Top Social Impact Books of 2022
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In 2020, the world turned on its head as the pandemic upended everyone’s lives. The murder of George Floyd and the social justice movements that followed brought theories, which had long been discussed in small circles, to the forefront of the public’s consciousness. View some of the top social impact books of 2022 to add to your reading list heading into the new year.
Another World Is Possible: How to Reignite Social and Political Imagination by Geoff Mulgan
The world is confronting simultaneous catastrophes. Another World Is Possible argues that achieving a better future depends on creative imagination: the ability to see where we might want to go and how we might get there. Drawing on social sciences, the arts, philosophy and history, this book explores how we can recharge our collective imagination and create a roadmap for the future.
Change for Good by Paul Klein
More than a year into a global pandemic, profit and shareholder value were no longer the primary metric of business success. Customers, shareholders, and communities demanded that companies do good. In Change for Good, Paul Klein shows how companies — incorporating feedback from those with lived experiences — must now demonstrate that they can help solve social problems.
Essential: How the Pandemic Transformed the Long Fight for Worker Justice by Jamie K. McCallum
Frontline workers have long been left vulnerable to employer abuse. Essential discusses how, over the pandemic, workers fought for safer workplaces, better pay, and better health care as well as the right to unionize. These actions have spurred a radical new phase of the labor movement, which this book discusses in detail.
Networks for Social Impact by Michelle Shumate & Katherine R. Cooper
Drawing on research from public administration, psychology, business, and communication, Networks for Social Impact synthesizes what we know about how to best design and manage networks. It includes illustrations from organizations addressing gender-based violence, educational outcomes, senior care, veterans' services, climate change, and mental health and wellness.
No Justice, No Peace: From the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter by Devin Allen
The riveting black-and-white images in No Justice, No Peace bear witness to the profound history of African Americans and their allies in the fight for social justice. At once deeply intimate and profoundly uplifting, this book is a visual tribute to Black resistance and a stern missive on the road that lies ahead.
The Necessary Journey: Making Real Progress on Equity and Inclusion by Ella F. Washington
Organizations have largely missed the mark when it comes to creating environments where all employees thrive because they treat diversity, equity, and inclusion as a program that gets done rather than the necessary and difficult journey it is. A truly inclusive workplace requires invention and reinvention, mistakes and humility, adaptation to a changing world, constant reflection, and sometimes significant sacrifice. In The Necessary Journey, readers will find case studies and stories about how leaders have fully integrated DEI into their corporations.
The Social Impact Advantage by Tynesia Boyea-Robinson
It’s no longer enough to have the best product or the most value for your customers. Now, consumers are looking at how your company aligns with their values, how tapped into social movements you are, and how authentic your social stances appear. To increase revenue and seize the competitive edge, your organization needs to embrace social causes in the right way. In The Social Impact Advantage, Tynesia Boyea-Robinson offers tools, resources, and insights to help readers successfully navigate the modern business climate in an authentic way.
The Toolbox: Strategies for Crafting Social Impact by Jacob Harold
In The Toolbox, Jacob Harold, the former chief executive officer of GuideStar, explores nine tools that have driven world-shaking social movements and billion-dollar businesses. This book is an essential blueprint for anyone interested in improving the world around them.
Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want by Ruha Benjamin
Long before the pandemic, Ruha Benjamin was doing groundbreaking research on race, technology, and justice. Part memoir, part manifesto, Viral Justice is a sweeping and deeply personal exploration of how we can transform society through the choices we make every day.