How to Change the World by John-Paul Flintoff
How to Find Fulfilling Work by Roman Krznaric
A Picador Original Series
Publication Date: April 23, 2013
Business / Careers / Self-Help / Education
For review copies (US and Canada only) or to schedule an interview with John-Paul Flintoff or Roman Krznaric, please email gabrielle.gantz [at] picadorusa.com
PRAISE FOR THE SCHOOL OF LIFE SERIES
“Alain de Botton … has begun issuing a new series of books, written by himself and others, titled The School of Life. A better and more aspirational name for this series might be Self-Help Books for the Rest of Us.”
—Dwight Garner, The New York Times
PRAISE FOR HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD
“[How to Change the World] will provide plenty of fodder for conversation between burgeoning activists. … as a first push toward directing one’s energies outward, this is an encouraging primer.”—Publishers Weekly
“A credible book to inspire even the most cynical among us.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Flintoff has not written a history, though he has woven the essential historical facts into his narrative. He has done something far more rewarding and entertaining.”—The Times Literary Supplement
“Entertaining and thoughtful…Flintoff is the gentlest of moralists.”
—Financial Times
“Manages to be both supremely entertaining and an invaluable social document.”—Telegraph
ABOUT HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD
We all want to live in a better world, but sometimes it feels that we lack the ability to make a difference. Author, broadcaster, and journalist John-Paul Flintoff offers a powerful reminder that through the generations, society has been transformed by the actions of individuals who understood that if they didn’t like something they could change it. Combining fresh new insights from history, and other disciplines, this book will give you a sense of what might just be possible, as well as the inspiration and the courage you need to improve and change the world.
In an interview, John-Paul Flintoff can discuss:
- Why making a difference in the world is not just for bleeding-heart liberals
- Why working for an NGO is not inherently good
- How acting locally is more effective and fulfilling than helping on a large scale
- Why enjoying the solution is just as important as obtaining the goal
- The importance of small steps over having a grand plan
JOHN-PAUL FLINTOFF is an author, broadcaster and journalist. He has written several highly praised books. In one, Sew Your Own, he investigated sweat shops and global resource shortages. As a writer with the Financial Times and The Sunday Times, Flintoff has changed government policy, and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for good causes. He lives in London. You can find him online at http://www.flintoff.org/
PRAISE FOR HOW TO FIND FULFILLING WORK
“An inspirational self-help book with an intellectual pedigree.”—Kirkus
“[Roman Krznaric’s] thought exercises pose important questions…and invite readers to imagine what they might be doing in parallel universes.”—Publishers Weekly
“Krznaric is a congenial writer, and the interweaving of historical fact, psychology, and interviews is nicely done.”—Steven Poole, The Guardian
ABOUT HOW TO FIND FULFILLING WORK
The desire for fulfilling work is one of the great aspirations of our age. This book reveals explores the competing claims we face for money, status, and meaning in our lives. Drawing on wisdom from a variety of disciplines, cultural thinker Roman Krznaric sets out a practical guide to negotiating the labyrinth of choices, overcoming fear of change, and finding a career in which you thrive. Overturning a century of traditional thought about career change, Krznaric reveals just what it takes to find life-enhancing work.
In an interview, Roman Krznaric can discuss:
- How we’ve become obsessed with specialization, and should consider becoming a generalist rather than a specialist
- Why we need to reject the standard ‘plan then implement’ model sold to us by careers advisers
- Why businesses need to offer their employees community and an opportunity to put their values into practice
- How to take an experimental approach to career change, such as going on a ‘radical sabbatical’
- What philosophy can teach us about career change – from Aristotle to Bertrand Russell
- What history can teach us about career change – the Renaissance, the industrial revolution
- How we need to rethink the ideal of ‘having it all’, and how men and women can support each other in the search for fulfilling work
ROMAN KRZNARIC is a cultural thinker and founding faculty member of The School of Life. He advises organizations including Oxfam and the United Nations on using empathy and conversation to create social change, and has been named by The Observer as one of Britain’s leading lifestyle philosophers. His works, including The Wonderbox: Curious Histories of How to Live and The First Beautiful Game: Stories of Obsession in Real Tennis, have been translated into over a dozen languages. You can find him online at http://www.romankrznaric.com/
MORE INFORMATION
The School of Life website
John-Paul Flintoff on How to Change the World (video)
Roman Krznaric on How to Find Fulfilling Work (video)
Roman’s blog at Psychology Today
How to Change the World (cover image)
How to Find Fulfilling Work (cover image)