Social Change

Building a Resilient Tomorrow does not dwell on overhyped descriptions of apocalyptic climate scenarios, nor does it travel down well-trodden paths surrounding the politics of reducing carbon emissions. Instead, it starts with two central facts: Climate impacts will continue to occur, and we can make changes now to mitigate their effects.

From the National Business Book Award winner and GG finalist, a very different book about facing the climate crisis, and what awaits us on the other side.

As police racism unsettles Britain’s tolerant self-image, Black Resistance to British Policing details the activism that made movements like Black Lives Matter possible. Elliott-Cooper analyzes racism beyond prejudice and the interpersonal–arguing that Black resistance confronts a global system of racial classification, exploitation, and violence.

On the brink of a critical moment in human history, this audiobook presents a vision of "planetary stewardship"—a rethinking of our relationship with our planet—and plots a new course for our future. In 2009, scientists identified nine planetary boundaries that keep Earth stable, ranging from biodiversity to ozone. Beyond these boundaries lurk tipping points. In order to stop short of these tipping points, the 2020s must see the fastest economic transition in history. This audiobook demonstrates how societies are reaching positive tipping points that make this transition possible.

Robin Attfield introduces environmental ethics, exploring the values involved in issues, such as pollution, habitat loss, and climate change. Considering the different groups involved in environmental ethics and the attitudes of the world's religions to environmental stewardship, he calls for action from us all to manage our environment ethically.

Building upon the revelatory power of her book Overcoming Bias, which addressed managing individual and interpersonal bias, Erasing Institutional Bias scales up the framework to impact systemic change in organizations. Tiffany Jana and co-author Ashley Diaz Mejias bring together in-depth research on how biases become embedded into workplace cultures with practical and engaging tools that will mobilize listeners toward action.

In response to educators who are already fans of her best seller Change Your Questions, Change Your Life, Marilee Adams, the originator of Question Thinking, presents a compelling model for creating a classroom environment infused with curiosity, creativity, and caring. Through a moving story of a teacher on the verge of burnout, Adams demonstrates the powerful influence our mind-sets have on how we interact with our students, our colleagues, and ourselves.

We have reached the point of no return. The existential threat of climate change is now a reality. The world has never been more vulnerable. Yet corporations are already planning a life beyond this point. The business models of fossil fuel giants factor in continued profitability in a scenario of a five-degree increase in global temperature. An increase that will kill millions, if not billions. This is the shocking reality laid bare in a hard-hitting new book by David Whyte.

Everyone is always changing the world. What we do and how we do it affects our family, friends and colleagues, for better or for worse. But some people change the world more than others. Some succeed because they are geniuses, some because they are lucky and some because they are rich and powerful. But you do not need to be a genius, lucky, rich or powerful to have a profound impact on our world. All you need is an idea and the determination to make it happen.

Layering climate science, mythologies, nature writing, and personal experiences, Desert Notebooks offers a vital and necessary chronicle of our past and our present - perfect for fans of Robert Macfarlane and Elizabeth Rush - that’s unflinching, urgent, and yet timeless and profound.

The moment you check your social media, you’re greeted with that familiar feeling of dread upon seeing all the terrible news from the world. You often wonder how you can grow resilient with all the devastating news on top of your personal struggles. Lastly, you can’t help but ask yourself, “Will I ever find inner peace so I can have a more fulfilling life?” Stoicism is an ancient yet timeless philosophy that allows you to experience calm, clarity, and purpose, helping you lead a fulfilling and more meaningful life.

Strategic nonviolent action has reasserted itself as a potent force in shaping public debate and forcing political change. Whether it is an explosive surge of protest calling for racial justice in the United States or a demand for democratic reform in Hong Kong or Mexico, when mass movements erupt onto our television screens, the media portrays them as being as spontaneous and unpredictable.

Having a pet dragon is very fun! You can train him to roll over, sit, and play. You can ask him to light your campfire on a camping trip. Or you can tell him to candle a birthday cake and many other cool things. But what if your dragon is always afraid to try new things? Whether it’s learning to swim, eating new food, talking to new friends, or trying to learn a new skill set, he always refuses and always says, “Tomorrow!” What do you do? You teach him to overcome his fears! You teach him to embrace change, get out of his comfort zone, see what he’s missing, and to have fun!

Deforestation. Desertification. Species extinction. Global warming. Growing threats to food and water. The driving issues of our times are the result of one huge problem: Us. As the population continues to grow, our problems will increase. And this means that every way we look at it, a planet of 10 billion people is likely to be a nightmare. Stephen Emmott, a scientist whose lab is at the forefront of research into complex natural systems, sounds the alarm. This is a snapshot of our planet, and our species, approaching a crisis, and a stark analysis of where this leaves us.

Over-busyness, judgment, resistance to change, fear of admitting failure, intense competition - is burnout inevitable? Do we need to suffer for the sake of pursuing our mission? Leaders who are dedicated to mobilizing social change are often the first ones to experience burnout. Those committed to taking care of everyone and everything tend to neglect themselves and hit the wall, time and again. Davida Ginter's book sheds light on the growing phenomenon of burnout and its root causes.

Many experts believe that we are at a fulcrum moment in history, a time that demands radical shifts in thinking and policymaking. Calls for bold change are everywhere these days, particularly on social media, but is this actually the best way to make the world a better place? In Gradual, Greg Berman and Aubrey Fox argue that, contrary to the aspirations of activists on both the right and the left, incremental reform is the best path forward.

"The climate crisis may at times appear to be happening slowly, but in fact it is happening very quickly - and has become a true planetary emergency....[I]nconvenient truths do not go away just because they are not seen. Indeed, when they are not responded to, their significance doesn't diminish; it grows." -Al Gore

Lifestyle habits that “carry” you to increased productivity, better health, and career superstardom? Yes, please! How many times have you tried to change your habits? If you’re like most people, more than you care to think about. And how different is your life now? It’s not your fault; the human brain, by nature, doesn’t want to make significant changes. To build new positive habits, you’ll have to “hotwire” your brain. Building new thinking habits is particularly difficult, especially because our society doesn’t prioritize learning thinking habits.

In the tiny farm town of Emmett, Idaho, there are two kinds of people: those who leave and those who stay. Those who leave go in search of greener pastures, better jobs, and college. Those who stay are left to contend with thinning communities, punishing government farm policy, and environmental decay. Grace Olmstead, now a journalist in Washington, DC, is one who left, and in Uprooted, she examines the heartbreaking consequences of uprooting - for Emmett, and for the greater heartland America.

Chronicling Andrew Solomon's stint on the barricades in Moscow in 1991, when he joined artists in resisting the coup whose failure ended the Soviet Union; his 2002 account of the rebirth of culture in Afghanistan following the fall of the Taliban; his insightful appraisal of a Myanmar steeped in contradictions as it slowly, fitfully pushes toward freedom; and many other stories of profound upheaval, this book provides a unique window onto the very idea of social change.