Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century

I found this to be among the most inspiring books that I have read this year. It is not a narrative but a vast collection of small essays and notes covering topics related to changing our environment for the better. Some stories are inspirational accounts of what others have done, others are calls to action for what can be done. They focus on six categories – stuff, shelter, cities, community, business, politics and planet. There is bound to be one or two categories that matches up with your interests. As a civil engineer I found a wealth of information and resources in the stuff, shelter and cities sections.

The books most valuable aspect is that it is an amazing compilation of resources for whatever areas that you decided you want to show more explore further. Over the course of reading this book I probably added over fifty books to my reading list.

While parts of this books are meant to alarm you into action, the overall message of the book is a positive one: envision a better world and figure out what you can do to move it in that direction. By making people aware of all of the micro projects that are being tested, one cannot help but be inspired to think of the direction that he or she will take with their life. show less

This volume of essays, news clippings, and reviews is a companion to the massive amounts of information available at Worldchanging.org; as far as I can tell, a lot of it is new writing for the book. The organization of the book flows out from the individual to the community to the planet, encouraging you to broaden yourself instead of getting lost in the depth of anyone category as the website might. It is, like the website, somewhat episodic, but sections are pulled together with (sometimes breathless) introductions. It's also a large book, so while its structure lends itself to those odd moments waiting in lines, its heft does not unless you have it in ebook form or don't mind splitting it into smaller sections like a guidebook. I show more would say that the book is definitely trying to complement the website, although I might have preferred a more pared down, analytic narrative. However, the book is packed with cool ideas and programs, and the books and sites listed for further reading sound fascinating. You will want to be ready to add a lot of books to your wishlist or TBR pile! show less

This book is simply excellent. The packaging and title really caught my attention, and the content is even better. This book really has a lot of vital information about what is happening right now around the world. It's about environmental issues and social justice. I strongly suggest that anyone with any amount of decency should read this book because it gives a lot of insight into the future. There are going to be some massive changes in lifestyle in the near future, and this book will prepare you for what is to come.

Interesting stuff, but nothing new. A series of short articles highlighting actions, organizations, or technologies that could reduce the impact of humanity upon the planet. None of these are new. Most have been published elsewhere, likely on the Internet. In fact, the book would have been better formatted as a Web site with links to all of the people and organizations which were referred to within the articles. As it is the reader is left to go to their computer and follow up.

Al Gore Propoganda: I feel like this book was just published as something to give Al Gore a better image on his next campaign. If they really cared they would have printed the book on recycled paper, not put that dust jacket on it which tears easily and will just end up in the trash, donated all proceeds to doing something beneficial for the environment, and written the book in a concise manner with attractive illustrations and layout so people would actually be compelled to read it and not tuck it away like a high school social studies book.

Mostly crappy hack work. The packaging is the best thing about it.

Excellent book to borrow from the library!