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Believe in People: Bottom-Up Solutions for a Top-Down World Audio CD – Unabridged, November 17, 2020

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 436 ratings

*This program is read by Steve Carlson and Charles Koch with contributions from Social Entrepreneurs working in collaboration with the Stand Together organization.*

A surprising take on how you can help tackle the really big problems in society–from one of America’s most successful entrepreneurs.

People are looking for a better way. Towering barriers are holding millions of people back, and the institutions that should help everyone rise are not doing the job. Crumbling communities. One-size fits all education. Businesses that rig the economy. Public policy that stifles opportunity and emboldens the extremes. As a result, this country is quickly heading toward a two-tiered society.

Today’s challenges call for nothing short of a paradigm shift – away from a top-down approach that sees people as problems to be managed, toward bottom-up solutions that empower
everyone to realize their potential and foster a more inclusive society.

Such a shift starts by asking: What would it mean to truly believe in people?

Businessman and philanthropist Charles Koch has devoted his life to answering that question. Learn what he’s discovered during his 60-year career to help you apply the principles of empowerment in your life, in your business, and in society.

By learning from the social movements and applying the principles that have enabled social progress throughout history, Koch has achieved more than he dreamed possible – building one of the world’s most successful companies and founding Stand Together, one of America’s most innovative philanthropic communities. Stand Together CEO Brian Hooks and Koch show how the only way to solve the really big problems – from poverty and addiction to harmful business practices and destructive public policy – is for each and every one of us to find and take action in our unique role as part of the solution.

Full of compelling examples of what works – including several first-person accounts from individuals whose lives have been transformed – Koch and Hooks’ refreshing approach promotes partnership instead of partisanship and speaks to people from different perspectives and all walks of life. They show that no injustice is too tough to overcome if you share a deep belief in people, are willing to unite with anyone to do right, and work to empower others from the bottom up.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

"If you don't believe in people, what do you believe in? This is a provocative book for the moment. Highly recommended."--Ryan Holiday, #1
New York Times Bestselling Author of The Obstacle is The Way and The Daily Stoic

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From the Artist

Charles Koch with Brian Hooks; read by Steve Carlson and Charles Koch with contributions from Social Entrepreneurs working in collaboration with the Stand Together organization

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Macmillan Audio; Unabridged edition (November 17, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250240204
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250240200
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1 x 1 x 1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 436 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
436 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book inspiring and thought-provoking. They recommend it as a guide to changing the world one person at a time. Readers appreciate the new perspective on Charles Koch's views and how he draws on history and his own life experiences.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

20 customers mention "Inspiration"16 positive4 negative

Customers find the book inspiring and thought-provoking. They say it's a guide to changing the world one person at a time. The book shares great stories of social entrepreneurs who are helping solve some issues. Readers mention that the book gives them hope and unapologetically believe in people again.

"...They share some great stories in this book of social entrepreneurs who are helping to solve some of societies more serious problems with their..." Read more

"...Koch and Hooks offer a compelling case for why empowering others, instead of attempting to control them, offers a better way to tackle the biggest..." Read more

"...Most of all, there was far more heart than I anticipated, a real love for people writ large and each person’s unique potential...." Read more

"...of a man gifted with material goods, an excellent education, and creative genius. I cannot pass judgment on a the 85 year old man with..." Read more

7 customers mention "Readability"7 positive0 negative

Customers like the book's readability. They recommend it and say it exceeds their expectations.

"A book everyone needs to read. The real solution to our nation’s problems is not found in Washington but in the cumulative power of all of us." Read more

"Very interesting read. A new perspective on Charles Koch and his views, especially given the times we're in...." Read more

"Great reading and inspiring too" Read more

"More than an AWESOME BOOK - it's an AWESOME movement!!! #believeinpeople..." Read more

3 customers mention "Characterization"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides a new perspective on Charles Koch's views. They appreciate how he draws from history and his own life experiences.

"...I liked how Charles draws on history and his own life experience too...." Read more

"Very interesting read. A new perspective on Charles Koch and his views, especially given the times we're in...." Read more

"A solution-oriented book! Charles Koch is amazing!..." Read more

RUN! to get this book if you want to change the world!
5 out of 5 stars
RUN! to get this book if you want to change the world!
As a long time advocate for social change, this look not only inspired me but also equipped me to be a better advocate, community leader, and healer in a polarized time. Charles and Brian SHOW instead of tell you how to empower others, shift away from old models that are no longer working, and bridge divides to bring about real change to challenging problems. RUN TO GET YOUR COPY TODAY!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2020
    Honestly, the only way I can explain the books AWESOMENESS is to say that it’s not just a book – it’s A MOVEMENT – a movement to BELIEVE IN PEOPLE and empower them to use their talents and abilities to achieve self-reliance so they can then go and help others learn how to excel. It’s a movement with a ripple effect that is ever expanding and never ending, and as more and more people unite together in this movement to believe in people the ripples are amplified beyond measure and countless lives are impacted for the better. It’s a movement I fully believe in and wholeheartedly support!

    Charles Koch and Brian Hooks do an absolutely amazing job in this book of sharing how Charles, through his experience as Chairman and CEO of one of the largest privately held companies in America along with his years and years of philanthropic giving, came to understand that we will never be able to solve societies problems with a top-down approach - we can only solve them by believing in people and empowering people to use their own talents and abilities to achieve self-reliance so they can then help others learn to do the same. They share some great stories in this book of social entrepreneurs who are helping to solve some of societies more serious problems with their unique bottom-up approaches to overcoming addiction, ending the cycle of poverty, and so on. Their examples will inspire you in ways you can't yet imagine and by the time you finish the book you will be so excited to unite with others in the movement to #believeinpeople - COUNT ME IN!!!
    18 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2020
    This is an inspiring how-to book for doers. It’s for social entrepreneurs—the author’s term for change makers out there trying to find new ways to improve the world—written by one of the most effective and least understood philanthropists of our times.

    And unlike the author’s previous books—which are great, but drier and focused on just the facts—Koch and Hooks weave in stories and narrative that keep you turning pages. This includes stories from Koch’s life, but also the lives of many of the social entrepreneurs featured in the book. Written in first-person vignettes by them, their fascinating stories—such as from an early gay-rights activist, a former gang leader, a community organizer in recovery—bring a lot of heart and emotion to the book.

    Many of us are deeply concerned about the state of affairs in America today: division, a rigged economy, politics that seems broken and a general sense that things are going in the wrong direction. And in an urge to help, many turn to traditional camps in search for an answer—partisan politics, or strains of nationalism and socialism—only to be plagued by a nagging sense that these views aren’t delivering the change they’ve long promised.

    This book offers not only practical guidance for how you can make things better, but presents a refreshingly new paradigm for action. Koch and Hooks offer a compelling case for why empowering others, instead of attempting to control them, offers a better way to tackle the biggest issues of our times.

    When we believe in others, we enable them to contribute more. But to believe in others, we must also believe in ourselves. I love how this book shows the symbiotic nature of how using our gifts towards having an impact on the causes we most care about, we not only help OTHERS but WE can find fulfillment along the way, too.

    Strongly recommend for anyone out there trying to help others, searching for better and better ways to magnify your impact, and searching for more meaning in these dark times.
    43 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2020
    Prepare to be surprised. I expected philosophy — there were far more personal stories. I expected politics — there was far more on community. Most of all, there was far more heart than I anticipated, a real love for people writ large and each person’s unique potential.

    Is this a different Charles Koch than the one in the media? In one sense, no: The vision of society is the same as I anticipated, and it’s heavy on the individual’s role and responsibility. But in a more important sense, this is a different Charles Koch indeed: The one who was always there but who, for whatever reason, struggled to express himself or, more likely, was misrepresented by politicians and pundits who didn’t understand him or actively opposed him.

    I’m glad I picked up his book. I hope many others do the same.
    23 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2021
    Interesting look into the development of a man gifted with material goods, an excellent education, and creative genius.
    I cannot pass judgment on a the 85 year old man with experiences much different than I.
    Seems that having a whole lot of money and education cannot prevent one from making mistakes, going down rabbit holes that do not produce the results ( hopefully) intended.
    Another human being...I would like to have a conversation with him.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2021
    Charles Koch created one of the most successful companies ever by listening to the people who were actually doing the work. If one grants dignity to all people, the results can be amazing. Route 495 the ring road around Wash. DC has become like Alice's looking glass. Once one is inside, one has left the real world and is in never never land. Red or Blue the game is to win over each other instead of listening to the little people and actually representing them. If Congress would read this book, perhaps they would go back to their day job and focus on the country's issues instead of wasting their time and the little people's treasure on useless power battles.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2020
    As a Philanthropist, Believe in People confirmed much of what I know, and surprised me with I didn't. The reflections of Charles Koch and Brian Hooks smartly assess the need for the private, public, and social sectors to work together and build an inclusive society through a bottom-up approach. This wasn't just a book; it was a call to action. With stories that are both personal and tactical, Believe in People left me with a renewed perspective and energy for ensuring every American has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Uk
    5.0 out of 5 stars I would suggest everyone to read this book
    Reviewed in India on March 16, 2021
    Great reading 👍
    New solutions in a new world, which is based on standard human values/qualities. Changing the mental model is the start of transformation