365 Ways to Change the World: How to Make a Difference One Day at a Time

For the activist hunting down fresh inspiration or the beginner looking for a place to start, the founder of the UK's Centre for Innovation in Voluntary Action provides this practical, inventive idea-a-day guide that takes on big issues-peace, health, the environment and others-with the belief that ""a lot of people doing a lot of little things could have a huge impact."" Though it's hard, in a list of 365, to avoid rehashing some old tricks (as acknowledged in March 16's entry, ""Plant another tree""), the majority is impressively fresh: the entry for February 11 explains how to get wood-working tools to Africans who need them; August 3 outlines the ""Hello, Peace!"" project, which provides free phone calls between Israelis and Palestinians who want to discuss peace; April 16 teaches readers how to use their computers to fight AIDS while they sleep. Some ideas are more involved (October 3, ""Stay in an Earthship"" advocates living or vacationing in a zero-emissions, recycled materials home), while others encourage critical self-examination (September 16's ""Greenscore Yourself"" and January 15's ""Uncover Your Hidden Bias""). The approach is decidedly progressive, the research is top-notch and each entry is crammed with information, making this a great companion for those who want to start changing the world immediately. Illustrations.