Undercurrents: Channeling Outrage to Spark Practical Activism

by Steve Davis

Improve your knowledge of the ways global trends shape activism with this insightful volume that will supercharge your impact on communities and organizations Undercurrents: Channeling Outrage to Spark Practical Activism brings the perspective of experienced global social innovation leader, scholar and speaker, Steve Davis, to bear on some of the most powerful and helpful macrotrends rippling through society today. The book teaches listeners how to harness their outrage and capitalize on global trends to instigate and encourage change across the world. The author identifies five global undercurrents with outsized importance that are shaping our world: Global economies are moving away from the old pyramid model into a diamond, bringing powerful new possibilities for human well-being; communities are becoming the customer--rather than passive beneficiaries--as social change is increasingly led by local voices and activists; equity is leveling and reshaping the field of social change and activism; digital disruption, through the power of data and digital tools, impacts almost everything; and the middle of the journey to social change is becoming surprisingly sexy, as we focus on adapting innovation for widespread impact at scale.

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2020

About the author

Steve Davis is Senior Strategy Advisor and Interim China Country Office Director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the World Economic Forum, serves as co-chair of the World Health Organization's Digital Health Technical Advisory Group and is a member of numerous boards and advisory committees. He is the former president & CEO of PATH, a leading global health innovation organization; former Director of Social Innovation at McKinsey & Company, a global consultancy; and former CEO of Corbis, a digital media pioneer. With degrees from Princeton University, University of Washington and Columbia Law School, he speaks and writes regularly about the intersection of innovation, technology and social impact. He lives with his family in Seattle, Washington.

Reviews

[Robert Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anger and outrage by themselves are not productive, but it is possible to channel these two emotions to inspire practical activism that works to build bridges by working together WITH communities as opposed to working ON them. It is also emphasized that the differences between us as people comes down to chance. This book pushes the idea that one ripple can inspire other ripples, which turns into a current, which consequently can impact society and bring about change. Additionally, it is important to not see people who receive aid as passive but as important consumer alongside moving away from paternalistic aid efforts. The author also advocates for the public, private, government sectors working together to improve the public good in an economic world that is moving from a pyramid to a diamond.

[Adriyana Grotseva · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book reviewing the non-profit organisations and showing some real world examples and struggles of change. The author reviews the idea that the NGOs work should switch its focus from its donors to its users and adopt more user-centric approach. That the communities should become the customer instead of the passive beneficiary. The book also reviews the impact of digitalization and data and how it unlocks time and provides insights, that can be used for the health of people. Steve Davis also talks briefly on and off about the current corona pandemic, from his view up to end of 2020. I expected more motivational or insights from the book. But the couple of real-life examples and stories, some of which I didn’t know, I found quite interesting.

[Jahan Evren · Rating 3 out of 5]

An eye-opening book about the world of non-profits, Undercurrents: Channeling outrage to spark practical activism, is an easy-to-read book for those new to activism and development sector. This book aims to help activists--professional, emerging, or aspiring--understand some of the forces that drive change as well as activism in the non-profit sector. It serves as an excellent source for fresh graduates to understand the mechanics of the development sector; at the same time, it can also serve as a source of optimism for antiqued professionals who have been working in the field for decades.

[Lauren Wyckoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this timely discussion on how social change tools are morphing. Mr Davis writes in a way that any person can understand the themes and join the conversation.