Change of Heart: What Psychology Can Teach Us About Spreading Social Change

At times, the mind can be one's own worst enemy. When our ego feels threatened, it is wired to convince us of almost anything. And when certain unpleasant emotions arise at passing a homeless man on the way to work or seeing African children on TV with flies on their faces, we are accustomed to look away. How do certain people and organizations persuade us and our ego to donate time and money to their cause, while others don't seem to reach us enough? And what differentiates the two?

In Change of Heart, Nick Cooney explains the intricate psychology of the human mind and how activists can successfully manoeuvre their way through it. The author provides a complete compilation of key negotiating strategies, with numerous examples to reveal many forms of activism.

Fascinating and detailed, this book is designed for the hardcore activist who is looking to bring change to his/her cause, whatever their goals may be: boosting donations, recruiting volunteers, creating pamphlets, or simply creating awareness. The author spends very little time on personal anecdotes and instead goes straight to the facts of being effective in whatever your line of activism is. I enjoyed learning about real organizations and the strategies they used to convince more participants to join their cause, with examples that were interesting and professional. Nick Cooney encourages creativity and persistence when looking to initiate real changes in others lives.

The author really puts the reader in the shoes of an activist and I found that the text itself was a form of activism since the book takes the opportunity to educate the reader about animal rights, environmentalism, and poverty.

Change of Heart brings a new approach to activism with a new comprehension of the human mind. For activism, opening up the mind is just as important as opening up the heart.

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