|
How
to Change the World
By: David
Bornstein
Posted December 22, 2003
thepeoplesvoice.org
Published by Oxford University
Press,
www.oup.com
(ISBN: 0-19-513805-8) $28.00 USA
“Wonderfully hopeful and
enlightening... The stories of these social entrepreneurs will inspire and
encourage many people who seek to build a better world.” - NELSON
MANDELA
What business entrepreneurs are to the economy, social entrepreneurs are to
social change. They are, writes David Bornstein, the driven, creative
individuals who question the status quo, exploit new opportunities, refuse
to give up - and remake the world for the better.
How to Change the World tells the fascinating stories of these
remarkable individuals - many in the United States, others in countries from
Brazil to Hungary - providing an In Search of Excellence for of the
nonprofit sector. In America, one man, J. B. Schramm, has helped thousands
of low-income high school students to get into college. In South Africa one
woman, Veronica Khosa, developed a home-based care model for AIDS patients
that changed government health policy. In Brazil, Fabio Rosa helped bring
electricity to hundreds of thousands of remote rural residents. Another
American, James Grant, is credited with saving 25 million lives by leading
and “marketing” a global campaign for immunization. Yet another, Bill
Drayton, created as a pioneering foundation, Ashoka, that has funded and
supported these social entrepreneurs and over a thousand like them,
leveraging the power of their ideas across the globe.
These extraordinary stories highlight a massive transformation that is going
largely unreported by the media: Around the world, the fastest-growing
segment of society is the nonprofit sector, as millions of ordinary people -
social entrepreneurs - are increasingly stepping in to solve problems where
governments and bureaucracies have failed. How to Change the World shows,
as its title suggests, that with determination and innovation, even a single
person can make a surprising difference. For anyone seeking to make a
positive mark on the world, this will be both an inspiring read and an
invaluable handbook. It will change the way you see the world.
Praise for How to Change the World
-
”The social
entrepreneurs chronicled in this book are part of the vital generation
of independent, creative leaders who are sparking social changes in the
United States and in parts of the world where people are most in need.
We will be hearing much more from them in the years to come.” -
Bill Bradley
-
”Human progress has
always been led by visionary individuals who seek a better future and
dedicate their lives to realizing that promise. These social
entrepreneurs tackle some of the world's toughest challenges with grit
and determination. Bornstein has given us that rarest of gifts: a book
about hope, about courage, and about the power of those extraordinary
men and women who change the world.” - Jeff Skoll, founder and
chairman, Skoll Foundation; first president of eBay
-
”David Bornstein's book
will touch the hearts and minds of many. I hope it will get the wide
readership it deserves. Without the effort and energy of civil society
the odds are against the fulfillment of all the development needs of
today's world, especially the developing world. Pick up a copy and
spread the word!” - Arminio Fraga, Former Governor of the Central
Bank of Brazil
Praise for Bornstein's The
Price of a Dream: The Story of the Grameen Bank
-
"[A] splendid
book… A careful, monumental piece of work [that] greatly transcends
research and reporting because of [Bornstein's] common sense, good
judgment and sympathy.” - Jane Jacobs, author of The Death and
Life of Great American Cities
About the Author
David
Bornstein specializes and writing about social innovations. His first book, The
Price of a Dream: The Story of the Grameen Bank, won second prize in the
Harry Chapin Media Awards and was selected as a finalist for the New York
Public Library Book Award for Excellence in Journalism. His articles have
appeared in The Atlantic Monthly and the New York Times. He lives in New
York with his wife Abigail, and son, Elijah.
-------------------------------------------
|
