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New Power

Why outsiders are winning, institutions are failing, and how the rest of us can keep up in the age of mass participation

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About this listen

'A vital book. New Power can light a flame bright enough to outshine the glinting fangs and tiki torches' - Russell Brand

For most of human history the rules of power were clear: power was something to be seized, and then jealously guarded. Under this 'Old Power' we lived in a world of rulers and subjects.

Now, we all sense that something has changed. From #MeToo to Harvey Weinstein; Corbyn to Trump; from YouTube sensations to darker phenomena such as the emergence of ISIS – in our new hyper-connected world, ideas and movements can spread and flourish with astonishing force and speed.

In New Power, Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms confront the biggest story of our age and trace how New Power is the key to understanding where we are and will prosper in the 21st Century.

Drawing on examples from business, politics, popular culture and social justice, as well as case studies of organisations like LEGO and TED, they explain the forces that are changing the course of our age.

In a world increasingly shaped by New Power, this book will show you how to shape your future.

 Content Creation & Social Media Elections & Political Process History & Culture Politics & Government Social Media Social Sciences Technology & Society Technology Social justice Socialism Capitalism

Critic reviews

Clever, witty and creative, Henry Timms and Jeremy Heimans are baby-faced wunderkinds of digital activism. (Decca Aitkenhead)
If you want to understand how the world is changing, what's really happening, and how we can all find out way, this book could not be coming at a better time (Richard Branson)
The Networked Age has revolutionized the way the public engages with institutions and organizations. New Power is an essential and extremely insightful guide for anyone who wants to maximize the opportunities for progress and impact in today's new tightly connected world. (Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and co-author of the #1 NYT bestsellers The Alliance and The Startup of You.)
Jeremy Heimans has been working to change the world from a very young age, and with remarkable impact. Here with his co-author Henry Timms he distils a lifetime of experience into a fantastic primer on how the rules of the game have changed. It’s packed with vivid examples that show how organisations as diverse the Pentagon, Uber, Kickstarters and Black Lives Matter are trying to shape our world, and gives vital insights into who will succeed.
Power is shifting as never before, so New Power is addressing a vital issue for our times: how to make the voices and choices of all, not just a few, count for something. Plaudits to the authors for their determination to help shape the future.
Understanding the concept of 'new power' and how that differs to 'old power' is essential for any leader in politics, business or nonprofits. This book will inform and inspire all those wanting to make change in the world today. It will help citizens to understand the power we have as individuals to influence others, and the collective power of many to achieve a goal against all odds. (Jane Goodall PhD, DBE Founder – the Jane Goodall institute & UN Messenger of Peace)
A wonderfully incisive contribution that not only explains how the dynamics of power are changing, but also provides the tools - and, importantly, the confidence - to harness those changes to spread our ideas and make a better world. (Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever)
If you do not understand new power, you will not fare well in the new networked world of the 21st Century. It's that simple. (Annie-Marie Slaughter, President & CEO, New America)
New Power masterfully draws out the big battle of our times - whether all this new power will end up being used for good or bad. (Craig Newmark, founder of Craiglist)
A must-read, New Power is a gift to our movements. It's not just about going viral - it's about connecting millions of people
We all feel like life is spinning out of control, in our lives and in our politics - and it’s hard to to know where our power has gone, or how to get it back. This brilliant book is where the answer begins.
A thought-provoking and eye-opening book.
All stars
Most relevant
A tour de force of new power and our decentralised participatory and empowered future society. Brilliantly illustrated with case studies and stories. This book offers a glimpse of the future we can all create together.

We can build the future together

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Threshold Concepts are ideas that you just can't quite grasp. You can know about them, read stuff, learn things and even be an enthusiastic advocate or critic, but no matter how hard you try you ain't quite got it. It's like having your nose pressed up against the glass, it's all slightly blurred and muted. Then you end up immersed in some arbitrary experience and whoosh! Suddenly you are the other side of the glass. Everything becomes clear and you know that you knew this all along, it's obvious. But looking back you can't quite believe that you didn't really know it, how thick were you? Then you realise that you can't go back, no matter how hard you try, you can't unlearn what you now know. But even more frustratingly you can't seem to convey what you know to all your friends (and enemies) still behind the glass. This book won't quite make sense to those behind the glass, for everyone else, you kind of knew this all along, but this book has given you better words to explain it. Overall it's only let down only by the harping back to and use of Leadership. The authors use the word from the old power model to try and explain new power activity. The new power alternative to Leading, is called Joining In. Their misnamed leaders are actually super participants, they don't lead they participate in a way that creates the space, but not the requirement to participate. Leaving done tools lying about for others to do what they like with. So, the authors have a pain of glass to go, but this is bloody close and the best book on the subject of switching from Leadership to Participanship currently available. Look out for that word in the second edition!

I knew that!

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Fascinating analysis, thoroughly researched and brilliantly delivered. Essential reading for all in our rapidly changing world.

Contains a broad range of accessible and familiar case studies the understanding of which will no doubt prove hugely beneficial for all readers.

A book I would recommend everyone reads

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Almost all the examples of new power no longer exist. Some good ideas but now seems pretty utopian.

Not really stood the test of time

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