 300 other communities nationwide is the requirement that the author appear in the community. Smith and MacKinnon are under contract to speak Wednesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in the Mount Union Theatre. They will also talk with classes at area high schools on Thursday morning, April 3.

"Of course, we would not have the opportunity to bring the authors to Alliance if not for the resources provided by our partners, including Rodman Public Library, Mount Union College, The Greater Alliance Foundation and 'The Review,'" Paidas said.

Plenty is available at the Mount Union College Bookstore, Rodman Public Library and the Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce Office. Paidas said the cost of the book is $15, a reduced price due to a high volume discount. He added that this represents an increase of $5 from previous years only because the book is not yet available as a paperback. Several copies also will be available for checkout at Rodman Public Library and the Mount Union College Library.

Members of the One Book executive committee, in addition to Paidas are Cheryl Paine, Diane Thomas and Sandra Giese of Mount Union College; Pat Stone of the Rodman Public Library; Rae Ellen Dale and Libby Patterson of the Alliance City Schools, and Michael Zerbe, instructor at Stark State University and former owner of Chapter Two Book Store.