Terraform: Building a Better World

by Propaganda

In this debut collection of essays and poetry, musician, speaker, and activist Propaganda inspires us to create a better, more equitable world.
“If we get to make the very cultures that shape who we are, then let us remake them in the best way possible.” In this deep, challenging, and thoughtful book, Propaganda looks at the ways in which our world is broken. Using the metaphor of terraforming—creating a livable world out of an inhospitable one—he shows how we can begin to reshape our homes, friendships, communities, and politics. In this transformative time—when we are redefining what a truly just and equitable world looks like, and reflecting on the work that needs to be done both in our spiritual and secular lives—Propaganda rallies readers to create that just world. He sheds light on how nefarious origin stories have skewed our views of ourselves and others and allowed gross injustices, and demonstrates how great storytelling and excellent art can create and shape new perspectives of the world and make all of us better. 

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Religion, Christianity, Audiobook, Essays, Memoir

224 pages, Paperback

Expected publication June 15, 2026

About the author

Before dedicating his life to hip hop and poetry, Propaganda received degrees in illustration and intercultural studies, teaching high school for several years and founding two charter schools. Propaganda co-hosts The Red Couch Podcast with his wife, Dr. Alma Zaragoza-Petty. His upcoming album, Terraform will be released in 2021.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen to this book. There is music and poetry read by the author as he intended.

[Andy Littleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique book from a one-of-a-kind street poet, theologian, coffee connoisseur who has a lot to share from his particular perspective. Prop has lived in many worlds and invites us here to imagine new ones. Don’t get this book and expect to read it as you normally would. This one will need to be picked up and set back down, poems will require re-reading. I’d advise listening to his performances in order to catch the cadence of his speech. It will bring the book to life. The book isn’t about answers. It’s meant to get your creative juices flowing, and it does that well.

[Seth Hogeterp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very different reading experience for me - I’m not used to having poetry as the driving force to make a point. But I found this book to be profound and powerful, asking questions that need to be considered, and calling us as a human race to have a bigger imagination! I want to believe the world can be a better place, and that things don’t have to be “the way they’ve always been.” Prop gives us a starting point to imagine how!

[Scott Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a caucasian male raised in the lower middle class of the Midwest, I have been following Prop's perspectives and stories since he was releasing music with Humble Beast. Watching his evolving faith and life-story and transparency in it is something that I highly respect.

First of all, I listened to the self-narrated audiobook of Terraform. It hit different. In the same way that I LOVED listening to Bobby Hall's narration of his own book Supermarket, I found this audiobook to feel authentic and beautiful. The fact that Prop is a poet and excellent articulator of words just adds an organic depth to the method of communication. If I had read the physical book many things may not have landed as well.

We are the culture. We are terraforming the culture to create a better world. Engaging in our own soul's gentrification and the stories of others expands out empathy, perspective, and experience of reality. While Prop often references the development of a prophetic imagination (though without mentioning Walter Brueggemann?) and a larger worldview, I found that he has a way of storytelling that helps in just this.

Sure, I'm currently an MDiV student at a reformed seminary. Prop has been in these circles before and many disown or discount him because he is no longer in the era of his well-known album "Excellent." However I think that his God-given experiences in many different cultures both physical and psychological help give a different lens to what too many people see as black and white. While I may not have agreed with every take or every belief; I am thankful for this little book and the thoughts contained within it.

[Mikia | SeeWhatKeeReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

HUGE fan of Propaganda and Alma (his wife)! This will definitely be a re-read for me. Couldn’t put it down, as is the case with his music and podcast. If you don’t know about Prop, what you doing?!

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Propaganda (a.k.a Jason Perry) is a truly inspiring preacher and this is worth reading for the homiletical skill alone. And he reminds us: we are the culture, and as the culture, we can create something amazing. Generally, nuanced Biblical reflections and strong power analysis, excepting the chapter relying on three inadequate definitions of justice, sourced from a single book, which was surprising because the biblical scholarship Propaganda draws on and the Bible itself has such strong justice ethics in conversation with each other. Repeatedly calling us to community care and care for this earth, this beautifully wrought theological ethics is a fine read and a better listen.

[Grace White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy the way Prop’s mind works. I listened to it as an audiobook and wished many times I could see the lines of poetry as he spoke them. The cat poem struck me deeply. I appreciate what he is calling us to do overall - create the world - because I have long said that we made all this up anyways so why are people so afraid to change it all? We are just playing by someone else’s rules, I’d rather play by mine ;-)

[Erin O'Riordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Permanent keeper 'cause I need the inspiration. Hopepunk to the core, Terraform shows us that the world doesn't have to be like this. We can colonize this planet like we're colonizing Mars: A new chance to start over, right here. Right now. Be more fair. Not just say "Black Lives Matter" but act it out consistently, constantly. Prop gave me new perspective on not giving up just because I'm a microscopic cog in a cosmic plan. Like I said, hopepunk to the core.

[Brett Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This taught me so much

[I'mogén · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5 / 5

The Details:
Narrated by author
Unabridged

This was amazing. I loved how poetry was interwoven with the commentary.

There was a particular conversation discussing memory (about Propaganda discovering he had this cousin) and it was hilarious and really thought provoking. It made me think about how memory changes as we develop and speak to others and its interesting how this interaction can go, especially when the person you're talking to never was aware that you weren't aware of how the memory really was.... that sounds convoluted but trust me, it was fascinating.

There was this cat poem which was just amazing.

At times the more religious aspects didn't mesh with my enjoyment, but it wasn't over kill.

Overall, this was a really informative eye opening piece.

Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén

[Hannah Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shout out to Grace for this rec! It was so good and such a refreshing perspective about how we can work to improve the world around us. Highly recommend the audiobook for this one!

[Joel Gustafson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Mark Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick note on the style: This book was a little all over the place because it incorporated so much poetry and so many song lyrics along with his prose. But Prop has been a big enough part of my story and my learning journey for a long enough period of time that I cannot fathom discounting him for that (even if it’s not personally my favorite style in a book).

As for the content of the book, it was 100% fabulous, challenging, and life-affirming! While I am not sure he’s saying anything entirely different from what a lot of others are, I really appreciate the framing–the idea that we are trying to utilize our Prophetic Imagination to form a new and better world. Because that is increasingly where I am landing as a Jesus person.

Though we might want to think otherwise, the brokenness around us–war, famine, migration crises–didn’t just happen. There’s a connection between the large un-housed populations we see today and the hollowing out of the safety net in the US over the last several decades. There’s a connection between many of the conflicts we see today and the wars we waged in the past. There’s a connection between the people who are desperately trying to flee their homelands today and the regime changes we have supported. All of this is interconnected–they are the fruit of our collective choices.

And the only way we can address them is to make better choices–to form an entirely new garment. And it begins with the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves–individually and collectively. This book is largely an entry-point to such interrogation.

Over the course of the book, Prop walks through some of the stories we have collectively embraced–American Exceptionalism, White Supremacy, and more. He then challenges us to imagine better stories and begin charting a new course.

Given his background as a social studies teacher, I particularly enjoy that he has what are effectively homework assignments at the end of each chapter–challenging us to interrogate the stories around things like where we were raised, the literal scars on our body, who our enemies are, and some of the specific privileges we take for granted. I don’t think most of us, unless we’ve done a lot of therapy and/or introspection, have dug this deep in the way he’s exhorting us.

This largely sums up the whole book:

“Imagine what this livable world could be, then reverse engineer that mug! Tell better stories. Take care of the world around you. Take care of your neighbor. Imagine the possibility.”

[Larissa Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is more of a philosophical book than poetry, but it was enjoyable. The essays included were thought provoking and inspiring, all transformed into a consumable form by the author's approach and candor. The overall message that we create our own reality is something worth chewing on.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard the author speak a few years ago and he mentioned a number of the things he discusses in this book. It is exciting to see how his ideas have been fleshed out since then. It is intense, honest, generous, gut-punching, hopeful, joyous: the work of someone with their eyes wide open to all parts of life. I am so glad Prop wrote this and truly hope it gets the attention it deserves as both a piece to meditate on and simmer in, and as a call to concrete action.

**I received an electronic ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

[Janna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prop brings so many things to consider when it comes to how humanity has developed the culture we live in now, so it’s our responsibility to mold the culture moving forward into something we can all be proud of. The audiobook version of this is excellent. I always like it when the author narrates their own book, but the artistry that Prop brings to this book takes it to another level. I definitely expect to revisit this book again in the future.

[Erin Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the audiobook. I loved his message of terraforming the world and your life. Having a prophetic imagination to create better stories for our lives and world. And I sure would love to have a cup of coffee and a cocktail with him!

[John Spraker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense. Thought-provoking. Encouraging.

[Richard Propes · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's difficult to describe the experience of Propaganda's "Terraform: Building a Better World." I began reading the book early this week, a particularly busy week for me professionally as I prepared for the opening of a project I've been working on that I hope will improve the lives of people with disabilities.

As I began the first few pages of "Terraform," I knew that this was a world I wanted to immerse myself in but I also knew this was not going to be a week that allowed such an immersion.

So, I'm not sure I got the full experience of "Terraform" that I wanted to have. This is a book I'm confident I will revisit, likely repeatedly, and so extraordinary was my experience with it that I found myself looking up Propaganda long before I'd finished the book.

I looked for Propaganda's projects, poetry, rap, writings, and Youtube videos. I looked to find anything that would tell me more about this creator whose work I'd somehow never experienced yet with whom I felt instantly connected both in terms of spirit and in terms of how we create. As someone who wrote my own memoir largely using poetry and essays, I immediately felt comfortable in Propaganda's structure here and I immediately fell into his heartfelt and intelligently realized rhythms of hope and truth and so much more.

There are phrases here, especially the phrases, that Propaganda uses that have become mantras for me this week. I've been meditating most of the week on what origin story I claim rather than the one I've long been fed. Perhaps it is just a sign of my own healing journey, but the simple concept of writing a better origin story leaves me with chills.

There are other moments in "Terraform" that left me in awe as Propaganda writes with accessible complexity and a resolute heart.

With "Terraform," Propaganda looks at the ways in which our world is broken through the lens of terraforming - creating a livable world out of an inhospitable one - and further explores how we can create a better world both internally and externally. Propaganda calls us into a more just and equitable world and then begins planting the seeds for growing this world.

I must admit I went into Propaganda's "Terraform" not quite sure what to expect. I leave this literary world ready to experience more of it and transformed by these words, ideas, and expressions of a creative heart and mind longing for a village of similar world creators. People often say it's never too late to pursue your dreams or to write a book, but I came away from "Terraform" believing it is never too late to write a better origin story and it's never too late to commit ourselves to creating a better world for everyone.

"Terraform" will, no doubt, be one of my favorite books of 2021.

[Derek Kreider · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't what I was expecting, but in a good way. A lot of those who gave it three stars did so because they found the book more philosophical than poetic (though I think philosophy and poetry ought to be twins). Poetry is just condensed philosophy. It's philosophy jam-packed into a small package. It's like philosophical C-4. So while I love poetry, a 6 hour read of straight poetry would be rough. So I loved that there was a lot of dialogue/narrative/prose that accompanied the C-4. On a side note, I think comedians are the other philosophers in society. Good comedians are more in touch with reality and philosophy than most, they're just ironic philosophers that are usually misunderstood.

So if you're looking for just poetry, this book isn't for you. But if you want to dig into philosophy and some theology, this is your stuff. I appreciated the author's honesty and humility when it came to recognizing personal faults, inconsistencies, and areas where he just didn't know the answer. It is a very genuine book and a great look at culture. I especially loved the fry bread story about how oppression creates culture. There is something similar here in Romania, where cornmeal is a very common dish, which is a carry over from Turkish oppression. During Ottoman rule the grain was taxed but the corn wasn't, so corn started to be grown much more, therefore it became a staple.

On a side note, I listened to this as an audio book. I was hopeful that the author would read it, and indeed he did. There are some books I'd rather read, and some I'd rather listen to. This is definitely one I'd choose listening to over reading, especially for the poetic portions.

[Jenna Elliott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh I don’t want to be mean!!! But my most honest feeling about this book is that my 12-year-old self would have LOVED every word of this book and eaten it up fervently. This absolutely would have been my favorite book ever had I read it when I was 12. But here we are.

When I first started this book, I didn’t like it. Then I decided to try and let it grow on me. Prop’s voice is strong and his style is unique and refreshing. I enjoyed the interspersed poetry. I admire his youthful, dreamy, hope-filled curiosity about the world around him. He is witty and thoughtful. He’s an artful lyricist, and many of his poems were well worth reading.

Try as I might, however, I just can’t separate this book from all the dumb high school boys it reminds me of lol. Prop references lots of pseudo-academic things, like quantum physics he learned from YouTube or random facts from random research articles. But obviously he’s not a credible source for any of the things he’s writing about, so it’s hard to take any of it seriously. The whole thing is just very young. Very naive. And I think that’s kind of his style, and I think he wants it to be in a magical, we’ve-forgotten-how-to-dream-like-we-did-when-we-were-jn-kindergarten kind of way, but instead it’s just immature. Adolescent. Smart but not wise. Oh and it also has a weird, soft-Christian vibe to it. Those books are always the worst, in my opinion.

I didn’t mind the journal-like flow of the book. And I like propaganda. I would have preferred a book of his poetry.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5.
This was excellent! I already love Propaganda’s rapping and poetry and his breadth of knowledge and interests is pretty formidable, so I was delighted when both of these things were combined into a thoughtful, hopeful, and inspiring book.

I know it’s the title and the whole point of it, but I also really love his idea of terraforming (originally a sci-fi idea) and how he made it his own:
“Terraform. It’s about building a livable world. A world suitable for human flourishing.“

How do we make a better world? According to Propaganda, we need to 1) tell better stories about ourselves communally and individually, 2.) acknowledge that the earth is sacred, 3.) see one another as image-bearers and neighbours rather than enemies (this is where he makes use of the idea of “institutional neighborliness” which is a GREAT phrase), and 4.) sit in quiet and listen to silence order to 5.) imagine better futures.

Interspersed through is his poetry, and at the end of each chapter are some application ideas which are helpful. And I’m also just in awe of the number of different topics and ideas he brings in—theology! history! coffee! quantum physics! a whole bunch of other cultures! philosophy! All the things.

Highly recommended!

[Jennifer Spiegel]

I'd do the audiobook.

So, you all know how I do my 12 Christian books/year? A friend recommended this, but I think it's not really that (though it is too . . . I mean, I counted Bono, right?)

Propaganda is a Christian rapper, spoken word artist, and poet (I got this from Wikipedia), but he's not really in-your-face with faith, and I think the book appeals to a wider audience -- of, probably, artist-types and do-gooders/urban dwellers/tree-huggers/social justice aficionados and, actually, educators -- he's smart and he pulls interesting historical details together.

The book is really kind of a hybrid of prose and rap and poetry and, and I don't really know how to categorize it all because I think I'll sound mighty white. I would say that it was, for me, an "artistic experience." He's super creative and insightful, and he comes off as a great guy. Why read it? Because he's an artiste!

I laughed aloud a couple times. He's a dad of girls only, and that's a special kind of dad.

Plus, he knows all kinds of interesting things. He totally nails it with his description of Calvinists. And his origin stories of things like coffee and banjoes were pretty great.

[Hannah Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Restarted this book determined to finish it and it was well worth it. Propaganda (the brilliant Mr Jason Petty) is a talented rap artist and an incredibly well read historian on the side. In this book, Prop (Mr Petty) invites us to imagine this world at its best, despite often experiencing it at its worst. He opens a door for us to view the places we come from and the places we find ourselves, and the people in front of us and around us, as sacred. Sky, soil, people, we get to ride alongside him as he pays homage to the soil he grew from and the souls that watered him, and in the process we contemplate our own story. He even gives you homework at the end of every chapter. If the world is scary right now, and you’re having trouble imagining a better world, pick this up. It may not fix everything, but it wakes back up the dream.
Joy is resistance, hope is survival, the dream is the future. ❤️

[Amanda Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book. A book to serve as a reminder to dream, to slow down, to tell ourselves better stories, to imagine a better future, to be kingdom not empire, to fine tune our eyes to see greatness through gratitude, to go back to our roots and learn your soul, to be present, to hope, to be transformed to support human life: terraform.

This book was a light for me today. Propaganda is one of my favorite artists. He’s real. He’s a storyteller. He loves Jesus which is evident in how He loves people rather than how much he says He loves Jesus. He has a way of conveying truth no matter how hard in his poems. That is all I can really say, but you should listen/read for yourself.

If you aren’t into poetry, I still recommend this book - listen to it through audible. Heck, I love poetry and I listened to the audible because there’s just something about spoken word that hits deep.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and worthwhile premise (Don't terra form Mars or other planets to make them suitable for humans; work on making this planet and culture more suitable.), and much of the book addresses the Why, the What If, and the How. It didn't quite land completely for me, and that's in large part due to me. I'm not very familiar with the references the author makes to his life in South Central Los Angeles, or with much of the vocabulary he uses, because I'm a 66 year old white guy. Ultimately, if the problems he discusses are going to be solved (and I believe they must be if human societies are to survive much longer) it will mainly be younger people than I am. I guess I'm not the target audience, but I hope this book finds and influences that target audience.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Words build worlds."
"We make culture. Culture makes us."
"Soil is sacred"

Propaganda is brilliant. I've long admired his ability to craft words into art.
When he came out with this collection of work titled Terraform, I knew I wanted it on audio. Unfortunately, I'm not to be trusted with audio book CDs. I misplace discs. So, I had to wait until this was on my library's digital platform. And, it was worth the wait. Propaganda reads his words the way he intended for them to be heard. His delivery is half the magic of these words.

This collection of essays and poetry is encouraging and thought-provoking... when you get to the last page, you'll want to flip back to page one and begin all over again.
However, do yourself a favor and get both the hard copy and the audio. I had to refer to the hard copy a time or two, to absorb the depth behind Propaganda's words; however, the audio is by far the best experience.

Terraform.

[Momo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Not really my kind of poetry

This isn't really my kind of poetry, I prefer just poetry in the short line form but this wasn't just that. This had a ;pt more essays than I expected but I know that won't bother most readers and a lot of people will really love the books contents. This was very philosophical so if you like that I'd check it out.

Disclaimer: I read the arc of this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Katie Cheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I’ve read this year. For reasons both personal (this came right when my soul was hungry for it) and not (even if you didn’t know you needed this…you need this!!). Prop authentically and artfully cuts through the noise and provides poignant thoughts about where We are and where We could go, who We could be. Reading this felt like waking up, meditating, breathing, creating.

brb — just closed the book but about to read it through again.

[Robby Eckard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the intermingling of prose and poetry and found that the two supported each other effectively. The core message was that each of us individually and collectively should play a role in making the world a better place rather than fighting the other side or retreating from society because "like it or not, we are all we got." Each chapter also has some useful activities to try out, and unlike most books I actually tried a few of them. I plan to return to this book again.