books

Chronicles of Vision and Service

The memoir documenting a 50-year career in public service, the biography of one of the last century’s foremost architects, and the chronicle of an epic battle to protect a unique national wilderness area. Three distinct glimpses into the inner workings of principled and visionary leadership.

Rip lecturing to a room
new in 2025

Drawn to Challenge

A lively, entertaining, and highly personal collection of stories, Drawn to Challenge describes innovative approaches to confronting the full sweep of some of the most intractable challenges facing American cities, drawing on Rip Rapson’s public service career in both Minneapolis and Detroit.

Drawn to Challenge book
5 stars

by Rip Rapson

$25.00

60 years of architecture

Ralph Rapson: Sixty Years of Modern Design

A biography of the 20th century modernist architect and architectural educator Ralph Rapson, with hundreds of images of his life and work.

Troubled Waters book
5 stars

by Rip Rapson, Jane King Hession, Bruce N. Wright

$31.50

environment in crisis

Troubled Waters: The Fight for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

The story of the intense and politically charged fight of the mid-1970s to protect and preserve the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota, the nation’s largest lakeland wilderness.

Troubled Waters book
5 stars

by Kevin Proescholdt, Rip Rapson, Miron L. Heinselman

$10.50

PIONEERING SOCIAL IMPACT

"Rip has pioneered new approaches to protect the environment, authentically address racial injustice, transform a major philanthropy, and reinvigorate an iconic American city."

- Cecilia Muñoz, former director of President Obama’s Domestic Policy Council

Doodle of a person speaking into a megaphone

Praise for Drawn to Challenge

People have a lot to say about Rip's latest book—and everything else he's been up to.

Book Review
“This is such a fun collection of stories and "doodles" that one barely realizes there are timeless lessons imparted. Rip has been a fly on the wall in so many consequential rooms, and even more times he has been one of the people holding together diverging ideas and people to catalyze or sustain improbable solutions to impossible problems. And, with his artwork, you get to see how his brain conceptualizes the moving parts. Your nightstand needs this book.”
Russ Kavalhuna
Russ Kavalhuna
President, Western Michigan University
Book Review
“Thank you for sharing your wisdom with such good humor, candor, vulnerability and insight. It’s terrific evidence of the power of examined experience through personal stories. And it’s right on time as we think about what civic leadership truly requires."
Maria Rosario Jackson
Maria Rosario Jackson
Professor, Arizona State University and former Chair, the National Endowment for the Arts
Book Review
"Future historians will one day assemble everything that’s been said about Detroit’s recovery to write a definitive account. This memoir will play an important role in that synthesis."
John Gallagher
Author, Reimagining Detroit
Book Review
“His story telling and the lessons of principled leadership and consensus building are extraordinarily compelling.”
Paul Hillegonds
Paul Hillegonds
Paul Hillegonds, former Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives and former President and CEO of the Michigan Health Endowment Fund
Book Review
“The way Rip turns intricate, challenging problems into visual “doodles” that make them accessible and meaningful is a rare gift, and it’s one that only someone with his unique vision and dedication could pull off.”
Eric Larson
Eric Larson
President and CEO, the Detroit Downtown Partnership
Book Review
“The book goes far beyond the nonprofit sector—it explores a wide range of leadership situations and offers in-depth insights into some of Detroit’s historical challenges. The breadth and depth of these stories make it a valuable resource for anyone interested in leadership, resilience, and community impact."
Beth Brockmann
Former Wells Fargo Executive
Book Review
“Having this leadership story accompanied by “doodles” (AKA roadmaps of meaning for action) is priceless. This is an inspiration for all of us who care about cities.”
Carol Coletta
Carol Coletta
Bloomberg Innovation Fellow, Johns Hopkins University

Speeches

For more than 30 years, Rip has given speeches on a dizzyingly wide spectrum of issues. Read more about the topics Rip has spoken on.

Rip and a colleague presenting onstage

The Fierce Urgency of Now: Getting the Climate Question Right