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Change the Story, Change the Future
Book

Change the Story, Change the Future

A Living Economy for a Living Earth

David C. Korten
Berrett-Koehler, 2015

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Editorial Rating

6

Qualities

  • Controversial
  • Innovative

Recommendation

Humans have always told each other stories to frame daily life. These narratives people share determine what is meaningful to them, how they view the world and what they value. The best-constructed stories create deep personal connections. But David C. Korten, co-founder of Yes! Magazine, says that the wrong stories can be destructive. He believes people should pattern their beliefs and actions not on the quest for profit, but on stories that improve their lives and help the world. Korten argues that the dominant social narrative is passé, and he offers a replacement that advocates fairness and sustainability. While always politically neutral, getAbstract suggests his iconoclastic, provocative essay – which aligns to New Age thinking – to those who are curious about a different point of view and to those who wonder if citizens and policy makers can turn to a new story to shape a fresh societal and economic model.

Take-Aways

  • People with power control society’s “framing stories.”
  • Modern stories promote a “Sacred Money and Markets” narrative that puts money first.
  • The world’s dominant story says economic development will make everyone prosperous.

About the Author

David C. Korten, the co-founder and board chair of YES! Magazine, is president of the Living Economies Forum. He wrote When Corporations Rule the World and The Great Turning.

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