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

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"Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having my delight in the sons of men." -- Proverbs 8:31

Can one person make a difference for the poor, the helpless, and those with no hope? The case histories in this book will encourage you to think that it's more than possible: The process can be studied, taught, and encouraged as journalist David Bornstein recounts this point through his story of what the Ashoka foundation is doing to develop social entrepreneurs and establish a discipline that can be rapidly improved through sharing of best practices. Whether you are a social entrepreneur, want to become one, or want to encourage what they do, this book is must reading. It systematizes much of what is scattered throughout many speeches, good stories, brief articles, and a variety of excellent books.

The book's main weakness is that it doesn't do enough to draw more than big-picture conclusions about social entrepreneurs. To me, those profiled here simply look like successful business model innovators who care more about the social impact of what they do than the financial rewards for themselves. As a result, the book's focus is a little too narrow to be totally useful. There are also for-profit entrepreneurs who great vast amounts of social benefit using different, but similar, methods to what is described here. Both groups can learn a lot from one another. I suspect that there are also other streams of creativity conjoining as well, such as I often see accomplished by people who want to systematically raise up socially conscious entrepreneurs by the tens of millions in Africa, Asia, and South America.

I hope that this book will be updated and expanded in scope every year or two. That will be a great blessing for those who are interested in the field and those who want to help it advance.

Bravo, Mr. Bornstein!

I have nothing but praise for this book.

It contains numerous inspirational stories about individuals who have started organizations to positively change the world. It also provides insight into the practices used by Ashoka to find/fund projects with enormous transformation potential. If you're someone who reads a lot of business books (e.g. management/leadership, marketing, etc.) - like me, this book might provide you with a lot of insight and ideas for your for-profit transformation projects.

I borrowed this from my public library. Loved it so much that I purchased it and now find myself reading bits and pieces of it often.

If you like this book, I also highly recommend David Bornstein's other book called "The Price of a Dream". It is a book focused solely on the Grameen Bank and their micro-financing approach in helpling to lift people out of poverty in Bangladesh.

Is there hope? Can we change the world? Is globalization a benefit to the world or a curse? The western world look at globalization as a curse (the loss of wealth and power status) while the rest of the world looks at it as hope for life and quality of life. Social Entrepreneurs have these and many other issues to contend with. This a good book and highly recommended. Also, Stop Working by Rohan Hall which deals with globalization and entrepreneurship is an excellent companion book that also deals with these challenges.

My takeaway from this highly inspirational book is: Dare to care. In a self-obsessed world, where the "I" reigns supreme, along comes a book that has the potential to change that for ever. I would be surprised if this book did not serve as a catalyst for all those people who are aching to leave their mark on the earth's future by altering the world for the better.

In How to Change the World, author David Bornstein presents short biographies of ordinary citizens who have cared enough to actually go out and change what is wrong in society. The nine stories of social entrepreneurs or innovators, dubbed 'transformative forces' by the author, have the power to inspire readers to want to do something. The fine examples of social entrepreneurship within the pages of this book make one realize that there is hope for the planet after all.

To quote Bornstein, "Across the world, social entrepreneurs are demonstrating new approaches to many social ills and new models to create social wealth, promote social well-being, and restore the environment." What is tremendously energizing is that so many of these change agents already exist and are moving mountains for you and me, and for our children.

The major contribution of the book is that it underlines that one doesn't have to be rich or powerful to alter the current reality. What is required is to feel empathy and concern in high doses, and to recognize and understand a problem. The stories trace how, if one is sufficiently charged, creative ideas for 'getting around' problem areas -- be it public apathy or bureaucratic indifference -- flow naturally. The hallmark of a true social entrepreneur really shines through at the next stage, when these ideas are converted into reality.

For Bornstein, these illuminating stories are merely the fireworks display. What he goes on to do is to distill for us the factors that ensure success of any venture -- the do's, the don't's, the must-watch-out-for's, the how-to's. Everything that you ever needed to know about entrepreneuring, but didn't know where to start, is in here. What is the citizen sector and what have been its achievements thus far? What are the qualities of successful social entrepreneurs? What is so cutting-edge about their work that makes their strategy stand apart? Are they really effecting a systems change as against providing band-aid? What are the Four Practices of innovative organizations? Whom do you turn to if you want to become a social entrepreneur?

Bornstein attempts to answer all these, and more. For the very first time ever, we have been given a viable, highly sophisticated blueprint for pattern-changing social action. Bornstein has done the world a service by putting this into the easy reach of anyone who has a conscience.

Policy makers should make note of the book as it offers insights on how to look at problems and problem solving. It is particularly enlightening to note that all the social entrepreneurs in the book have facilitated some form of cross-sectoral partnership, be it with municipal-level governing bodies, state-level government departments, or businesses.

The book also spotlights win-win models of strategic convergence between social good and businesses. Original and ingenious examples of the entrepreneurship process, and its effectiveness of strategy, could serve the business sector well.

For academia, the book throws up diverse areas of social and economic concern that beg a relook and analysis.

The media, saturated as it is with reports of a world gone horribly wrong, could infuse fresh hope and energy with incisive stories on the work of social entrepreneurs.

And for young people, who hold the keys to the world's future, this book is a must-read. At an age when cynicism is almost a virtue, it will inspire them, and hammer home the realization that there is an alternative route to getting meaning from life. By changing others' lives.

This book is a wonderful collection of stories about social entrepreneurs who were able to effect a change in their communities. Though not always 100% succesful, their stories illustrate that business, government, and social concerns do not have to be at odds with each other and in fact, they can often complement each other to bring about a greater good. For those in a corporate or academic setting, the chapters from this book could easily be excerpted and used as case studies for your organization. Highly recommended! If you liked this book, you should also read "Banker to the Poor" by Muhammad Yunus.

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.

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.

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!

This inspirational book should be in the hands of every career development person in every high school, college, and university. If I had known in my twenties or thirties (quite a while ago) that the field of "social entrepreneur" existed, it would have influenced my career path. Bornstein gives full credit to Bill Drayton's pioneering work with Ashoka in identifying the skill and character set necessary to succeed as a social entrepreneur and then finding and supporting these people in numerous countries around the globe. Readers can begin to assess, perhaps with feedback from friends and colleagues who know them well, whether or not they have what it takes to make it as a social entrereneur. By publicizing this field, which up until now has largely been flying under the radar of media attention, Bornstein has provided a significant public service. As more people learn about this new profession, more people with the skill and character set will get into it. As a result, more social problems in more countries will be addressed in ways that work and that can be replicated regionally and nationally. Just as social entrpreneurialism is a powerful leverage point for positive social change, I predict this book will be a leverage point for the development of social entrepeneur as a new career option. IF, and this is an important "if", it gets into the right hands, namely, people who influence career choices. After reading this book, if you agree, you can amplify the public service by recommending it to any career development professionals you know. Some future social entrepeneurs and the future beneficiaries of their work will thank you.

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.