Jul 3, 09



Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century [An Update]


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If you've been reading Worldchanging for a while, you may know that we spent most of our waking hours from November to May working on our book, Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century. It's all done now, and we must say, we're pretty proud of the result.

The entire Worldchanging team worked very hard under extremely tight deadlines to create what we hope you'll agree is the best overview of the tools, models and ideas for building a better future available in print anywhere.

What we didn't really expect is the kind of enthusiasm people are showing for it, even before it hits the book stores.

Early reviews have been incredibly positive, and our publisher, Harry N. Abrams Books, has already placed almost 80,000 with major book sellers and other groups, leading them to announce an initial print run of 200,000 copies. Indeed, due to increased demand, the book will now hit shelves on November 1, 2006!

We'll be hitting the road in early November for a 15-city book tour through the U.S. and Canada (See tour dates here). We're not going to do your standard tour - instead of just promoting the book, we want to make this tour about celebrating worldchanging work and connecting worldchanging people. More on this soon, but we'd like to hear your advice, solicit your help and see you at the events!

That's the news. Here's an update on what you already knew:

Besides the more than 60 contributing authors - all of whom are experts and innovators in their fields - our extended collaborative team is an all-star group, which includes book designer Stefan Sagmeister, winner of the 2005 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, and his team at Sagmeister, Inc; a photo team from Sideshow Media; and of course our publisher, Harry N. Abrams Books.

The book begins with a foreward from Al Gore and an introduction by Bruce Sterling, followed by 600 pages of innovative ideas for creating a bright green future, divided into seven main chapters:

  • Stuff (which covers topics like green design, reducing one's ecological footprint, biomimicry, sustainable agriculture, clothing, cars and emerging technologies);

  • Shelter (covering topics like green building and landscaping, bright green home decor, clean energy, sustainable water systems, disaster relief and humanitarian design);

  • Cities (topics like smart growth, sustainable communities, transportation, greening infrastructure, product-service systems, leapfrogging and megacity challenges);

  • Communities (topics like education, women's rights, public health, holistic approaches to community development, copyleft, South-South science, social entrepreneurship and micro-lending, and philanthropy);

  • Business (topics like socially responsible investment, worldchanging start-ups, ecological economics, corporate social responsibility and green business);

  • Politics (topics like networked politics, new media, transparency, human rights, non-violent revolution and peacemaking);

  • Planet (the big picture -- everything from placing oneself in a bioregion to climate foresight to environmental history to green space exploration).
  • The Worldchanging staff has had a chance to flip through the nearly-finalized galleys and we are overjoyed with how it's turned out. It's beautifully designed, the photos are magnificent, and the thing has some serious heft. As the release date progresses, we'll be sure to keep you posted on new developments and plans for visiting your city. We can't wait to see you all out there!

    If you're already jumping out of your shoes with excitement (as we are), you can purchase advanced copies at Amazon, and they're at a dramatically reduced rate for the next few months. Get it here..

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    Comments

    I think it would be a Real Good Thing to try to arrange interviews on local public radio talk shows. e.g., "Forum" on KQED, Brian Lehrer's show on WNYC.

    Not all cities have these, of course, but I'll bet that a lot of the cities on your tour will be just the sort that do.

    Of course, getting on Fresh Air or other national program would be a really big win.

    Posted by: Stefan Jones on August 14, 2006 5:14 PM

    Second Stefan's talk show idea.

    Plus, since this is meant to be world, rather than nation, changing (I know: budget!) you might consider extending that thought to doing phone interviews with foreign broadcasters (eg: ABC, BBC)

    Posted by: Tony Fisk on August 14, 2006 7:33 PM

    Hope you make it to the Cities.

    Posted by: Joseph Willemssen on August 14, 2006 10:57 PM

    If you want to hit your target market, I suggest associating yourself with some of the Green Drinks meets. These happen in... well almost every major city in Canada and the USA (and world). Even if its not formal, it gives you an excuse to drink beer and schmooze :)

    http://www.greendrinks.org/

    Posted by: Jon on August 15, 2006 7:26 AM

    Whoo! Looking forward to reading it (going to buy it now), and hopefully seeing you in person here in SF.

    Posted by: adrian on August 15, 2006 11:17 AM

    when are you coming to europe?

    Posted by: Vania on August 16, 2006 3:08 PM

    Seconding Vania, specifically Norway would be nice. A more backward country is hard to find when it comes to being enviromentally friendly ... *sighs*

    But, i'm really looking forward to the book!

    Posted by: Papilionoidea on August 17, 2006 10:51 AM

    sounds right up our alley. we've been publishing a bi monthly periodical for ten years about all these topics. sounds like you ought to have them at octobers BIONEERS CONFERENCE and the greenfestival in SF.
    cant wait to get the review copy.
    thanks for your work

    bob banner
    publisher

    Posted by: bob banner on August 18, 2006 11:10 AM

    Looks like a great book. I'm sure you guys will be in Marin County.

    I'll have to check it out.

    Posted by: College Dropout on October 19, 2006 7:31 PM

    Nice, a slipcase. Not wasteful at all.

    Posted by: Joe on October 21, 2006 2:59 PM

    Are you coming to Orlando, Florida before February 2007?

    If not, I would like to extend an invitation to one of your representatives to promote the book during the third annual Orlando Latin American Film & Heritage Festival (OLA FEST) February 14-18, 2007.

    In 2007 we are sponsoring the Sierra Club Energy Film Festival as part our commitment to educating the Greater Orlando area on sustainability. Your book would have an educational and artistic context.

    I am ordering the book today.

    Nelson

    Posted by: Nelson Betancourt on October 24, 2006 1:16 PM

    Looks like a great concept, elegantly executed.
    I've just spent the last week editing a book on ending poverty. Unfortunately it lacked the range of your project.
    I'd like to request a review copy and access to an electronic excerpt for posting on my Web site (The-Edge).
    Had lunch today with a population activist who asked why the environmental movement no longer seemed to be addressing human population growth. Do you address this issue in Worldchanging? If not, could you ponder what caused you to overlook this and give me your thoughts? It could help us in preparing for planning a national conference on population.

    Posted by: Gar Smith on October 24, 2006 6:57 PM

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