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How To Re-Imagine The World: A Pocket Guide for Practical Visionaries
Who says that all possible social and political systems have already been invented? Or that work—or marriage, or environmentalism, or anything else—must be just what they are now? This book is a conceptual toolbox for imagining and initiating radical social change. Chapters offer specific, focused, and shareable Leap-frogging new kinds of cars and better mass transit in turn, why not a world in which “transportation” itself is unneeded? What about remaking New Orleans as a floating city, or putting only extreme surfers in the path of hurricanes? And why not dream of the stars? The question is not whether radical change is coming. It is already well underway. The only question is who will make it. Why not us? Anthony Weston is a professor of philosophy at Elon University in North Carolina, where he teaches ethics, environmental studies, and “Millennial Imagination.” He is the author of ten other books, including Back to Earth , Jobs for Philosophers , and Creativity for Critical Thinkers .
152 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 10, 2010
I could not figure out if the author was speaking to a group of people who have developed a set of vocabulary unique to themselves, or if I was lacking the vision necessary to understand his stretching of common word meanings.
May 22, 2019
Really motivational book, reading at a down moment in my life. I enjoyed the ideas he proposed in terms of thinking outside the box by redefining what limits we have put in place. Although reading after Scranton's Learning How to Die in the Anthropocene I sometimes pit the two of them together. It did feel a little sad when the goals/hopes he had for 10 years time (which by the date of its publication would have made it 2017) haven't been achieved by 2019 then what hope do we have? Perhaps its my mood and I'm in a pessimistic state of being-- regardless the methodology and thought exercises he works you through were very interesting and I think this would be a great read for Activists or anyone working a a civic community service project.
November 30, 2022
This book is great! It inspires you to think about the world differently. For example, the author suggested instead of terrorist groups, what if we had groups that brought joy to people instead of terror?
March 26, 2023
Derivative. Problem great at first publication (2007), but I even find my suspension of disbelief difficult to maintain through that. I would give them to a tween (9-12yo) with a desire to “bring down to system” lol.
October 3, 2016
10/3/2015:
Anthony Weston's How to Re-Imagine the World: A Pocket Guide for Practical Visionaries is, like Fesmire's John Dewey and Moral Imagination: Pragmatism in Ethics and Johnson's Morality for Humans: Ethical Understanding from the Perspective of Cognitive Science, a book about moral imagination and its importance for our decisions about how to live. Unlike either of those books, though, there is not a whit of philosophical theorizing about ethics in this book. As Weston puts it in his opening words, "This book is a guide to creative thinking in service of radical social transformation" (p. 1). And that it is. In its small 142 pages it covers a wide variety of exhortations, strategies, and tips for creative thinking about our lives and our world.
Weston is relentlessly positive, perhaps even Romantic, without coming across as utopian in an out-of-touch, unconstrained idealism sort of way. The emphasis of the book is on vision and ideas. This is not a guide for practical activism on the ground, though there are tips and suggestions here and there about how to bring visions and ideas to life. No doubt, those truly hardened by Realpolitik and incrementalism, and many others besides, would find this book hokey and unrealistic. I see it as an invitation to be perceptive about the actual, and bring the imagination to bear in order to discover the possible. One of the best parts of the book is that it is constantly fleshing out its advice with examples that are fleshed out enough to be suggestive, but brief and sketchy enough so that you don't get bogged down in the details. Again, some may find the style off-putting, but I liked it.
The book is organized into 23 very punch chapters (plus an exhortatory introduction and a brief afterword). The chapters are organized into five sections that are labeled with a few sentences describing major themes or strategies rather than section headings. The first section deals with the importance of working from a big-picture vision of the social reality one is aiming for. Visions inspire, bring people together, give us something positive to strive for, rather than merely a problem to fight against. The second section deals with strategies for creative or generative thinking, different ways of coming up with creative ideas that could drive social change. The third section goes in a somewhat more practical direction, providing suggestions for how to look for "tipping points" and other dynamics that make radical change achievable. Here I was reminded of Fesmire's discussion of moral imagination as "creatively tapping a situation’s possibilities."
The fourth section of the book discusses the way that cultural institutions, practices, norms, and world views can act as barriers to change, but also can be shifted and reconstructed to make change possible. The final section deals with more practical issues of how to build momentum behind idea, make alliances, and achieve goals. (This, for me, was the least satisfying part of the book, in part because it didn't seem to disclose very concrete possibilities for change.)
As an aside, I think there is a bit of the book where Weston neatly captures, in plain, easily digested language, the valuable insight from Martin Heidegger's "The Question Concerning Technology." (At least, the take-away that I find valuable enough to keep teaching the essay.)
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10/2/2016: Yet more exploration of the theme of moral imagination. This looks like a short read.
Anthony Weston's How to Re-Imagine the World: A Pocket Guide for Practical Visionaries is, like Fesmire's John Dewey and Moral Imagination: Pragmatism in Ethics and Johnson's Morality for Humans: Ethical Understanding from the Perspective of Cognitive Science, a book about moral imagination and its importance for our decisions about how to live. Unlike either of those books, though, there is not a whit of philosophical theorizing about ethics in this book. As Weston puts it in his opening words, "This book is a guide to creative thinking in service of radical social transformation" (p. 1). And that it is. In its small 142 pages it covers a wide variety of exhortations, strategies, and tips for creative thinking about our lives and our world.
Weston is relentlessly positive, perhaps even Romantic, without coming across as utopian in an out-of-touch, unconstrained idealism sort of way. The emphasis of the book is on vision and ideas. This is not a guide for practical activism on the ground, though there are tips and suggestions here and there about how to bring visions and ideas to life. No doubt, those truly hardened by Realpolitik and incrementalism, and many others besides, would find this book hokey and unrealistic. I see it as an invitation to be perceptive about the actual, and bring the imagination to bear in order to discover the possible. One of the best parts of the book is that it is constantly fleshing out its advice with examples that are fleshed out enough to be suggestive, but brief and sketchy enough so that you don't get bogged down in the details. Again, some may find the style off-putting, but I liked it.
The book is organized into 23 very punch chapters (plus an exhortatory introduction and a brief afterword). The chapters are organized into five sections that are labeled with a few sentences describing major themes or strategies rather than section headings. The first section deals with the importance of working from a big-picture vision of the social reality one is aiming for. Visions inspire, bring people together, give us something positive to strive for, rather than merely a problem to fight against. The second section deals with strategies for creative or generative thinking, different ways of coming up with creative ideas that could drive social change. The third section goes in a somewhat more practical direction, providing suggestions for how to look for "tipping points" and other dynamics that make radical change achievable. Here I was reminded of Fesmire's discussion of moral imagination as "creatively tapping a situation’s possibilities."
The fourth section of the book discusses the way that cultural institutions, practices, norms, and world views can act as barriers to change, but also can be shifted and reconstructed to make change possible. The final section deals with more practical issues of how to build momentum behind idea, make alliances, and achieve goals. (This, for me, was the least satisfying part of the book, in part because it didn't seem to disclose very concrete possibilities for change.)
As an aside, I think there is a bit of the book where Weston neatly captures, in plain, easily digested language, the valuable insight from Martin Heidegger's "The Question Concerning Technology." (At least, the take-away that I find valuable enough to keep teaching the essay.)
Let us adopt the term Resourcism for the worldview (assumption or ideology) that the Earth is essentially just a set of resources for our use. Trees are just standing lumber; rocky hills are just gravel pits waiting to happen; other animals are just living meat, and even you and I may be reduced to customers or 'Human Resources.' Take all of this to its logical conclusion and of course we have environmental crisis, an Earth being sucked dry. **But it is hard to recognize the root cause when we don't have a word for it** Resourcism shows this world-view for what it is: a relentless, single-minded, narrow value-system, and certainly not the only one possible. (p. 115)In sum, there are a few good reasons to read this book. If you're in need of a boost to your moral imagination, if you're hungry for social change but dissatisfied with the binary, oppositional terms of contemporary debate, or if you want to teach your students to think creatively about ethics and political philosophy, in terms of possibilities rather than abstract theories and criteria. Don't expect a lot of philosophical depth or intellectual rigor, though; that's not what this book is trying to do.
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10/2/2016: Yet more exploration of the theme of moral imagination. This looks like a short read.
September 2, 2008
Book By Anthony Weston
Review by Tedi Elliott
By day, Anthony Weston is a Professor of Philosophy at Elon University in North Carolina , where he teaches Ethics, Environmental Studies, and “Millennial Imagination.”
Ethics and Environmental Studies could be your run-of-the-mill college courses, but… what about this one on Millennial Imagination? That’s the first hint that we might have a rather radical thinker on our hands. Once you start to peruse this book, that sneaking suspicion is confirmed: Professor Weston’s ideas and his classes, are not likely to induce much snoring.
His book is basically a guide to jump-starting one’s creative imagination in order to make some needed improvements in the world around us. Oh, you’re not creative? Not a creative bone in your body? This is your book and the Professor will have none of that negative thinking, so don’t even go there. Filled with examples of how it’s done, this book really does provide usable tools to help you begin to think in different ways, to create some brand new neural-nets in the old gray matter. You find that once you get the hang of it, it’s like a game to try and push beyond old ways of thinking. Then once you think you’ve got it, Weston shows you you’re just beginning…why stop there? Keep going!
Here’s a quote from the beginning of the book that piqued my interest:
“Radical imagination begins with a move beyond complaint and resistance, beyond reactive tinkering or hunkering down or cynical accommodation. The first big move is to an alternative picture of how things could be instead.”
Doesn’t that precisely sum up our usual approaches to what we perceive as problems, obstacles, or challenges…the things we’d like to change? In my experience, there is great whining and throwing up hands, or digging in of heels, and surprise!...nothing changes at all. Weston gives simple, practical examples of how to think differently than you ever have before, in ways that can really change the world. Not only can we improve the world around us, but thinking in new ways improves the brain within our skull as well.
Here are just a few examples of how Weston thinks, and how you can too:
“Stretches -
When you want big ideas and big new steps, deliberately take them…”
Why settle for inching up the fuel efficiency of cars – why not make them five or even ten times as efficient as they are now? Don’t ask how to reduce the workweek by just an hour or two - go an order of magnitude farther. Why not cut it by half? Stretch those ideas, exaggerate them. Instead of just making a few more bike paths and narrowing a few roads, what if we took out the roads entirely? What if we turned the roads into bike paths and walkways? Why don’t we make New Orleans into a floating city to protect it from flooding? And don’t stop there, and don’t even think of saying “that’s impossible” or “that can’t be done.”
This little book is about 140 pages long, comes in paperback, is small in size but chock-full of Big and New. Get yourself a copy, read it in one night, then put it in your pocket and start changing the world. It’s already happening. You might as well join in, and besides, it beats whining!
Review by Tedi Elliott
By day, Anthony Weston is a Professor of Philosophy at Elon University in North Carolina , where he teaches Ethics, Environmental Studies, and “Millennial Imagination.”
Ethics and Environmental Studies could be your run-of-the-mill college courses, but… what about this one on Millennial Imagination? That’s the first hint that we might have a rather radical thinker on our hands. Once you start to peruse this book, that sneaking suspicion is confirmed: Professor Weston’s ideas and his classes, are not likely to induce much snoring.
His book is basically a guide to jump-starting one’s creative imagination in order to make some needed improvements in the world around us. Oh, you’re not creative? Not a creative bone in your body? This is your book and the Professor will have none of that negative thinking, so don’t even go there. Filled with examples of how it’s done, this book really does provide usable tools to help you begin to think in different ways, to create some brand new neural-nets in the old gray matter. You find that once you get the hang of it, it’s like a game to try and push beyond old ways of thinking. Then once you think you’ve got it, Weston shows you you’re just beginning…why stop there? Keep going!
Here’s a quote from the beginning of the book that piqued my interest:
“Radical imagination begins with a move beyond complaint and resistance, beyond reactive tinkering or hunkering down or cynical accommodation. The first big move is to an alternative picture of how things could be instead.”
Doesn’t that precisely sum up our usual approaches to what we perceive as problems, obstacles, or challenges…the things we’d like to change? In my experience, there is great whining and throwing up hands, or digging in of heels, and surprise!...nothing changes at all. Weston gives simple, practical examples of how to think differently than you ever have before, in ways that can really change the world. Not only can we improve the world around us, but thinking in new ways improves the brain within our skull as well.
Here are just a few examples of how Weston thinks, and how you can too:
“Stretches -
When you want big ideas and big new steps, deliberately take them…”
Why settle for inching up the fuel efficiency of cars – why not make them five or even ten times as efficient as they are now? Don’t ask how to reduce the workweek by just an hour or two - go an order of magnitude farther. Why not cut it by half? Stretch those ideas, exaggerate them. Instead of just making a few more bike paths and narrowing a few roads, what if we took out the roads entirely? What if we turned the roads into bike paths and walkways? Why don’t we make New Orleans into a floating city to protect it from flooding? And don’t stop there, and don’t even think of saying “that’s impossible” or “that can’t be done.”
This little book is about 140 pages long, comes in paperback, is small in size but chock-full of Big and New. Get yourself a copy, read it in one night, then put it in your pocket and start changing the world. It’s already happening. You might as well join in, and besides, it beats whining!
June 16, 2008
As the title of this book tells us, this book tells us how to re-imagine the world.
This book is written for people who want to start their own business or run their own company.
The key word in this book is 'creativity.' The author tells us how to change the world by creativity. In this book, the strategy of being creative is mainly focused.
The author also encourages us not to be give up. Some people may say that we have too small effect to change the world or we are not talented to be creative from the beginning. However, the author says that everyone can be creative by following certain strategy and by being creative, you can change the world even though it's not a huge change. Of course, accumulation of small changes causes a big change.
For example, if you want to change the 'conservative' system of an organization, you should stop using the word 'conservative.' There are a lot of kinds of 'conservative' system. The word 'conservative' makes the real situation of an organization ambiguous though it is a convenient word to describe the situation as a whole.
This book give us a power to never give up. This book makes your view for world briter and full of hope.
This book is written for people who want to start their own business or run their own company.
The key word in this book is 'creativity.' The author tells us how to change the world by creativity. In this book, the strategy of being creative is mainly focused.
The author also encourages us not to be give up. Some people may say that we have too small effect to change the world or we are not talented to be creative from the beginning. However, the author says that everyone can be creative by following certain strategy and by being creative, you can change the world even though it's not a huge change. Of course, accumulation of small changes causes a big change.
For example, if you want to change the 'conservative' system of an organization, you should stop using the word 'conservative.' There are a lot of kinds of 'conservative' system. The word 'conservative' makes the real situation of an organization ambiguous though it is a convenient word to describe the situation as a whole.
This book give us a power to never give up. This book makes your view for world briter and full of hope.
March 15, 2011
I had Anthony Weston as professor at Elon University in their philosophy department. It is not often you get to know the author of the book you are reading. Take it from me, this guy is the real deal. If you think any of his ideas are too radical or "out there" then you've missed the point of this book. Weston was an illuminating professor and I think it's great that the rest of the world gets a little insight into his thoughts now too. Read this book and become inspired!
January 11, 2009
I read this book as a way to stimulate the formation of a Wellnees group. Any group seeking to think out of the box would benefit from the the enthusiasm of the author for creating new paradigms. It is about vision and synergy and seeing with fresh eyes. If you need to get jazzed about a project and don't want to approach it in the same-o-sameo way, this book is for you.
October 27, 2008
Absolutely fascinating. And concise. Although a bit.. disjointed, and sometimes his ideas get in the way of the ideas he's trying to help create in you.. But generally amazing, inspirational, and creative. Definitely worth reading.
September 5, 2014
This book is great for training one's self to think out of the box. An asset for teachers.
what-i-own
August 25, 2015So far, so good. Inspirational. Helps encourage my motivated thinking!
September 20, 2015
نیمه کاره رهاش کردم. چندان که می خواستم حرف برای گفتن نداشت.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews