September 15, 2005 | Read Time: 1 minute
Stick Your Neck Out: A Street-Smart Guide to Creating Change in Your Community and Beyond
by John Graham
After Steve Mariotti was mugged by teenagers on a street in New York, he started to think about better ways that young people like the muggers could earn money. Using his own savings, he created the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, which has taught business and problem-solving skills to more than 100,000 young people from low-income families since 1985.
Mr. Mariotti’s story is one of many in this book designed to inspire people to effect change in their hometowns and beyond. John Graham, director of the Giraffe Heroes Project, which brings publicity to grass-roots activists, provides a road map for ordinary people to identifying problems and finding ways to solve them.
He offers advice for refining projects, involving other people, and creating a plan of action. His book also discusses how to build trust among politicians, fellow activists, and even opponents, as well as to resolve conflicts and gain the self-confidence needed to take risks. Other advice includes how to use the news media and public forums to promote a cause, and when to seek legal action.
Mr. Graham concludes the book with lessons from his own experience as a former Foreign Service officer and political activist. “Lighten up,” he reminds readers, and don’t confuse an opportunity to promote change with an obligation to carry the weight of the world’s problems on your shoulders.
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, Calif. 94104-2916; (415) 288-0260; fax (415) 362-2512; http://www.bkconnection.com; 220 pages; $14.95; ISBN 978-1-57675-304-0.
