Fixing the Planet

Knowledge is power. Get informed and choose action over despair. Everything you need to know about the earth and the life it supports - right now. From the challenges we face with global environmental, health, poverty, equality, technological, political and justice issues to the pioneering places and people making a difference to our future. Includes 40 simple ways to support change! 'While the hour is late, the future remains ours to make. This hugely enjoyable book is a powerful introduction to the way things are and the way things can be. Keep it by your bed.' Tim Smit, co-founder The Eden Project 'This book gives you all the information anyone could want about the state of the world and how to save it. Michael Norton's gripping read, filled with a wealth of facts, will arm you in any discussion, teenagers and adult alike who want to make the case for rescuing the planet. This will give you hope for what can still be done, if we all act now.' Polly Toynbee, Guardian

Michael Norton is a social entrepreneur who creates projects that provide innovative approaches to solving problems in society and the world. His smallest project - developing a self-help group for homeless people - was founded with a £2,000 innovation grant from Crisis in 1995. This started with a Wednesday afternoon club for homeless people to work together on projects that were important to them. This led to the creation of Groundswell, a national federation of homeless self-help groups. His largest project was the creation of UnLtd, the UK foundation for social entrepreneurs, which was set up with a £100 million legacy fund from the UK lottery, which makes awards to individuals with ideas. He has created street children's banks and village libraries in Asia, helped develop an international network of crisis helplines for children in need, developed projects which promote financial literacy for young people, mental wellbeing of adolescents, collecting and cooking surplus food, environmental awareness and action, community engagement and philanthropy for young people and much more. He is a professor at the China Global Philanthropy Institute in Shenzhen, winner of the 2014 UK Charity Award for lifetime achievement and was awarded an OBE in 1998 for services to the voluntary sector. His books include 365 Ways to Change the World, offering small ideas every day to encourage people to address many of the world's big issues, The Everyday Activist and Click2Change.