When Margaret J. Wheatley wrote this book in 2002, she said: “I believe we can change the world if we start listening to one another again.”

She still believes this. Wheatley asserts that by turning toward one another—especially toward those we see as strangers or enemies—we can shift the world’s dark direction. Real change in families, communities, and societies, she says, happens when people sit together and talk deeply about what matters most—especially across differences.

To support this, she wrote a practical guide to using honest conversation as a catalyst for personal and social transformation. I like her provocation: What will we do? Withdraw into private comfort, or reach out to others to create a better future? She writes for those ready to stay engaged and work together to restore hope—and reminds us that we are not alone.

This new edition adds two conversations. The first, “What is my role in creating change?” explains that transformation doesn’t come from leaders or grand plans, but from small groups of people who care enough to act. The second, “Can I be fearless?” explores how fear weakens us, and how courage means facing fear rather than erasing it. Without this courage, we can’t build the relationships or take the actions the world needs now.

The book is a response to a world marked by isolation, aggression, and fear. Wheatley gently urges us to put aside distractions and fears, and to gather for meaningful dialog as a way of building hope for the future.

“To advocate human conversation as the means to restore hope to the future is as simple as I can get. But I’ve seen that there is no more powerful way to initiate significant change than to convene a conversation. When a community of people discovers that they share a concern, change begins.”

"I hope we can reclaim conversation as our route back to each other, and as the path forward to a hopeful future. It only requires imagination and courage and faith. These are qualities possessed by everyone. Now is the time to exercise them to their fullest.”

BOOK: TURNING TO ONE ANOTHER. Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future

‍