Social Impact Reading List

Resources

Nov 17

Get your creative juices flowing with our pick of this year’s must-reads.

When it comes to thinking about impact differently, books are a great resource. After all, nobody is saying you need to come up with your own impactful ideas from scratch. Whether you’re hoping to get a deeper understanding of a particular topic or are searching for a thought-provoking fiction, you’ve come to the right place.

This list isn’t exhaustive, nor is it highlighting just the latest releases around social impact or marketing. It does, however, include our favorites, and will be updated regularly.

Please note, in the spirit of supporting small business whenever possible, I’ve tried to add links for local bookstores. If for any reason you aren’t able to purchase your book from the suggested link, I’d strongly encourage you to buy local to support your local bookstore.

Non-Fiction

Manifesto for a Moral Revolution by Jacqueline Novogratz

"Everyone who wants to have an impact on the world ― from entrepreneurs, philanthropists and CEOs, to volunteers, teachers and advocates ― would be wise to keep a copy of this new book by Jacqueline Novogratz at hand. The original yet basic strategic ideas she shares in this instant classic can be the difference between just hoping for change and actually creating it. Don't listen to the naysayers ― just read this book."
―Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Global

Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty by Abhijit V. Banerjee

"Fascinating and captivating. Their work reads like a version of Freakonomics for the poor. There are insights into fighting global poverty from the remarkable and vital perspective of those whom we profess to serve. They remind us, I think, of our shared humanity and how at some fundamental levels we really do think alike."

―Fast Company

Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist Hardcover by Kate Raworth

“I read this book with the excitement that the people of his day must have read John Maynard Keynes’s General Theory. It is brilliant, thrilling, and revolutionary. Drawing on a deep well of learning, wisdom, and deep thinking, Kate Raworth has comprehensively reframed and redrawn economics. It is entirely accessible, even for people with no knowledge of the subject. I believe that Doughnut Economics will change the world.”―George Monbiot, author; columnist at The Guardian

Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire by Rebecca Henderson

"This book has an important message about the critical role of purpose-driven businesses in our society and how capitalism and democracy need to interact constructively to solve our most pressing challenges."

―Stanford School of Business

Reimagining capitalism in a world on fire.jpg

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

"Kimmerer eloquently makes the case that by observing and celebrating our reciprocal relationship with the natural world, one can gain greater ecological consciousness."

―Sierra Magazine

All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson & Katharine Wilkinson

“A welcome anthology, in prose and verse, of women’s writings on climate change…. A well-curated collection with many ideas for ways large and small to save the planet.”

—Kirkus Reviews

Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Make a Difference by William MacAskill

“Doing Good Better is a must-read for anyone with both a heart and a brain. MacAskill demolishes the lazy myths of nothing-you-can-do-ism and demonstrates the power of asking the right questions. This is an important book. It's also surprisingly fun. Figuring out what really helps people is a challenging scientific puzzle, and these pages are full of unexpected twists—enlightening and invigorating.”—Joshua Greene, director of Harvard's Moral Cognition Lab, author of Moral Tribes

Innovating for People: Handbook of Human-Centered Design Methods by LUMA Institute

From LUMA Institute…

“The key ingredient to successful innovation is the everyday practice of Human-Centered Design: the discipline of developing solutions in the service of people. Every story of a good innovation — whether it’s a new product, a new service, a new business model or a new form of governance — begins and ends with people. It starts with careful discernment of human needs, and concludes with solutions that meet or exceed personal expectations.”

The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design by IDEO.org

From IDEO.org…

At IDEO.org, part of our mission is to spread human-centered design to social sector practitioners around the world. The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design reveals our process with the key mindsets that underpin how and why we think about design for the social sector, 57 clear-to-use design methods for new and experienced practitioners, and from-the-field case studies of human-centered design in action. The Field Guide has everything you need to understand the people you're designing for, to have more effective brainstorms, to prototype your ideas, and to ultimately arrive at more creative solutions.

Fiction

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“Adichie is uniquely positioned to compare racial hierarchies in the United States to social striving in her native Nigeria. She does so in this new work with a ruthless honesty about the ugly and beautiful sides of both nations.”

—The Washington Post

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

“Takes unerring aim at upper-middle-class America’s blind spots…a nuanced study of mothers and daughters and the burden of not belonging to our families or our communities.” —Vogue