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Seven Ways to Change the World: How To Fix The Most Pressing Problems We Face
THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER
'His vision, ideas and passion shine through on every page' Ed Balls
'Compelling, challenging, inspiring and very timely' Piers Morgan
'Immensely powerful and persuasive...I found it exhilarating throughout' Joanna Lumley
When the Covid-19 pandemic swept across the globe in 2020, it created an unprecedented impact, greater than the aftermath of 9/11 or the global financial crisis. But out of such disruption can come a new way of thinking, and in this superb new book former UK prime minister Gordon Brown offers his solutions to the challenges we face in 2021 and beyond.
In the book, he states that there are seven major global problems we must global health; climate change and environmental damage; nuclear proliferation; global financial instability; the humanitarian crisis and global poverty; the barriers to education and opportunity; and global inequality and its biggest manifestation, global tax havens. Each one presents an immense challenge that requires an urgent global response and solution. All should be on the world’s agenda today. None can be solved by one nation acting on its own, but all can be addressed if we work together as a global community .
However, Brown remains optimistic that, despite the many obstacles in our way, we will find a path to regeneration via a new era of global order. Yes, there is a crisis of globalisation, but we are beginning to see the means by which it might be resolved. Crises create opportunities and having two at once shouldn’t just focus the mind, it might even be seen as giving greater grounds for hope. In Seven Ways to Change the World , Brown provides an authoritative and inspirational pathway to a better future that is essential reading for policy makers and concerned citizens alike.
'His vision, ideas and passion shine through on every page' Ed Balls
'Compelling, challenging, inspiring and very timely' Piers Morgan
'Immensely powerful and persuasive...I found it exhilarating throughout' Joanna Lumley
When the Covid-19 pandemic swept across the globe in 2020, it created an unprecedented impact, greater than the aftermath of 9/11 or the global financial crisis. But out of such disruption can come a new way of thinking, and in this superb new book former UK prime minister Gordon Brown offers his solutions to the challenges we face in 2021 and beyond.
In the book, he states that there are seven major global problems we must global health; climate change and environmental damage; nuclear proliferation; global financial instability; the humanitarian crisis and global poverty; the barriers to education and opportunity; and global inequality and its biggest manifestation, global tax havens. Each one presents an immense challenge that requires an urgent global response and solution. All should be on the world’s agenda today. None can be solved by one nation acting on its own, but all can be addressed if we work together as a global community .
However, Brown remains optimistic that, despite the many obstacles in our way, we will find a path to regeneration via a new era of global order. Yes, there is a crisis of globalisation, but we are beginning to see the means by which it might be resolved. Crises create opportunities and having two at once shouldn’t just focus the mind, it might even be seen as giving greater grounds for hope. In Seven Ways to Change the World , Brown provides an authoritative and inspirational pathway to a better future that is essential reading for policy makers and concerned citizens alike.
512 pages, Hardcover
Published June 10, 2021
91 people are currently reading
594 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Brown
147 books30 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 19, 2022
Read this book with interest but left in parts it was lacking but on the whole found interesting with his insights of the systems and the economic system. Didn't agree with somethings which he put forward though.
August 21, 2021
Over the last few years, Gordon Brown has grown massively in my estimation. Like many others, I felt him responsible, at least in part, for the financial crash; this assessment didn’t take into account his other qualities, or views on wide-ranging issues presented in this book.
He has risen yet further in my estimations, as this book presented concise and yet thoughtful analysis of the biggest issues of our time, whilst presenting well-thought and viable solutions - all of which were costed and measurable on timescales.
His knowledge and experience on the world stage is evident throughout, including in his roots in a small Fife town and his role in the Scottish independence debate. This plethora of roles allows him to reconcile - very cleverly - people’s sense of belonging and nationalism.
Above all, this book served as a realistic and yet inherently optimistic solution for the pressing issues facing us. At the core is accepting that we face global problems which can only be resolved with global solutions - however, Brown avoids the naive approach of so many other authors in reconciling the role of the nation state within this international framework.
To conclude what has become a rather lengthy review, I cannot recommend this book enough to everyone, but perhaps more presciently to those in positions of power and policy-making, who would be well-served by heeding Brown’s insightful and achievable solutions.
He has risen yet further in my estimations, as this book presented concise and yet thoughtful analysis of the biggest issues of our time, whilst presenting well-thought and viable solutions - all of which were costed and measurable on timescales.
His knowledge and experience on the world stage is evident throughout, including in his roots in a small Fife town and his role in the Scottish independence debate. This plethora of roles allows him to reconcile - very cleverly - people’s sense of belonging and nationalism.
Above all, this book served as a realistic and yet inherently optimistic solution for the pressing issues facing us. At the core is accepting that we face global problems which can only be resolved with global solutions - however, Brown avoids the naive approach of so many other authors in reconciling the role of the nation state within this international framework.
To conclude what has become a rather lengthy review, I cannot recommend this book enough to everyone, but perhaps more presciently to those in positions of power and policy-making, who would be well-served by heeding Brown’s insightful and achievable solutions.
July 2, 2021
I'll start this review with a personal note: back in 2010, I stood on a green somewhere in Milton Keynes with political commentators from OU and elsewhere - and also the manager of the local Indian restaurant, dragged in, like me for a Vox pop by Sky News. As a new, young but actually nearly middle-aged comedian, I grabbed at this opportunity to be on the telly, though the production assistant asked if I had any more make-up on me, and when I said no suggested I might want to brush my hair. (Rude!) Anyway, we were being asked what we made of the new TV debates. I bucked the trend of the discussion by disagreeing with everybody else about whether they would be a good thing. I think I said something like they would make good telly, but some of the participants had done the whole debating society thing at uni and would be better placed for the bluster and cheap point scoring of such a thing, delivering politics in appealing soundbites for the hard of thinking, whereas some would not be as good at that sort of thing, being more thoughtful and quietly spoken. I meant Gordon Brown. And I was flipping right. And "I was flipping right" could be the alternative subtitle of this book for the beginning at least. Brown's thoughts about the future... Well with future hindsight, we'll see.
This book is the easy political explanation of stuff thought by Gordon Brown on as much of a platter for the slightly hard of political thinking like me as Gordon Brown probably feels comfortable with. As an essay, needs more citations. As a political memoir, it's quite dry (I did laugh at the Berlusconi anecdote, but like much of Brown's political speeches it does beat you in the brain with how just not dumbed down it is). As a manifesto, it's a bit brilliant.
I don't think I appreciated the brain of Gordon Brown while he was PM. None of us did. He seemed to get the blame for things, but if he's right, why aren't we aware he actually saved the world in 2008? Well, Europe at least.
Seven manifesto points, broadly very compelling. I'm glad I picked this up. We have a lot of work to do, but I am - a little bit - hopeful.
This book is the easy political explanation of stuff thought by Gordon Brown on as much of a platter for the slightly hard of political thinking like me as Gordon Brown probably feels comfortable with. As an essay, needs more citations. As a political memoir, it's quite dry (I did laugh at the Berlusconi anecdote, but like much of Brown's political speeches it does beat you in the brain with how just not dumbed down it is). As a manifesto, it's a bit brilliant.
I don't think I appreciated the brain of Gordon Brown while he was PM. None of us did. He seemed to get the blame for things, but if he's right, why aren't we aware he actually saved the world in 2008? Well, Europe at least.
Seven manifesto points, broadly very compelling. I'm glad I picked this up. We have a lot of work to do, but I am - a little bit - hopeful.
September 18, 2021
The Seven Ways are:
1. Global Health - preventing pandemics
2. Global Growth - financial stability
3. Green new deal - routes to a zero carbon future
4. Education for all
5. Sustainable development
6. Abolishing tax havens
7. Eliminating nuclear weapons.
It is interesting to see these problems discussed by a statesman with experience at an international level, but it is heavy going at times, especially the chapter on financial stability.
Of more interest, and perhaps a bit more comprehensible are the last two chapters, on avoiding a new US-China cold war, and on tackling populist nationalism.
1. Global Health - preventing pandemics
2. Global Growth - financial stability
3. Green new deal - routes to a zero carbon future
4. Education for all
5. Sustainable development
6. Abolishing tax havens
7. Eliminating nuclear weapons.
It is interesting to see these problems discussed by a statesman with experience at an international level, but it is heavy going at times, especially the chapter on financial stability.
Of more interest, and perhaps a bit more comprehensible are the last two chapters, on avoiding a new US-China cold war, and on tackling populist nationalism.
September 19, 2022
The chapter on nuclear disarmament is perhaps one of the best I have ever read on the topic.
Nation is such a man-made concept and we need to do better as a race to collaborate. The comments on global solutions to global problems are well discussed with historical failures and hope from those that worked.
Nation is such a man-made concept and we need to do better as a race to collaborate. The comments on global solutions to global problems are well discussed with historical failures and hope from those that worked.
August 12, 2022
Reflections and lessons learned:
“Before we look forward, it is instructive to look back”
Inequality - poverty - financial instability - education - nuclear proliferation - climate change - health.
I was a cynical supporter of Brown as leader - I don’t think that I would have voted for him, or am not interested in reading an autobiography/biography, but I could vaguely give the power to him on his experience of cabinet positions, and understood why he wanted his time as Prime Minister. Despite having made several stupid muck ups (short announcement pension taxing, pre-announcing sale of gold, using the phrase Prime Minister as a pre name title - so wrong!!) he was in charge during a huge global financial down turn, which can’t have been easy as an ex boom chancellor. I wanted to listen to this for a recent insight on the main topics in order to look forward, and it really delivered - surprisingly so!
I’ve seen a review where someone bought this for a general studies student and it’s exactly that - a world summary without too much pitch or stray - factually delivered and put into multiple contexts from a knowledgeable and partially world involved player. Almost like an elongated lunchtime expert talk, delivered in an approachable, non patronising but non simplistic manner - unfortunately I don’t think he could do that which may have been part of his downfall as PM, but this is a great medium for consideration and imparting. For anyone keen to step outside the potential surrounding echo bubble and hear a balanced take (including independence versus interdependence) from a UK perspective
“Before we look forward, it is instructive to look back”
Inequality - poverty - financial instability - education - nuclear proliferation - climate change - health.
I was a cynical supporter of Brown as leader - I don’t think that I would have voted for him, or am not interested in reading an autobiography/biography, but I could vaguely give the power to him on his experience of cabinet positions, and understood why he wanted his time as Prime Minister. Despite having made several stupid muck ups (short announcement pension taxing, pre-announcing sale of gold, using the phrase Prime Minister as a pre name title - so wrong!!) he was in charge during a huge global financial down turn, which can’t have been easy as an ex boom chancellor. I wanted to listen to this for a recent insight on the main topics in order to look forward, and it really delivered - surprisingly so!
I’ve seen a review where someone bought this for a general studies student and it’s exactly that - a world summary without too much pitch or stray - factually delivered and put into multiple contexts from a knowledgeable and partially world involved player. Almost like an elongated lunchtime expert talk, delivered in an approachable, non patronising but non simplistic manner - unfortunately I don’t think he could do that which may have been part of his downfall as PM, but this is a great medium for consideration and imparting. For anyone keen to step outside the potential surrounding echo bubble and hear a balanced take (including independence versus interdependence) from a UK perspective
August 2, 2022
A thoroughly enjoyable and very informative read, I would advise readers to turn the first page with an open mind free from any politics, This book break down many barriers in politics, finance and nationalism.
October 23, 2023
Very predictable well-meaning British Labour politician (prime minister from 2007-2010). Extremely dry style so not really terribly inspiring.
This was written during the COVID pandemic. Brown was dismayed by the lack of any real international solidarity when it came to sharing vaccine supplies, but he saw hope in people coming to some realization that they would have to work together in future to combat other global problems. He did not foresee the post-COVID inflationary pressures and the end of the sustained period of low interest rates. So his proposals to throw lots of money around to stimulate economic growth seem a bit dated right now.
And with the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the start of a new war in the middle East, it feels like we need so much more than Brown's plodding prose to rekindle any "Power of Hope".
Just throw money around and hope that economic growth will solve all of our problems. But he is right that all of our real problems must ultimately be solved by engaging better global cooperation.
This was written during the COVID pandemic. Brown was dismayed by the lack of any real international solidarity when it came to sharing vaccine supplies, but he saw hope in people coming to some realization that they would have to work together in future to combat other global problems. He did not foresee the post-COVID inflationary pressures and the end of the sustained period of low interest rates. So his proposals to throw lots of money around to stimulate economic growth seem a bit dated right now.
And with the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the start of a new war in the middle East, it feels like we need so much more than Brown's plodding prose to rekindle any "Power of Hope".
Just throw money around and hope that economic growth will solve all of our problems. But he is right that all of our real problems must ultimately be solved by engaging better global cooperation.
November 28, 2021
It’s rare that I find myself agreeing with Piers Morgan but he rightly describes this book as compelling, timely and inspiring. It is all these and more. It is a wise, humble, rigorously informed and wide ranging manifesto for a better world, based on the values that exist all around us that represent the best in humanity. It is therefore uplifting without any softening or underplaying the challenges that we all face. Mostly it makes the case for international collaboration to address global challenges and for social justice. In doing so it rightly, and obviously describes the importance of us all in challenging the current vogue for extreme and violent nationalism. It’s a fantastic book. I urge everyone who cares about politics to read it.
December 5, 2021
There's no doubting the conviction and deep morales of Gordon Brown but his financial ideas rotate around state dominated borrowing and spending which he seems to think perputate growth forever with wildy optimistic returns from various social and aid based spending. Sadly himself still unable to admit the level of public spending and deficit he was responsible for during the boom made austerity necessary.
Despite this his ideas on nationalism, nuclear disarmament, cooperation and creating a positive outlook to drive change are the key take aways of the book and very worthy if anyone has the courage to pick them up.
Despite this his ideas on nationalism, nuclear disarmament, cooperation and creating a positive outlook to drive change are the key take aways of the book and very worthy if anyone has the courage to pick them up.
January 27, 2022
'Seven Ways to Change the World' makes it clear that Gordon Brown has bright, informed and unselfish ideas on changing the world for the better.
That said, this monster of a book affirms my view that politicians need ghost writers to help them write about politics. The audiobook was over 17 hours long (the Scottish accent didn't make it an easy listen either) and packed with an excess of detail which made it a struggle to power through. Like Obama's 'Promised Land', another thunderous volume, the output, while full of good intentions and worthy ideas, inevitably contains too much minutiae to hold the attention of the average non-fiction reader.
That said, this monster of a book affirms my view that politicians need ghost writers to help them write about politics. The audiobook was over 17 hours long (the Scottish accent didn't make it an easy listen either) and packed with an excess of detail which made it a struggle to power through. Like Obama's 'Promised Land', another thunderous volume, the output, while full of good intentions and worthy ideas, inevitably contains too much minutiae to hold the attention of the average non-fiction reader.
November 10, 2022
1) global health;
2) climate change and environmental damage;
3) nuclear proliferation;
4) global financial instability;
5) the humanitarian crisis and global poverty;
6) the barriers to education and opportunity;
7) global inequality and its biggest manifestation, global tax havens
Very dense book which sometimes felt like it was a bit to heavy for myself. However, lots of it I found fascinating. Some strong views on global poverty I could really get behind.
I think it’s a pretty strong contender for being genuinely the 7 biggest things we need to tackle globally. I just hope we can.
Plenty of food for thought.
2) climate change and environmental damage;
3) nuclear proliferation;
4) global financial instability;
5) the humanitarian crisis and global poverty;
6) the barriers to education and opportunity;
7) global inequality and its biggest manifestation, global tax havens
Very dense book which sometimes felt like it was a bit to heavy for myself. However, lots of it I found fascinating. Some strong views on global poverty I could really get behind.
I think it’s a pretty strong contender for being genuinely the 7 biggest things we need to tackle globally. I just hope we can.
Plenty of food for thought.
May 7, 2022
Very intelligent book from a man who is actually qualified in all senses to comment BUT it’s still based on the neoliberal ideology that eternal growth is possible or even desirable.
It posits that we better control the existing system, it does nothing to address the fundamental problem, which is that we cannot continue to consume as we do. And we have to offer humans a more fulfilling life than as a worker/consumer.
I was hoping for something radical. I was disappointed
It posits that we better control the existing system, it does nothing to address the fundamental problem, which is that we cannot continue to consume as we do. And we have to offer humans a more fulfilling life than as a worker/consumer.
I was hoping for something radical. I was disappointed
August 30, 2022
I find Gordon Brown to be an incredibly impressive man. He is clearly very intelligent, but also compassionate too and this comes across in the book, which is full of solutions to some of the biggest challenges that we face today. It is a heavy read and some of the detail (especially the economy chapter) went straight over my head, but this just proves how much of a details man he is. It is such a shame that people like Gordon Brown still aren't in politics, we're much the worse off for it.
August 27, 2023
Interesting, admirable, but very dry in style. Brown argues persuasively that the technical solutions to the worlds problems are available but that they require cooperation at a global level. The writing style is however a little dry, leaning on technical arguments. It can leave the reader pessimistic if the more emotive but destructive forces of nationalism and population can be overcome.
December 1, 2023
basically pursure international cooperation to fix global problems try to to do patrotisim as apposed to nationalism a lot of regliogus texts say do into others what u would do onto u and hope is important and focuous on the like the misson as opposed to the division of labour
September 7, 2024
A good book that discusses in detail the issues that we face in the world and how we can work together to rectify them. Quite like Gordon Brown because he thinks we can all be friends which is nice :). Did find some parts of it a bit confusing though.
August 21, 2021
A big beast
At times this book is very heavy going but there are some real gems in the text waiting to be found by the reader who perseveres
At times this book is very heavy going but there are some real gems in the text waiting to be found by the reader who perseveres
January 25, 2022
A well researched and clear view of how global collaboration just might be good for us all.
March 15, 2022
He writes with such clarity about the really big issues. Loved this book.
September 27, 2022
The seven major themes covered are as important as ever - considering this was read by myself about a year after initial publication. An excellent read.
March 25, 2023
Really interesting book. A lot of good ideas. I just found the style a little heavy going
June 26, 2023
Thoughtful, long-term review of economic policy and a pathway toward social justice.
February 27, 2024
Gordon brown is one of the most honest and intelligent politicians we’ve ever had and it breaks my heart to say this but this was quite hard to read and in parts it was quite boring 💔
September 25, 2024
I must admit, I skipped large portions but I got the gist. We must work together after the pandemic. Very repetitive and only a few sections interested me but it was well written and informative.
January 8, 2025
I didn't finish this - no connection to current reality.
September 8, 2025
Brilliant, should be made compulsory reading for everybody.
November 11, 2025
In terms of writing style this is as dry as an over-cooked turkey on boxing day. In terms of content, I can briefly say Gordon believes in global collectivism. Collectivism was proven time and again during the 20th century to be a bad idea. Gordon even points out the failure of the EU when ordering vaccinations to prove this point, but he still insists it works. It's global everything be it citizen, problem, solution, institution etc etc etc. He re-writes the meaning of nationalism to include not agreeing with your leaders. Constantly references the ideas of Marx. That's not saying Gordon is a Marxist, but he is a serious intellect and so these have to be considered deliberate and he takes no responsibility for his part in the problems he created. So for me, many problems with the ideas in this book, but it had one stand out moment, a clear dig at Tony Blair 'And it is, indeed, empowering to reject the idea that the only leadership that matters is of the heroic, charismatic top-down, almost always male and heterosexual, and focused on command and control rather than consultation and collaboration'. I burst out laughing at that.
May 21, 2024
Leave it to Gordon Brown to write the driest book imaginable but there are sections where he shows he can cook even when he very unsubtly slips in attempts to revise his legacy as PM. You’ll still always be my Prime Minister Gordon
January 3, 2024
Challenging, brilliant and more relevant than ever.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews