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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great book!, February 12, 2009
This review is from: Being the Difference: True Stories of Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things to Change the World (Paperback)
This is a fantastic and inspiring book that really makes you believe that you CAN make the difference if you really set your mind to it. The individual stories of how ordinary people accomplished extraordinary things to make our world a better place to live in truly inspired me to want to be a better person and to make positive changes each and every day to make the world a better place.
I think that this should be required reading for teenages to encourage them to stand up and make a difference.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Testament To Selflessness In Action, December 18, 2008
This review is from: Being the Difference: True Stories of Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things to Change the World (Paperback)
Julia Roberts appearing before a House Of Representatives subcommittee, imploring lawmakers to fund research aimed at curing diseases affecting little children...Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush sitting side-by-side in numerous commercials, petitioning American citizens to contribute to the recovery of tsunami victims in Indonesia...George Clooney and Don Cheadle traveling to the Sudan, striving to bring the worsening genocide in Darfur to global light...
We've all seen them before: high-powered celebrities and other public figures touting organizations, groups, and other philanthropic services on behalf of the poor, disadvantaged, and downtrodden. While their efforts are certainly commendable - they certainly are not alone in their advocacy. In fact, for every one celebrity that is recognized for his/her charitable service, there are, literally, thousands of other individuals sacrificing their time, energy, and personal resources on behalf of their fellow man; however, without recognizable names or PR machines working in their favor, these selfless individuals often remain anonymous...
For a certain diverse group of community activists and advocates, though, Being The Difference will surely change that. An inspiring new offering from Darius Graham, an activist & advocate in his own right, Being The Difference highlights the incredible efforts of men and women from all walks of life who have committed themselves to being the change that they want to see in the world. Though their chosen fields of tireless labor may vary tremendously, what unites them all is their singular resolve to help make life better for those who either can't or don't know how to do it on their own.
Readers will be inspired by the woman who readily opens the doors of her one-bedroom apartment to children with nowhere else to go; heartened by the AIDS survivor who advocates fiercely on behalf of other AIDS patients unaware of their rights and options for medical treatment; encouraged by the former drug addict who continues to change lives through a play that he wrote about overcoming his addictions; and moved to tears by the woman whose tireless efforts to provide housing and employment for released offenders benefits countless of ex-convicts - including the one who murdered her oldest son.
Graham also includes a detailed listing of numerous organizations & resources that readers can turn to in order to improve their own situations or those of the people they care about most, providing the reader with every imaginable opportunity to serve as a force for positive change in the world at large.
Given the current state of the global economy and general living conditions, Being The Difference is a timely, invaluable example of just how important it is to live our lives as blessings to others; no matter how little a difference we may think we're making, what's important is that we continue to strive to make a difference - period.
Cary Merriman
Apex Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
With the Right Determination, Anyone Can Make a Difference, December 18, 2008
This review is from: Being the Difference: True Stories of Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things to Change the World (Paperback)
Being the Difference is a book about social entrepreneurs: Individuals who possess a rare combination of personality traits that lead them to achieve great things in service to humanity. These individuals featured in this book felt there was a need for social change. They did not like what they saw around them and were unwilling to wait for change to take place. They took the initiative and with grit and determination, these social entrepreneurs set out to change the world. They usually had little or no money, but their strong vision and determination led them to achieve great things, in spite of the many obstacles that stood in the way.
Thirteen different stories are presented in this book and each one of them is inspirational and/or unique in its own way. Matt D'Arrigo is one of the individuals who shares his story and it was the love of art that encouraged him to found his own organization. He decided that he wanted to spread the message about art and he walked all the way from Oregon to San Diego before founding ARTS (A Reason to Survive). Fay Deavignon is another person featured in the book. Her passion was helping the less fortunate in a foreign land. She learned about the nation of Uganda and the special problems its people faced every day when she visited the country with her mother's caregiver. She ended up founding Angels of Hope and she would make more trips in the future to setup free clinics. These, and other stories like them, are each inspirational in their own unique ways.
It is common to read about wealthy celebrities who give large sums of cash to important charities, but like this book demonstrates, one does not have to be rich to make a difference. The thirteen individuals spotlighted in this book are not celebrities. They are ordinary people like you and me who saw the need for social change and took it upon themselves to find a way to make the world a better place. They had limited funds, but unlimited determination and passion for what they wanted to achieve.
I like that Being the Difference includes a section at the end complete with contact information for the thirteen organizations featured in the book. All but one of the organizations has its own web site, so computer oriented individuals can turn in the direction of their pc and find out more about the spotlighted organization with the click of a mouse. For those who prefer contacting the old- fashioned way, there are phone numbers and addresses for most of the organizations. In addition to this, there is also a list of general web sites to learn more about ways to give at the very end of the book.
Change isn't always easy. Some goals, however noteworthy and admirable they may seem, are certain to be met with skepticism. Many people with great ideas and valuable knowledge to share- even those who are ordinarily admired for their tenacity and strong will- are likely to give up before they even get started. But like Being the Difference accurately demonstrates, change is, indeed, possible to achieve and these thirteen social entrepreneurs are living proof of the important difference that an individual person can make.
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