How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas

Rating:
Summary: If you want real change in the world or your life, read this
Review: David Bornstein's book How to Change the World is worth reading if you
a) prefer action instead of stagnancy
b) prefer good solutions instead of persisting problems
c) prefer justice and opportunity instead of poverty and neglect, or,
d) prefer good writing, period.

Bornstein accurately writes, "Anyone who has ever dreamt of solving a problem or making a positive change in his or her environment will find encouraging and instructive stories here." He takes us around the world to visit social entrepreneurs and find out what makes these people tireless fighters for their causes.

Each profile is like an episode of VH1's Driven - we see what inspires these people, how they overcome obstacles, and why they succeed - but instead of following a pop star to a record deal and a fleet of Escalades, we watch social entrepreneurs achieve rights for people with disabilities, compassionate home care for HIV / AIDS patients, and electricity for the rural poor. Unlike celebrities or CEOs, these folks have no interest in fame and fortune. We are lucky indeed that Bornstein has taken it upon himself to describe their efforts; they are far too busy pursuing their dreams of a better world to stop and promote themselves. Many advocate endlessly for their causes, but as Bornstein points out, they have in common a willingness to work quietly, to share credit, and to plow through their own savings and time to make progress. Social entrepreneurs have a greater attachment to finding solutions than to being right, rich, or recognized.

These and other common traits are highlighted throughout the book. We see that social entrepreneurs don't start with the perfect plan, they just have a complete commitment to solving a problem. Like a river they flow around obstacles of status quo, regulations, lack of funding, program design flaws, and changing needs, always adjusting and maneuvering to still reach their goals.

The book is especially appropriate now because:

1) Many people are questioning their ability to create change. No matter what your political leanings, it is easy to feel far from positions of power and authority. These profiles demonstrate that there is no stopping the power of a good idea in the hands of a passionate individual. Javed Abidi spent a year and a half lobbying for legislation that would ensure the rights of people with disabilities in India. With three days left of the government's session, the political parties were at an impasse. Abidi organized a protest of 300 people, got media attention, met with leaders, and the bill was signed into law. Abidi said, "India is a country where rallies of hundreds of thousands of people are not uncommon. Here was just a handful of people. But because they didn't stay home, it happened." Because Abidi called them, they didn't stay home.

2) Many people question the meaning and richness of their lives and careers. For people who are looking for a more rewarding and fulfilling sector, there is endless opportunity in being or supporting a social entrepreneur. Jeroo Billimoria was headed for a career in accounting, but when her father died she rethought her plan and moved into social work. Billimoria started Childline, a toll-free number that street kids in India can call for help. Former street kids answer the phones (learning skills through the work) and connect those in trouble with the agencies that can help them. Childline gets 1.5 million calls a year, and is spreading to 57 cities, and now, internationally. You could be another Jeroo Billimoria. Or one of the social workers who helped her. Or an employee who works in her program. Or a politician who is spreading her ideas. Or a donor who is funding them.

3) Many people are more aware of global problems. It's easy to get depressed upon realizing the widespread poverty, disease, and disadvantages that are so pronounced in the developing world. And it's easy to get even more depressed when you see that well-funded, top-down, international aid programs aren't really working. This book doesn't overwhelm with bleak statistics, but instead makes you realize that there are people with answers. You can be one of them, or you can help one of them, and that will make the difference. The book shows that this is a global phenomenon, and one that can be nurtured by global communication and access. Veronica Khosa didn't set out to change healthcare of AIDS patients globally. She wanted to help those who were not receiving treatment in her township in South Africa. Her homecare model was spotted by the World Health Organization and UNAIDS, and is now being supported and replicated.

For those who are looking for real change, Bornstein offers this: "One of the most important things that can be done to improve the state of the world is to build a framework of social and economic supports to multiply the number and the effectiveness of the world's social entrepreneurs." The first step is to get this book.

Rating:
Summary: A welcome explanation of revolutionary ideas
Review: David Bornstein's new book How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas offers a superb introduction to the burgeoning field of social entrepreneurship, which has gained prominence in the past two decades but is still awkwardly explained. Rather than group radically different projects under the umbrella term "social entrepreneurship," Bornstein goes to the root and describes what makes a social entrepreneur. While well-known figures such as Florence Nightingale and Unicef head James P. Grant are described, most of the individuals profiled in the book are active, independent entrepreneurs found through the network resources of Bill Drayton's organization Ashoka: Innovators for the Public. Ashoka has broke new ground as a venture capital firm for social betterment, investing in carefully selected individuals and projects that promise long-term, sustainable returns - that is, positive social change - and more than any other organization promoting the ideas of social entrepreneurship around the globe.

It is telling that, on the surface, the entrepreneurs described have little in common. Vera Cordeiro, for example, grew up comfortably in the pampered upper strata of Brazilian society, while AIDS worker Veronica Khosa was orphaned at an early age in an impoverished village in South Africa. Fábio Rosa is a born tinkerer and engineer who built dams and irrigation systems in his backyard as a child, while Erzébet Szekeres was a mid-level tradesswoman who never considered the changing Hungary's treatment of the disabled until the birth of her disabled son. The variety of conditions and approaches Bornstein describes may appear bewildering at first, but in fact this breadth is perhaps most effectively drives the book's point home: Bornstein highlights the lateral thinking and tenacity of the entrepreneurs, who recognized and devoted themselves to solving problems others did not even acknowledge. Most of the entrepreneurs arrived at their methodologies through trial and error, never realizing at the time that others were engaged in analogous work in vastly disparate fields.

Many entrepreneurs conceive of projects in modular or franchise terms, eschewing top-down fixes by fiat. Creating a hotline and crisis center for street children in India and promoting rural electricity and irrigation in Brazil have little in common, but both Jeroo Billimoria and Fábio Rosa saw that sustainable, long-term solutions would have to incorporate local interests and involvement. In this way projects can maintain core principles while adapting to local circumstances and needs, and entrepreneurs who struggle for years with a particular local problem hammer out a replicable and portable model that spreads quickly. The results surprise Bornstein himself on occasion:

"When I read about [Tomasz] Sadowski's work, my first thought was that Ashoka had made a mistake. If ever there was an idea that was destined to remain local, this was it. How many stable, self-managed, partially self-supporting homes made up of former prison inmates, alcoholics, and homeless people can you have?

"The answer, as of early 2003, was twenty and counting."

Bornstein's writing is brisk and energetic, using a wry wit to strike a fine balance between the gravity of the work and the infectious energy of the entrepreneurs. This style of writing befits the entrepreneurs themselves, who do not dress up their language in niceties when bluntness is more effective. The reader is struck with both admiration and amusement, for example, reading how Indian disability activist Javed Abidi took advantage of physicist Stephen Hawking's visit to India to excoriate the government's reluctance to promote widespread disability access.

"I would be absolutely grateful to Dr. Hawking," Abidi told reporters, "if he would want to go to different parts of Delhi, like Janpath, Connaught Place, the public loo, and to any of the government offices or shopping centers and hotels and embarrass the authorities."

In this way the book avoids the pitfalls of excess piety and preachiness and instead reads like a collection of exciting and incredible life stories. Bornstein wisely lets the entrepreneurs' works and words speak for themselves whenever possible, and thus the book feels genuinely moving and inspirational rather than overwrought.

I would recommend this book to anyone involved in policy-making or curious about the global potential of individual action. The ideas discussed in the book appear to be gaining momentum on a global scale, not merely that social entrepreneurship is an idea whose time has come, but because selfless and driven social entrepreneurs are bringing the idea to our time.

Rating:
Summary: The perfect combination of inspiration and instruction!
Review: First of all, David Bornstein is an excellent writer. This book is very readable and without jargon, but it is not "dummed down" whatsoever. It is very thorough in both describing how various "social entrepreneurs" from around the world have succeeded in realizing their dreams to make the world a more liveable place and in laying specific guidelines for what it takes to become a successful social entrepreneur. He also alternates chapters from specific case studies to more general and practical tips on what one needs to do to succeed, thereby making it all the more interesting. In other words, after reading a case study, I would find myself inspired and wondering what I could do to put myself on the path towards social entrepreneurship. The next chapter would answer a lot of those questions and by the end of that chapter I couldn't wait to read more about real people and what they were doing to change the world.

Before reading this book, I thought the title may too much hyperbole or perhaps a little "cheesey", but after finishing the book, the I think the title is perfect. In short, I highly recommend this book to anyone who's ever wished they could change the world for the better.

Rating:
Summary: Blah, blah, blah
Review: Generalities, vague, smokey, generalities. Let's make nice and not say anything that might offend the powers that be.
Want to REALLY change the world? Read: HOW TO SAVE AMERICA AND THE WORLD by Joseph Francione

Rating:
Summary: Inspirational and Practical
Review: Having been most inspired by his remarkable study of the Grameen Bank (The Price of a Dream) and his articles for Ashoka at Changemakers.net, I was delighted to a new Bornstein tome. And, in fact, this surpasses all my expectations. What a phenomenal tour of some of the most remarkable changemakers who, quite independently from one another, are creating a quiet revolution in how we think about creating a new world that is based not on top-down solutions but on local initiative. This is much more than a compendium of fascinating stories, however; Mr. Bornstein provides a very profound study of just what we can all do to become participants in this adventure of social entrepreneurship. Bravo, Mr. Bornstein!

Rating:
Summary: Motivation for Change Agents
Review: How to Change the World is a great compilation of social entrepreneur case studies. Just don't take the title too literally. This book is not a "how-to" manual for changing the world. I would also challenge the premise that non-profit entrepreneurs are the only people committed to positive world change. Nevertheless, the book serves as an inspirational review of good ideas and people committed to serving others.

Rating:
Summary: Loved It- Couldn't Put This Down
Review: How to Change the World was such a pleasure to read. It was the first book I've read on the topic of social entreprenuership, and I really couldn't put it down. Bornstein conveyed such inspiration and hope through these real life stories of social good trailblazers who never give up. I would recommend it to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
Review: How to Change the World... is a fantastic book! I founded Projectchild.net and this book has provided me so so so much insight and excitement. David, has out done himself, thank you Harry for gifting me this book! I will gift this book to all my social entrepreneurial friends.

A must read for people who desire to change the world.

Bravo, Ari

Rating:
Summary: A remarkable anthology of the contributions
Review: How To Change The World: Social Entrepreneurs And The Power Of New Ideas is a remarkable anthology of the contributions of pioneer visionaries, whose ideas were so groundbreaking they sparked an improvement in the fabric of society. From seemingly invisible social movements in Brazil, to a child protection hotline in India, to assisted living for the disabled in Hungary, and so much more, How To Change The World spotlights organizations, people, and philosophies all dedicated to making the world a better place. A scattering of black-and-white photographs adds a visual touch to a supremely upbeat and uplifting look at the positive changes that can be brought to humanity as a whole.



Rating:
Summary: An inspiring book, worthy of the title.
Review: Mr. Bornstein's book brought dreams out of me that were just ready to be born. "How to Change the World" is a collection of powerful stories of people who had the initiative to stand up with their ideas and make effective, dramatic changes to their communities. And by doing so, they helped others in other communities find ways to do the same.

It is this entrepreneurial spirit that *will* change the world, for we all can change the world if we find new ways to look at recurring problems. It is possible, and it's not just optimism I'm speaking of. True desire and will to change will bring change.

Thank you, Mr. Bornstein.