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Change Everything
We are living in a social, political, economic and environmental emergency. The status quo is profoundly unstable; change is inevitable. Now is the time to get together to build a far healthier and more balanced world, it is time to Change Everything.
Natalie Bennett is on a mission to transform the way we think about our world. She explains how universal basic income will decommodify time and free people up to choose how best to use their energy and talents; she emphasises the importance of free education for everyone, for life; she encourages the pooling of assets, from sharing tools with your neighbour to fairly enjoying the planet’s natural resources. From organising a litter pick or petitioning for a pedestrian crossing, from rethinking the financial markets and tax havens to re-evaluating the criminal justice system, Natalie has formulated a holistic, hopeful and practical vision for the future where people can really ‘do politics’.
If we can bring together the imagination, talents and energy of everyone invested in change to rebuild and repair our societies, then a positive future is within our reach.
Natalie Bennett is on a mission to transform the way we think about our world. She explains how universal basic income will decommodify time and free people up to choose how best to use their energy and talents; she emphasises the importance of free education for everyone, for life; she encourages the pooling of assets, from sharing tools with your neighbour to fairly enjoying the planet’s natural resources. From organising a litter pick or petitioning for a pedestrian crossing, from rethinking the financial markets and tax havens to re-evaluating the criminal justice system, Natalie has formulated a holistic, hopeful and practical vision for the future where people can really ‘do politics’.
If we can bring together the imagination, talents and energy of everyone invested in change to rebuild and repair our societies, then a positive future is within our reach.
- GenresNonfictionPolitics
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About the author
Natalie Bennett
7 books4 followersNatalie has been the editor of the Guardian Weekly newspaper, a volunteer
with the Thai National Commission on Women’s Affairs, and a (not very
good) rugby player, football goalie and cricket wicketkeeper. She has lived
on three continents, taken degrees in agricultural science, history and politics,
and social science, and gone from being the child of an apprentice carpenter
in Australia to membership of the UK House of Lords (since 2019).
She joined the Green Party of England and Wales on January 1, 2006,
with the resolution to “do something” about the state of the world, but would
never have predicted where it would lead her.
A feminist from age five, when she was told because she was a girl, she
was not allowed to have a bicycle, Natalie became a Green when she saw thriving,
life‑rich soil on a biodynamic farm in Australia, in contrast to the depleted,
trashed soils of mainstream farming methods. She can get very geeky about
soil biology when the chance arises. She chose to leave Australia in frustration
at its money‑dominated and anti‑intellectual political culture, and moved in
her mind not just to the United Kingdom, but Europe.
You can find regular writing from Natalie on her Substack.
with the Thai National Commission on Women’s Affairs, and a (not very
good) rugby player, football goalie and cricket wicketkeeper. She has lived
on three continents, taken degrees in agricultural science, history and politics,
and social science, and gone from being the child of an apprentice carpenter
in Australia to membership of the UK House of Lords (since 2019).
She joined the Green Party of England and Wales on January 1, 2006,
with the resolution to “do something” about the state of the world, but would
never have predicted where it would lead her.
A feminist from age five, when she was told because she was a girl, she
was not allowed to have a bicycle, Natalie became a Green when she saw thriving,
life‑rich soil on a biodynamic farm in Australia, in contrast to the depleted,
trashed soils of mainstream farming methods. She can get very geeky about
soil biology when the chance arises. She chose to leave Australia in frustration
at its money‑dominated and anti‑intellectual political culture, and moved in
her mind not just to the United Kingdom, but Europe.
You can find regular writing from Natalie on her Substack.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 25, 2024
Subtitled ‘How we can rethink, repair and rebuild society’ this book deals comprehensively with issues and problems of our current political systems. It is essentially written about the situation in the UK but has a pretty universal application.
I’d like to have all our current, and potential, politicians made to sit down and read this manual for a fairer and more workable world.
The book starts with a comprehensive ‘Introduction to The World We Have Made’ and is then divided into four Parts:
Part A – ‘Active Freedom’, deals with Decommodifying Time; Education For All, For Free, For Life; and DIY Politics.
Part B – ‘True Prosperity’, deals with Restoring the Earth; The People’s Economy; and Controlling the Money.
Part C – ‘Healthy Life’, looks at Enabling Wellbeing; Unleashing Culture; and Recovering Space.
Part D – ‘Shared Resilience’, talks about Repairing the Broken; Rebalancing the World; and Making Reparation.
Natalie Bennett has worked and lived in a number of lands and cultures. It is clear she made extensive research for this inspiring attempt to change our world for the better. The work is fact-based, intelligent, thoughtful, inspiring, optimistic, and comprehensive. A real sense of justice permeates the narrative, with practical solutions to so many of our current problems, and ideas aimed at reducing the current conflict that is so destructive in our politics at present.
There is encouragement for those in society attempting, and often succeeding, at local politics that directly affect their lives and those of others.
She makes cogent points about the nature of leadership and how reliance on one leader is a recipe for disaster in so many ways. I could quote examples here, but everyone must be starkly aware of the many conflicts, both internally and globally, that stem from the vanity, greed, incompetence, and ignorance of many political leaders. It is surely time for a change.
This is essentially a manual for practical change to many aspects of our political, social, and cultural lives. A way to examine our prejudices, beliefs, concerns, and actions with the aim of producing a much fairer, more inclusive, rational, and universal society that creates a better world for all.
It is a relatively radical, but eminently practical approach to correct a whole raft of issues that currently not only lie unmanaged, but actually threaten our mental and physical health, our prosperity, our environment, and, ultimately, the continuation of human life on the planet.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Everyone should read it and gain hope from the content, especially all our politicians and leaders in all fields of endeavour. Carried to its logical conclusion, the philosophy described in this book could fundamentally change the whole world for the better.
I’d like to have all our current, and potential, politicians made to sit down and read this manual for a fairer and more workable world.
The book starts with a comprehensive ‘Introduction to The World We Have Made’ and is then divided into four Parts:
Part A – ‘Active Freedom’, deals with Decommodifying Time; Education For All, For Free, For Life; and DIY Politics.
Part B – ‘True Prosperity’, deals with Restoring the Earth; The People’s Economy; and Controlling the Money.
Part C – ‘Healthy Life’, looks at Enabling Wellbeing; Unleashing Culture; and Recovering Space.
Part D – ‘Shared Resilience’, talks about Repairing the Broken; Rebalancing the World; and Making Reparation.
Natalie Bennett has worked and lived in a number of lands and cultures. It is clear she made extensive research for this inspiring attempt to change our world for the better. The work is fact-based, intelligent, thoughtful, inspiring, optimistic, and comprehensive. A real sense of justice permeates the narrative, with practical solutions to so many of our current problems, and ideas aimed at reducing the current conflict that is so destructive in our politics at present.
There is encouragement for those in society attempting, and often succeeding, at local politics that directly affect their lives and those of others.
She makes cogent points about the nature of leadership and how reliance on one leader is a recipe for disaster in so many ways. I could quote examples here, but everyone must be starkly aware of the many conflicts, both internally and globally, that stem from the vanity, greed, incompetence, and ignorance of many political leaders. It is surely time for a change.
This is essentially a manual for practical change to many aspects of our political, social, and cultural lives. A way to examine our prejudices, beliefs, concerns, and actions with the aim of producing a much fairer, more inclusive, rational, and universal society that creates a better world for all.
It is a relatively radical, but eminently practical approach to correct a whole raft of issues that currently not only lie unmanaged, but actually threaten our mental and physical health, our prosperity, our environment, and, ultimately, the continuation of human life on the planet.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Everyone should read it and gain hope from the content, especially all our politicians and leaders in all fields of endeavour. Carried to its logical conclusion, the philosophy described in this book could fundamentally change the whole world for the better.
February 9, 2025
You need to know where you're going, even if at first the path from here to there doesn't seem obvious. That was the premise on which I bought this book, at least.
So imagine my delight when I found in its pages not only a description of a fairer, healthier and altogether more user-friendly Britain, but also some practical and realistic ways to get there from where we are now.
The introduction opens with a reminder that the war-torn UK, in the late 1940s, managed to construct an entire welfare state system, backed by an economy in which the general need for "a family wage - enough for a man to support a wife and a couple of children" was a pre-requisite agreed by all parties - yes, even the Conservatives. There follows a brief summary of how we got from there - full employment, affordable housing, reliable utilities - to where we are now.
From then on, each chapter explores one aspect of the "Everything" which is worth "changing": the social as well as the economic. Because it's not just 'back to Bevan': there are many aspects of social change that have happened since then - for example in attitudes to women - which we would like to keep, thank you very much, and build on.
The first section explores the how and why of freeing up enough of people's time and mental bandwidth to be able to keep up with, and ideally take part in, the 'political process' to start with - where this embraces everything from standing for your local Council to taking part in voluntary work.
We then move on to the nuts and bolts of the Economy including the money system - why is everyone and everything (even China for heaven's sake) in debt? And what can one country do about it?
Further sections go beyond economic survival to examine health, arts and culture, and the physical landscape in which we live. Can't find a dentist? Films and music all seem a bit formulaic? Town centre is bleak and uninviting? None of it has to be that way, and 'Change Everything', in spite of the title, demonstrates that it needn't take a literal Revolution to fix it.
Natalie Bennett is a plain-spoken Australian who sits in the House of Lords as a Peer for the Green Party. I think it's this combination that makes 'Change Everything' such an exciting read: there's commonsense, a knowledge of how Politics works, and an unapologetic vision of how things could be so much better.
So imagine my delight when I found in its pages not only a description of a fairer, healthier and altogether more user-friendly Britain, but also some practical and realistic ways to get there from where we are now.
The introduction opens with a reminder that the war-torn UK, in the late 1940s, managed to construct an entire welfare state system, backed by an economy in which the general need for "a family wage - enough for a man to support a wife and a couple of children" was a pre-requisite agreed by all parties - yes, even the Conservatives. There follows a brief summary of how we got from there - full employment, affordable housing, reliable utilities - to where we are now.
From then on, each chapter explores one aspect of the "Everything" which is worth "changing": the social as well as the economic. Because it's not just 'back to Bevan': there are many aspects of social change that have happened since then - for example in attitudes to women - which we would like to keep, thank you very much, and build on.
The first section explores the how and why of freeing up enough of people's time and mental bandwidth to be able to keep up with, and ideally take part in, the 'political process' to start with - where this embraces everything from standing for your local Council to taking part in voluntary work.
We then move on to the nuts and bolts of the Economy including the money system - why is everyone and everything (even China for heaven's sake) in debt? And what can one country do about it?
Further sections go beyond economic survival to examine health, arts and culture, and the physical landscape in which we live. Can't find a dentist? Films and music all seem a bit formulaic? Town centre is bleak and uninviting? None of it has to be that way, and 'Change Everything', in spite of the title, demonstrates that it needn't take a literal Revolution to fix it.
Natalie Bennett is a plain-spoken Australian who sits in the House of Lords as a Peer for the Green Party. I think it's this combination that makes 'Change Everything' such an exciting read: there's commonsense, a knowledge of how Politics works, and an unapologetic vision of how things could be so much better.
April 24, 2025
Change Everything is a comprehensive overview of what Natalie Bennett terms as ‘Greenism’ and ideology outside of the political orthodoxy that acknowledges the finality of the planet, and seeks to preserve and promote a fairer more sustainable future.
The core takeaway from the book for me was the idea of politics as something you do, rather than something done to you. This is an incredibly powerful sentiment, and I think the book services a great starting point for ideas of what a compassionate and sustainable societal model from what democracy, education, healthcare and the economy could look like.
This however, landed somewhere between three and four stars for me as it seemed a contradiction in terms. While the book encourages an engagement within localised democratic change, and ‘doing politics’ it also tries to balance this with the broader structural changes it seeks. This conflict does not feel completely resolved for me, as it almost inadvertently falls into the pitfall of shifting the emphasis to personal responsibility, rather than bigger societal change.
In addition, the bigger picture suggestions like UBI, debt forgiveness, democratised ownership and green energy all feel a bit wishy-washy. I personally would’ve liked a more in depth explanation of some of these themes and a pathway into implementation as opposed to the top down utopian ideas alone.
This read more as a manifesto than an exploration of how these ideas could be actionable. Perhaps I had the wrong expectations going into this, but I think it fails to negate the arguments levelled at Green political philosophy, that it’s overly idealistic.
Overall, I enjoyed Change Everything, I think it sets out clear reasons to hope and strive for a better world. As above, my criticism would be the lack of pragmatic solutions to actually achieving a Green New Deal. I’d recommend this as a thought-provoking look at what a Green future could offer.
“Politics should be what you do, not have done to you. And everyone can do politics.”
The core takeaway from the book for me was the idea of politics as something you do, rather than something done to you. This is an incredibly powerful sentiment, and I think the book services a great starting point for ideas of what a compassionate and sustainable societal model from what democracy, education, healthcare and the economy could look like.
This however, landed somewhere between three and four stars for me as it seemed a contradiction in terms. While the book encourages an engagement within localised democratic change, and ‘doing politics’ it also tries to balance this with the broader structural changes it seeks. This conflict does not feel completely resolved for me, as it almost inadvertently falls into the pitfall of shifting the emphasis to personal responsibility, rather than bigger societal change.
In addition, the bigger picture suggestions like UBI, debt forgiveness, democratised ownership and green energy all feel a bit wishy-washy. I personally would’ve liked a more in depth explanation of some of these themes and a pathway into implementation as opposed to the top down utopian ideas alone.
This read more as a manifesto than an exploration of how these ideas could be actionable. Perhaps I had the wrong expectations going into this, but I think it fails to negate the arguments levelled at Green political philosophy, that it’s overly idealistic.
Overall, I enjoyed Change Everything, I think it sets out clear reasons to hope and strive for a better world. As above, my criticism would be the lack of pragmatic solutions to actually achieving a Green New Deal. I’d recommend this as a thought-provoking look at what a Green future could offer.
“Politics should be what you do, not have done to you. And everyone can do politics.”
January 22, 2025
This book is fascinating and full of examples of how ineffective our system of life - capitalist, extractionist, hortrendously competitive, obsessed with growth etc . She is such a generous personality and I agree with pretty much everything she says. She gives incredible examples to illustrate her thinking and describes meetings with such a huge range of people ...
In addition she has given me ways forward in my own life that i had not thought of before,
eg that only 3p in every £1 spent in the large supermarkets stays in the local economy, whereas 100p in every pound remains in shops where the owners live and work locally. So even though these shops may be more pricey - whats the difference if I already support the local food bank and credit union? ... so I have now entirely stopped shopping at large supermarkets and have found well stocked local shops run by local people as an alternative. I may have to limit my donations to local causes in order to do this but the argument is so strong! There were several other suggestions she makes or new ways of approaching things.
I think i should join my local UBI initiative in Manchester - and i am already part of a group working to set up a citizens assembly in Moss Side/Rusholme/Fallowfield on the these f 'what our chidren need'.
And it is so easy to read ... though of course there are no obvious routes to get the answers we all need. UBI - yes but how on earth do we gt there? We need to move to politics rather than parties to form a broad enough coalition to stop Reform/Badenoch/Trump/Musk and the scary future they are offering.
In addition she has given me ways forward in my own life that i had not thought of before,
eg that only 3p in every £1 spent in the large supermarkets stays in the local economy, whereas 100p in every pound remains in shops where the owners live and work locally. So even though these shops may be more pricey - whats the difference if I already support the local food bank and credit union? ... so I have now entirely stopped shopping at large supermarkets and have found well stocked local shops run by local people as an alternative. I may have to limit my donations to local causes in order to do this but the argument is so strong! There were several other suggestions she makes or new ways of approaching things.
I think i should join my local UBI initiative in Manchester - and i am already part of a group working to set up a citizens assembly in Moss Side/Rusholme/Fallowfield on the these f 'what our chidren need'.
And it is so easy to read ... though of course there are no obvious routes to get the answers we all need. UBI - yes but how on earth do we gt there? We need to move to politics rather than parties to form a broad enough coalition to stop Reform/Badenoch/Trump/Musk and the scary future they are offering.
June 30, 2024
A very good introduction into an alternative way of thinking about the improvement of society. It's more of a general overview than ever going in-depth - but Bennet very clearly states that this is the intention. Handily, se even goes out of her way to include further reading for each chapter, which provides further information should the reader be interested.
As this book focuses on the politics of pretty much everything that makes society, I naturally don't agree with everything laid out here - but I think it would be stranger if I did. This doesn't mean I don't recommend the book though. It has really helped me put some thoughts into perspective with regards to local community and the betterment of the country I live in.
I first found out about this book through an interview she did with LBC, but I was then disappointed to learn how few copies were being stocked in retail bookstores. I ended up getting an ebook version, but I really hope this book becomes more widely available, as it is one of the most accessible political books I've read.
As this book focuses on the politics of pretty much everything that makes society, I naturally don't agree with everything laid out here - but I think it would be stranger if I did. This doesn't mean I don't recommend the book though. It has really helped me put some thoughts into perspective with regards to local community and the betterment of the country I live in.
I first found out about this book through an interview she did with LBC, but I was then disappointed to learn how few copies were being stocked in retail bookstores. I ended up getting an ebook version, but I really hope this book becomes more widely available, as it is one of the most accessible political books I've read.
June 21, 2024
This is a great time, just before a General Election, to read this book by Natalie Bennett, a former leader of the Green Party. She gives a wide-ranging and very accessible guide to the aspirations and vision of the Greens, and I found myself agreeing with just about all of it. I hadn't really appreciated just how radical many of the Green ideas are, and it was good to be given a coherent picture, rather than the bits and pieces I've read about and discussed with others in the past. The fact that someone can simply describe this alternative approach to organising society is itself a great source of hope. My only reservations about the book are that she doesn't really engage with the question of how to get from here to there; and she very often describes policies as 'common sense', rather than really explaining why and how they can be applied in practice.
February 4, 2025
Rather than reading like a right-on preachy manifesto, this book is full of ideas and a philosophy which, when taken out of context and away from the existing political landscape, are just common sense.
I always knew the UK has long been hamstrung by two-party politics,but the way Bennett explains why that is and how it could be different, just makes sense.
OK, it's idealistic in places, but isn't every political speech? Bennett reminds us of how we've lost sight of what is the right thing to do for the planet because we've been preoccupied with left or right, choosing a side and voting for a person. Sound familiar? Comparisons to the US political system are made too, except there is no left in capitalist America.
All in all, a great introduction to the philosophy behind Green politics and how it can be applied practically to society.
I always knew the UK has long been hamstrung by two-party politics,but the way Bennett explains why that is and how it could be different, just makes sense.
OK, it's idealistic in places, but isn't every political speech? Bennett reminds us of how we've lost sight of what is the right thing to do for the planet because we've been preoccupied with left or right, choosing a side and voting for a person. Sound familiar? Comparisons to the US political system are made too, except there is no left in capitalist America.
All in all, a great introduction to the philosophy behind Green politics and how it can be applied practically to society.
May 1, 2024
One of the worst books I have had the misfortune to buy in recent times.
I am an environmentalist: member of the RSPB, Woodland Trust and others so I expected this book to be full of wonderful ideas in this respect given it is written by a former leader of the Green Party- wrong! The environment is barely mentioned. It is nothing but a diatribe against the western world and total feminist claptrap. It seems clear the author despises white men and the western world in general. She would be happy for the UK to be destroyed and broken up. She thinks BLM is wonderful. According to her there is no world population problem.
Please don’t buy this book.
I am an environmentalist: member of the RSPB, Woodland Trust and others so I expected this book to be full of wonderful ideas in this respect given it is written by a former leader of the Green Party- wrong! The environment is barely mentioned. It is nothing but a diatribe against the western world and total feminist claptrap. It seems clear the author despises white men and the western world in general. She would be happy for the UK to be destroyed and broken up. She thinks BLM is wonderful. According to her there is no world population problem.
Please don’t buy this book.
July 27, 2025
Natalie Bennett's approach to Green philosophies and policies is a fantastic - and often optimistic - introduction to alternatives to our current system.
Those familiar with some of these concepts (such as Universal Basic Income) might feel like the book is light on details, on the practicalities of how systems change might be achieved, but I think that misses the point.
This is a conversation starting point, identifying the failures of a global system in broad strokes, and saying "yes, we're aware this has failed, and we need to do better".
Those who do want greater detail of the ideas and concepts in the book can find fantastic suggestions for further reading at the end of the book.
Those familiar with some of these concepts (such as Universal Basic Income) might feel like the book is light on details, on the practicalities of how systems change might be achieved, but I think that misses the point.
This is a conversation starting point, identifying the failures of a global system in broad strokes, and saying "yes, we're aware this has failed, and we need to do better".
Those who do want greater detail of the ideas and concepts in the book can find fantastic suggestions for further reading at the end of the book.
September 15, 2025
Whilst I agree with the majority of points raised in this book and how we should reshape our society, the one thing that was lacking for me was how we get there. I agree that UBI is a good idea, but there were no practical steps of how to actually achieve a functioning society with UBI. Maybe I shouldn't have expected that from this book, I'm not sure.
Having said that, the book clearly outlines a lot of ills in our current society and why we desperately need to change them. It's disappointing that the book seems more like a wishlist than a pathway for change.
Having said that, the book clearly outlines a lot of ills in our current society and why we desperately need to change them. It's disappointing that the book seems more like a wishlist than a pathway for change.
December 31, 2025
Natalie Bennett articulates lots of people's yearning for a human-centred, planet-centred politics and there's a wealth of common sense critique of our social, economic and political norms.
There's slightly less detail on how to bring the norm-loving majority onside with her practical solutions and the final section is a bit episodic, almost a sketch of a book that needs development. Still, the voice of common sense for this reader and a heartening and hopeful outline of a better sort of political future for many I suspect.
There's slightly less detail on how to bring the norm-loving majority onside with her practical solutions and the final section is a bit episodic, almost a sketch of a book that needs development. Still, the voice of common sense for this reader and a heartening and hopeful outline of a better sort of political future for many I suspect.
August 24, 2024
Read this book. Read it slowly and carefully. Take your time to digest it and consider its implications. It's critical of the past and present, and rightly so, but also incredibly hopeful for the future. At a time when hope seems in short supply, Natalie Bennett spells out a path that would be of great benefit to each of us, as well as the world we live in.
October 31, 2024
Bennett's wisdom pragmatically conveyed in her characteristically clear common sense approach. There are a few too many anecdotal pieces of evidence for some assertions which could have been replaced with more accurate research. However, overall, this is a smashing and very easily accessible introduction for anyone interested in Green thinking and looking for an upbeat and practical way in.
March 31, 2025
I wanted to learn more about the Green Party and their policies, but also how people in the party can go about changing the world for the better, and that are the ideas which really excite and engage people. This was an informative and interesting read and I ended up highlighting a lot of this book and hope to revisit it again.
September 1, 2025
a supremely optimistic read, filled with positive solutions to a series of problems both across the UK and globally. my only critique is that it doesn’t really go through the steps of how to get to the solutions as well as it could.
November 30, 2025
This is an exploration of how we can and must organise our societies in a much more equitable and planet friendly way. The writing is very accessible and straightforward. There is hope, practical solutions and clear explanations of the possible ways to transform our lives.
July 8, 2024
Excellent, positive book which has loads of great ideas and action to take. People should read this book.
July 18, 2025
Wonderful; I can’t wait to read donut economics so I can learn how these ideas could be financed ❣️
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews