A Future Untold

by Alina Siegfried

An inspiring rallying cry for humanity to solve our biggest problems by returning to the most basic driver of human behaviour and culture - story In A Future Untold, the author offers an entertaining, inspiring, and at times deeply vulnerable glimpse into how we can solve social and environmental challenges by addressing the stories and narratives that underpin our lives. Drawing on her experience in award-winning spoken word, environmental advocacy, political communications, and her role helping to build a 500+ strong global entrepreneurial leadership community, Alina Siegfried (AKA NZ Poetry Slam champion Ali Jacs) translates the fundamentals of narrative change into authentic stories, entertaining anecdotes, a handful of powerful poems with corresponding QR code video links, and ten new myths for humanity. The book provides a call to action for everyday citizens who believe that we can build a better future, urging them to re-author the harmful stories and cultural narratives that lie beneath the way things are .

284 pages, Paperback

Published October 28, 2021

Reviews

[Hannah S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly readable, warm and thought-provoking book.

Alina is a wise soul and a gifted story-teller. I love how this book artfully weaves together the deeply personal with the huge and systemic. Her concluding 'Ten New Myths for Humanity' are great - accessible, powerful and meaningful.

I feel like she has beautifully summarised so much of the swirl that is in so many heads just now - capturing somehow what it means to be alive, thoughtful and committed to finding better ways to live in these strange times. I really appreciated too its grounding in Aotearoa New Zealand - readers elsewhere in the world will learn a lot from this perspective.

Warmly recommended to the curious-minded and those wondering 'where to from here'. This book feels like one I will come back to often in my own journey in trying to be a good ancestor.

(based on a complimentary pre-release copy and reviewed voluntarily)

[David Bent-Hazelwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

For story-tellers, and story-listeners, who want to craft narratives which shape our shared imaginaries.

I was lucky enough to receive a free, advance copy. The book has several parts:
1. Explains story-telling and why it is so important in our societies and histories.
2. Describes framing and the stories themselves
3. investigates the methods to to shift the dominance narratives of our times.
4. Offers ten new guiding myths for us all.

Sections 1-3 bring in Alina’s own personal story, and her vast experiences.

I was most excited by section 4, the new guiding myths. I feel that the book itself is a gathering of Alina’s experiences into these insights.

The book I really want to read is of her (and others) trying to put those into practise as stories, with the surprising successes and challenges of enacting them in reality. I hope Alina can use the book as a platform to organise herself and others to be cadres making those new stories a reality in people’s lives, that we can all learn from and tell us about in the next book. T

he task of creating clusters of practitioners who keeping learn from trying out these new stories, and adapting them, would be a worthy life’s mission.

[Kevin Keane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I luckily received an early advanced copy of this book and am reviewing this as I was so moved. Having followed Alina's spoken word journey for almost a decade, I was so excited to her putting out a book. Alina (aka Ali Jacs) inspired me with the power of words and story in a way I didn't know was possible. I have seen her evolve from a slam poet in the corners of some smaller establishments in Wellington to New Zealand's slam poetry champion. I was so excited to see her release a full length book that moved me, inspired me and challenged me to use story as a method for real change. The world can feel like an overwhelming place, but coming back to the basics of who and why we are is essential to healing the rifts between us. Firmly recommended.

[Anne-Marie Brook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful in a subtle yet transformative way. I have never described myself as a story-teller, but I've always appreciated and admired the power of stories, and wished I was better at bringing this power into my own work. I was drawn to this book by that allure, and it delivered in droves. About half way through the book, I realised that I am in fact already a story-teller myself, and now a more aware and inspired one than I was before i picked it up. Major bonus: this book contains QR codes that when scanned allow you to watch video performance of the author's incredible slam poetry. I wrote this review based on a free advance review copy, and am reviewing it because it's totally awesome. Highly recommend.

[Sukie Conley · Rating 4 out of 5]

There weren't many new or shocking climate facts or figures presented in this book, but I reckon that was the point. Rather than each chapter moving through an endless litany of scientific evidence that earth's ecology is in trouble, this book focuses on understanding the stories we hold that have gotten us into this mess and how we might create new stories to lead us out of it. Probably the best compliment I could give this book is that it actually started to inspire me to seriously think about the stories of where I live, and how I might take part in holding, creating, and telling those stories.

[Ruth Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 'A Future Untold' Alina excellently weaves personal experience with cultural and systemic level challenges, showing how storytelling is a key element of transforming the world for the better. She's managed to write a book which is inspiring and bold in scope, whilst remaining accessible and engaging. A lovely addition is the QR codes scattered throughout the book, which link to wonderful spoken word pieces performed by Alina, which really bring the narratives she's talking about to life. I really recommend picking this book up to all those interested in narrative change.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get hold of a complimentary preview copy of this - I work in a similar field to the author but don't know her well - but I loved it and felt I had to post. There's so much wisdom here, from so many ways of knowing the world. Hugely recommended.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really valuing this book as another tool to make sense of what's happening in the world, and how I can be a part of creating a more beautiful world.

Recently - in part from reading this book - I'm seeing how stories are foundational in the way I interpret the world, and I'm grateful for help in this book on working with these stories and starting to make my own.

I'm also really valuing reading Sharn Maree's perspectives in this book on stories from Te Āo Māori - I feel inspired following her journey into leadership and storytelling, and refreshed with another cultural perspective.

I'm still reading, so much more goodness to come.

Highly recommend!

This review was based on a complimentary pre-release copy, and I am reviewing it voluntarily.