I believe that every person has a book inside them just waiting to be poured out onto the printed page. In a world of Tiktok, Instagram and Snapchat, there is something refreshing and powerful about the printed word.
I was the typical nerdy kid who always had his nose in a book, riding on the bus, waiting in lines, on the couch after dinner, I always had a book on the go. That was how I first learned about my biggest heroes like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.
Most influential books are the result of countless hours of painstaking deliberation, writing and re-writing. Writing a great book is an art.
I wrote my first book, Free the Children, in the years that followed my life-changing trip to South Asia in 1995. It chronicled my trip and story while serving, I hope, as a testament to the power that children and young adults have to change the world.
Through my columns and books, I have tried to inspire people around the world to take action on important social and humanitarian issues, particularly those affecting children. I wanted to show people that anyone, regardless of age or circumstances, can make a meaningful impact in the world.
In the years that followed, I’ve authored/co-authored over a dozen other books, including New York Times bestseller ME to WE, Finding Meaning in a Material World, which I co-wrote with my brother, Marc.
My most recent book was titled, WEconomy: You Can Find Meaning, Make a Living, and Change the World. It explores merging ‘purpose and profit’ and how purpose can enhance product differentiation, employee recruitment and retention, brand affinity, market opportunities, access to capital, risk mitigation and more. There is clearly an interest for this type of content among entrepreneurs and business leaders, as the book became an international bestseller. I co-wrote the book with friend, Dr. Holly Branson and Marc. The book featured a forward by Sheryl Sandberg and an epilogue by Sir Richard Branson.
I hope we never lose the joy and inspiration that can be found inside the pages of a good book.
I also shared a syndicated column with Marc called Global Voices that ran for over 14 years. It focused on international issues, child and youth issues, mental health and wellbeing. Weekly columns were published in more than 30 newspapers/magazines, including Forbes, Good Housekeeping, The Toronto Star, The Vancouver Sun and online via The Huffington Post.
I hope we never lose the joy and inspiration that can be found inside the pages of a good book.
