Today I heard about a small book that could change the world and my first thought was how could social media play a role in getting people to read it?
The book, Time for Outrage: Indignez-vous! is by Stephane Hessel (pictured), a former World War II French resistance fighter and has sold nearly 2 million copies in France and has been translated into more than 30 languages. Now it is for sale in the United States.
It was while listening to a report about the book on National Public Radio's Morning Edition that I got the idea: I would love to buy 10 copies of this book and get them into the hands of people under 30.
But how could I do this? Why social media of course.
So here is the challenge: I am challenging all of you in social media with large numbers of followers to find one among you who will set up a web site where people like me can buy copies of the book (it lists for $8 hardback on Amazon.com) and then ensure through a third party (perhaps Amazon) that those books get into the hands of people under 30.
Come on Lady Gaga, Ashton Kutcher, Ellen DeGeneres, Shaquille O'Neal ... you or someone like you has the resources to create such a site and make this happen (and I'd be glad to help!).
Why is this important? This is what the author, Hessel, says:
"If you want to be a real human being - a real woman, a real man - you cannot tolerate things which put you to indignation, to outrage," he says. "You must stand up. I always say to people, 'Look around; look at what makes you unhappy, what makes you furious and then engage yourself in some action.' "
So, can social media make this happen? Please help by spreading the word. I will buy the first 10 copies.
Can we make this work?
Image of Stephane Hessel from Wave magazine
An article from