How to Change the World - Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas by David Bornstein

“Every change begins with a vision and a decision to take action”. This is what the book is all about. It took Mr. Bornstein more than 5 years to complete his book mainly based on different stories of individuals from all over the world. All these individuals have one thing in common; they all took action in making changes for the greater good. Through out the book, Mr. Bornstein refers to them as social entrepreneurs. These individuals have different backgrounds and work in different fields, from journalists to engineers and from nurses to bankers, yet they are all innovators for the public. He shares with us their amazing yet very difficult paths towards their success stories and the crucial roles that these social entrepreneurs play in our world. The essential message of this book is for the most part a wake up call telling us that major changes need to happen … right now! You don’t need to be an extremely rich or wealthy person to make a positive change in this world. Instead, you need a vision and the willpower to fulfill this vision no matter what obstacles and difficulties you encounter. Essentially, the stories of these social entrepreneurs are reflected to support this message. The stories of Jeroo Billimoria and J.B. Schramm allowed me to have a better understanding of the overall message. Mrs. Billimoria is the founder of the Childline network in India, which offers a 24-hour emergency phone service for children. It’s basically a helpline number that children living on the streets can use for immediate assistance in over 80 cities across the country. The second story is about J.B. Scharamm’s efforts in encouraging young U.S. students in continuing their education since school dropouts are a significant problem in the United States. Therefore, he created a network to help the students get into college by supporting them academically and financially. The short brief sentences about these stories give you an idea that no matter where you’re located, developing or developed country, no matter what problem the society is facing, children on the streets or dropping out of school, there is always a solution. Time is crucial and it assures us that we can’t afford to believe that “someone else will do it”, so who’s up for the task? Are you a social entrepreneur? What are some of the key qualities of social entrepreneurs? That’s what Mr. Bornstein illustrates in his book.

I think that this book completely redefines our traditional way of thinking on how problems should be solved. And unlike the current media this book offers great inspiring stories, not only hopeless ones. I also think that this book is a must read for the 21^st century global leaders because it really gives a clear view on the numerous crucial roles that each leader can take in a world that needs positive changes. Since global leaders and professionals have the power to reorganize the ways of a society, why not reorganizing it while solving current issues and looking ahead towards a better future? And it’s not up to the global leaders only; every single one of us has the possibility to make a change, however most of you, future leaders, have already the great qualities and skills of social entrepreneurs.

In brief, what I learned from this book is that there were and still are a lot of great people who care about the world, refusing to say “someone else will do it”. They fought for their visions and made them realities. And today millions of people, as well as their societies, benefit from the trees of these social entrepreneurs. To be a leader is one thing, but to care for the people you’re leading and even those that you’re not leading is another. The second thing that I learned from this book is that there are associations supporting the fast growing field of social entrepreneurship. Ashoka is one of the top agencies that support social entrepreneurs around the globe. So if you have a vision to make this world a better place, don’t let it fade. Take action and ask for support when you need it, because today, we have to change the world. Read the book to have a better understanding on how.