Star rating: 5 out of 5 stars

“Generation Change” outlines the steps we can all take in order to change our society and mold it into a more generous, open-minded culture.

The front cover of the book has the words “We are the change we seek” across the top. This statement was made by President Obama; the book often quotes the president and the steps to change develop through his ideas.

The book has 150 tips that are discussed more in depth as you read each chapter. Each chapter is divided into sections. The sections provide Web sites, books and movies that offer further explanations of the ideas presented by the books authors Jayan Kalathil and Melissa Bolton-Klinger.

Some of the ideas the authors discussed are using social networking sites to promote volunterism, promoting optimism and investing more time to find out about our government.

Social networking sites are becoming more and more popular everyday. Kalathil and Klinger suggest that maybe we should use them for more important issues. Kalathil and Klinger say the great thing about Twitter and IM is that you can say what you want to say immediately, which is effective when trying to get attention. They suggest using sites like Twitter to promote charity or fundraising events.

Kalathil and Klinger also suggest that community involvement is not limited to helping people.

The authors say that pets aren’t only for keeping you company, but are proven to lower stress levels and ward off cardiovascular disease. A statistic about this is 5 million dogs and cats die each year in U.S. shelters. They say is adopting a pet from a shelter is too costly, another option is to donate to an organization for animals or volunteer at a shelter to take dogs for a walk.

Another idea the authors  proposed was to do something to honor our troops, whether we are for or against the war. The authors advise their readers to send care packages to troops, even if they don’t know them. They are that the thought alone is sure to brighten their day and it’s a good way to say thank you for what they’re doing.

The book points out that the bailout to save the American economy involves help that comes from our paycheck. They argue that when your money is being taken, you should know where it’s going.

This book compiles several resources together into a handy format that can help others make positive changes. This book is also a step-by-step guide on how others can make a step toward a positive contribution.

“Generation Change: 150 Ways We Can Change Ourselves, Our Country, and Our World

By Jayan Kalathil and Melissa-Bolton Klinger

240 pages, Skyhorse Publishing

Published November 2009, $12.95