Paul Rogat Loeb

About the author: quoting from the book's back cover, "Paul Rogat Loeb, an associated scholar at Seattle's Center for Ethical Leadership is the author of 'Generation at the Crossroads. . .[and other titles]. He comments regularly on social involvement for 'The New York Times', 'The Washington Post,' 'Psychology Today'. . .and elsewhere." About the book: the reviewer for "The Philadelphia Inquirer," said of this book, "[It] brims with stirring stories of everyday heroes who saw something wrong, heeded the voice of their conscience, gathered support, and, acting in concert with others, changed things and made a difference."… (more)

I picked this up not long after it first came out in 20o4; I understand there was a revised edition published in 2014.

For me, this was a good coffeetable book, though not in the traditional sense. I left it out on my coffeetable, and when the news was getting me down, I'd pick it up, leaf through it, and read part or all of a chapter that appealed to me.

It's a book for when you wonder why, let alone how, to keep working for change in the world, because nothing you do seems to be making any difference. It's a reader on hope and perseverance.… (more)