Be the Change Bookclub

This month we are reading "New Day Revolution: How to Save the World in 24 H0urs" by Sam Davidson and Stephen Moseley, Founders of CoolPeopleCare.

What's it about?

"Let's face it - New Years Resolutions are hard to keep.  So what if instead of New Year's resolutions, we made New Day's Resolutions?

What if instead of saying, "I'm going to lose weight this year," we said, "Today I will eat a salad for lunch."

"I'm going to go green this year," becomes, "Today I will recycle the paper I use."

"I'm going to help people this year," becomes, "Today I will give $5 to a worthy cause."

We do these small things, keep our daily resolutions, and before you know it we've got a new day revolution.

Join the co-founders of CoolPeopleCar as they show you more than 100 daily changes to revolutionize you, those around you, and the world."

This book is full of great ideas for living a more environmental & socially concious life.  Join us to share your own revolutionary experiences as we read "New Day Revolution".

Have you ever wondered “How much technology do we really need to live happy, productive lives?”  Have you ever thought about whether or not all the labour saving devices we consider essential really do make our lives better?

Eric Brende, author of “Better Off : Flipping the Switch on Technology” has.  And to find the answers he and his wife moved to a “community so primitive in its technology that even Amish groups consider it antiquated”.

“Deftly steering clear of dogma, never sounding like a sanctimonious scold, Eric Brende makes a persuasive case that most of us would enjoy life more by radically minimizing our reliance on modern technology.  Better OFF is a buoyant, thought-provoking, and very entertaining read.”
            - Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster and Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

In January we will be reading “Better OFF” and pondering the place of technology and its effects on our lives and communities.

Everyone is being encouraged to celebrate a new name on the holiday calendar and do five good things during the five days of ‘Twixtmas’(December 27-31) – to transform the time between Christmas and New Year.

Each of the five days of Twixtmas is themed where people are invited to celebrate themselves, do something unselfish, by celebrating others, do something for a friend, for the planet, or for their future.

To spread the Twixtmas cheer people are being encouraged to give their friends and family a ‘Merry Twixtmas High Five’ hand greeting and share their Twixtmas pledge - the five things they are doing to change their world, as well as spread the word about Twixtmas and what it stands for.

Valuable tips and advice from leading experts in well-being - so everyone make the most of the Twixtmas opportunity – are offered on www.twixtmas.com where visitors can also download their own Twixtmas Pledge form.

The idea for Twixtmas celebrations is being promoted by the Flexible Thinking Forum, a new not-for-profit social enterprise which works to provide training for more creative and flexible thinking among businesses and organizations.

Our enormously productive economy… demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption… We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced, and discarded at an ever increasing rate.
- Victor Lebow, 1955

Its so easy to get caught up in the trap of consumption at the best of times, but at Christmas time it can be especially alluring.

If you pay any attention to the ads on TV, the junk mail in your letter box, the displays in your local stores, it can seem that Christmas is all about spending money on 'stuff'.  Expensive gifts, expensive meals, expensive parties and expensive holidays.

But what really matters at Christmas time?  Can you have a meaningful Christmas without maxing out your credit card?  What can you do to avoid the lure of consumerism, but still make Christmas special for you and your loved ones?

'How to Have a Better Xmas', from the good folk at Life2, is a FREE e-book that explores some of the things that really add meaning and fun to our experience of Xmas (as well as those that don’t) and gives a range of practical ideas and tips to enable you to have a happy, wise and meaningful festive period!

So, grab your copy today, and join us to discuss Christmas, Generosity, Consumerism, Sustainability and more!

 

Image by TheMarque via Flickr

One morning an elderly man was walking on a nearly deserted beach. He came upon a boy surrounded by thousands and thousands of starfish. As eagerly as he could, the youngster was picking them up and throwing them back into the ocean.

Puzzled, the older man looked at the young boy and asked, "Little boy, what are you doing?"

The youth responded without looking up, "I'm trying to save these starfish, sir."

The old man chuckled aloud, and queried, "Son, there are thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?"

Holding a starfish in his hand, the boy turned to the man and, gently tossing the starfish into the water, said, "It will make a difference to that one!"

(source unknown)

"The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty" by Peter Singer is a  book that has inspired me to drastically reduce my chocolate consumption in a way that no diet book has ever managed to do! 

It opened my eyes to the everyday waste and excess in  my life that I take for granted.  It has made me feel wealthier and able to give more.

"The Life You Can Save" is most definitely a compelling read.  Not just a preachy tug at your emotions, but a reasoned exploration into why people do (or do not) choose to give and why we should all be doing more for the billion or so people who struggle to survive on less than the cost of a chocolate bar every day.

I didn't really enjoy the chapter that went into detail about how much we each should be giving.  It was a bit dry and dull - and I felt that it wasn't asking enough.  I guess I just like the simplicity of the idea of giving everything that you don't need. 

This is a book that everybody should read.  Whether you think you are giving enough already, or you think you can't afford to give, and especially if you think it is not your responsibility ot within your power to end global poverty.

Mercy Corps has launched the One Table campaign to fight hunger by investing in women.

Why?

Because when women succeed in school, farming or business, they provide food, education and healthcare to their families. Their own health and well-being improve, their household becomes stronger and the entire community benefits.



The One Table campaign aims to raise US$3 million, help bring about substantive changes to U.S. global hunger policy, and make a significant contribution to the growing global movement to eliminate world hunger.

At Be the Change Bookclub we want to help . . . so for every new member that signs up between now and November 30th we will donate 10 cents to Mercy Corps (up to a total of $50).

Please join up today and help make a difference for women and their families and communities in developing countries!

In November we'll be reading Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.

William Petrocelli at the Huffington Post is calling it The Most Important Book of the year.

Opportunity International have selected it as their book of choice for this quarter.

Melinda Gates calls it  “a brutal awakening and an unmistakable call to action”

Join with us to read 'Half the Sky' this November and share what you think of the book!

Imagine you can have greater happiness...

...Better health

...More wealth
 
These can be yours. And they will come to you from a surprising source!

Scientific research shows that “giving” can bring you each of these gifts and much more.

Do you want to improve your relationships? Your work situation? Or reduce stress?

The Power of Giving  will show you how to improve your life- and in the process improve the lives of others. That’s why...

     Wayne Dyer calls it: “Very inspiring”

     Jack Canfield says “Give it to everyone you love”

     Seth Godin says: “This book could change everything”

The Power of Giving will show you how you can live your life so you have the greatest impact, the greatest happiness and the greatest satisfaction. Get your book now: http://powerofgiving.org/paperback and receive dozens of free partner giveaways immediately.

When you buy the Power of Giving: How Giving back enriches us all....

·        You’ll start your giving- becauHere se 100% of author royalties go to charities

·        You get a personal money back guarantee from the authors.

·        You get dozens of valuable free downloads.

Best of all, you’ll discover how to improve your own life, as well as the lives of others.

This is a book about you.

The Power of Giving is about you and your potential.  About how you can improve your life. The surprise is that you can improve every part of your own life by giving.

Virtually all successful- and certainly all happy people- have discovered the joys of giving. Now you can too.  You’ll learn dozens of easy ways to give. You’ll learn how you can reap the greatest reward.

You’ll see how to give more effectively.  You’ll discover the strategies and secrets of people who possess true wealth and happiness.

Your Money Back Guarantee

This book will inspire you.  That’s why the authors make you this promise: when you buy The Power of Giving during this campaign, they will refund your purchase price if you are not inspired. That’s how confident they are that you’ll love this book.

Get your book now: http://powerofgiving.org/paperback

When you buy this book, you’ll help it to become a bestseller. And that will also spread the message of giving.  Already published in 9 languages, The Power of Giving won a 2009 Nautilus Gold Award (previous winners include his Holiness the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra and Eckert Tolle).  

The Power of Giving will help you to achieve more of what you want in your life. After you buy the book, online or in a bookstore, come back to our site, and receive dozens of downloadable valuable giveaways. Details here: http://powerofgiving.org/paperback

-        Azim Jamal  and Harvey McKinnon (co-authors).

P.S.  In the spirit of giving, 100% of author royalties will be donated to charity.  So your giving actually starts when you buy the book. Please get your copy today. And thank you for all you do to improve the world.

Make Extreme Wealth History from Peter Gerard on Vimeo.