Read more
What are we doing to ourselves when we tell ourselves we''re Consumers 3000 times a day? What would it look like to put the same creativity and energy into involving people as Citizens? What would you do in this time, if you truly believed in yourself and those around you? Jon Alexander spent the first decade of his career in the advertising industry, selling some of the world''s biggest brands. Then he realised he was caught up in a story he didn''t believe in – the Consumer Story. Here, with New York Times bestselling writer Ariane Conrad, he shows us what we need to do to step into a bigger idea of ourselves as Citizens: collaborative, caring, creative creatures who can shape our communities, organisations, and nations for the better. Citizens traces human history from the Subject Story of kings and empires to the current Consumer Story, bringing together the evidence that we have always been Citizens by nature. It sets out the tools we need to reinvent our organisations and our politics, equipping us to face the many challenges of our time. It shows us what we must do to survive and thrive – as individuals, as organisations, even as a species. With a foreword by Brian Eno PRAISE FOR CITIZENS : ‘The shift from consumer to citizen is a truly big idea. I strongly recommend you engage with it.’ Dame Fiona Reynolds, DBE Former Director General, National Trust ''In the decade or so since meeting Jon, I''ve never been more convinced he has one of the few big ideas that''s easily applied, fundamentally needed and genuinely offers a chance of change. Get on board for his new work, now. I am.'' Sam Conniff, Author, Be More Pirate '' Citizens is so exciting and full of energy from the beginning that I wanted to read the whole thing immediately. A wonderful guide to how to be human in the 21st Century.'' Ece Temelkuran, Author, How to Lose a Country: the Seven Steps from Democracy to Dictatorship '' Citizens is a powerful provocation for our times, one that draws on humanity’s deep capacity for cooperation to offer a new way forward. Highly recommended.'' Nichola Raihani, Author, The Social Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World ''Society is like an out of control house party – eating, drinking and consuming everything. Jon is the organiser of the campfire gathering behind the party. It’s calm and welcoming and you won’t want to leave.'' Stephen Greene, CEO of RockCorps & founding Chair of National Citizen Service (UK) ...
