Active Hope

How to Face the Mess We're in Without Going Crazy

By: Joanna Macy PhD, Chris Johnstone

Narrated by: C. S. E. Cooney

Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

The challenges we face can be difficult even to think about. Climate change, the depletion of oil, economic upheaval, and mass extinction together create a planetary emergency of overwhelming proportions. Active Hope shows us how to strengthen our capacity to face this crisis so that we can respond with unexpected resilience and creative power. Drawing on decades of teaching an empowerment approach known as the Work That Reconnects, the authors guide us through a transformational process informed by mythic journeys, modern psychology, spirituality, and holistic science. This process equips us with tools to face the mess we're in and play our role in the collective transition, or Great Turning, to a life-sustaining society.

©2012 Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"To the future beings of the twenty-second century, Active Hope might turn out to be the most important book written in the twenty-first." (Bill Plotkin, author of Soulcraft)

Fairly basic and not intersectional

This book may have been helpful to me 8 years ago when I was just entering activism and awareness of problems. But for someone who has been working in intersectional activism spaces for many years, this book is far too basic to be useful. It focuses in on climate change almost exclusively and from a very white, middle class perspective. It doesn't go into how to deal with more immediate and life threatening problems like violence based on race or sexuality/gender. Save your money and read a book by a person of color instead.

One of the most inspiring and powerful books

When I started reading this book in a depressive phase, it helped me get out of it by applying "Active hope" to my personal life.

Now, whenever I feel a lack of motivation for my participation in the "Great Turning", or even lost touch with the purpose of my life, I listened to a part. Mostly after just 5 min, I was totally inspired and wired again, energized to do the exercises, and to work on creating an organisation...

Somewhat Helpful

I found it difficult to get through this book, mainly due to the narrator's voice. Nearly every word was over-annunciated, which distracted from the actual content. There were some helpful writing prompts and motivational moments in the book, but overall I felt like it didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know. It would have been nice if there was some mention of the fact that every individual has the power to help reverse the climate crisis by cutting meat and dairy out of their diets. Making a significant impact is actually that simple. Animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change and yet so many "environmentalists" are unwilling to change their personal habits to align with the cause they claim to be fighting for.

Much food for thought.

I found the orators voice so distracting it was hard to take in a great deal of the book and it’s message I’m sorry to say.

Essential reading for our time

Clarity wisdom and compassion abound in this beautiful book about the great turnout. If you are concerned about the state of the natural world at this point in human history then you may resonate to much of what she has to say. Joanna has been at this work for decades end it shows in the wisdom and depth of what she has to say. Please read this book and join the movement for a more just sane and sustainable civilization.

Deeply practical

Joanna and Chris provided many practice prompts and items for daily practice to root and recommit our advocacy in climate, justice, joy and life. I bought the paper copy and will keep it with me for my practice for years to come

Eye-opening and change-inspiring!

I loved this book, and especially being able to process it in a weekly book group. They’re online resources on how to facilitate a group were very helpful, too. I’m inspired to take positive actions towards the healing of our world!

Action is Hope

Great book. I love the "try this" moments - very useful and insightful. The narrator can be compassionately challenging but hopefully you want to be challenged.

The narration is insipid

The narrator recites the words with so little apparent understanding of their meaning, that the meaning becomes obscured. Too slow at times, too emotive at others, with awkward pauses and incorrect emphasis. Joanna Macy’s message is too important for such an artless reading. Skip the audible edition of this title and just read the book.

Amazing content, slightly irritating performance, and a homophobic gaff

I found the content to be inspiring and transformative. Macy’s spiral-shaped Work That Reconnects is a precious, life-affirming and much-needed resource. Macy and Johnstone’s examples and exercises bring insight and cultivate self-knowledge, leading to action and “active hope.”

I found the narration to be a bit tedious, with the voice performer over-enunciating to the point of distraction and which often interrupted the logical and emotional impact of phrases and sentences.

One startling, homophobic gaff occurs near the very end of the book. The authors use the term “sexual preference” where they, I believe, mean “sexual orientation.” I hope their understanding of sexual orientation has advanced since 2012.

All in all, though, an inspiring and very important book for our time. Highly recommend.

Life changing book for times of change

This book has profoundly moved and awakened me. I feel refreshed and with a courageous new motivation to fully commit to making positive changes in this important time. Just what we need to help strengthen us. Highly recommended. I’ll be buying copies as gifts.

This book is a survival guide for our time

Active Hope is a powerful book deploying valuable information and wisdom to help us face the environmental crisis with energy and enjoyment. It's hard hitting in all the right ways and balance with wisdom that is vital in an age where our sense of how to find meaning in our lives is largely crippled by consumerist culture values that most of us are conditioned into believing are the only way to fulfilment. This book is essential, with nothing said that didn't need to be, and right on point with its title: how to find Active Hope, and face the mess we are in without going crazy. It is truly transformational and I think would be useful to support all people at this time of global crisis.

A book for our time

Pertinent & fresh in these turbulent times. the shambala prophecy particularly stood out for me but value throughout.

Life-giving

Life-changing, path-redirecting. Listening to this every day helped me get through a rough patch of life renavigating. Truly a one of a kind book, it lifts you up, gives you hope and most importantly gives you strategic exercises that bring your to be an active participant in the change of the world for the better. Infinite gratitude for this precious guide.

Narrator mismatch

So sad when such a distinguished author gets paired with a voice that sounds like a nanny reading a children’a book. I will struggle through this because I rate Joanna Macy’s work highly but will take a note not to buy another with Ms Cooney as the reader.

Helped me regain hope

I started reading this feeling quite hopeless about the world and it’s been really transformational for me.

Lots of interesting exercises and advice to give you all the hope and resilience you need

Hope conquers despair

It's so easy to despair about the future right now. This was true when the book was written but doubly so during the pandemic. Learning about how to build and foster hope and how to find practical ways to move ourselves in the right direction is invaluable.

The book's content is great. I wasn't a big fan of the narration style, which I think befits a guided meditation session better than an audiobook.

a pearl of a book

a great place to reflect / think / feel / ponder / act / reflect / think ,,,, I value this pearl