• A Selfish Plan to Change the World

  • Finding Big Purpose in Big Problems
  • By: Justin Dillon
  • Narrated by: Justin Dillon
  • Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (111 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
A Selfish Plan to Change the World  By  cover art

A Selfish Plan to Change the World

By: Justin Dillon
Narrated by: Justin Dillon
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $22.49

Buy for $22.49

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

You are exactly what the world needs.

What if your search for meaning could solve the world's problems? What if everything you are passionate about could save a life or change history? Justin Dillon argues it can, and A Selfish Plan to Change the World shows how.

In this paradigm-shifting new book, Dillon - the founder of Slavery Footprint and Made in a Free World - reveals the secret to a life of deep and lasting significance: the discovery that our need for meaning is inextricably linked to the needs of the world. A Selfish Plan to Change the World delivers a revolutionary method for meeting both needs.

Drawing upon his own unlikely transformation from touring musician to founder of a global movement and telling the stories of other surprising world changers, Dillon shows how to create a life of deep purpose by stepping into the problems of the world. Taking listeners on a journey from sweatshops in India to punk rock concerts in Ireland, Dillon exposes the limitations of the "giving back" approach involving donations and volunteerism to reveal the unexpected power of "giving in" to pursue self-interest in a way that alters the very dynamics of the world's most challenging problems.

A Selfish Plan to Change the World is your "self-help-others" guide to a life that matters, demonstrating how you can repurpose your existing talents, backstory, and networks to improve the lives of others. Changing the world no longer belongs only to martyrs and professional do-gooders. You can live an extraordinary life. You can change the world. All you ever needed was a plan.

©2017 Justin Dillon (P)2017 Thomas Nelson

What listeners say about A Selfish Plan to Change the World

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    65
  • 4 Stars
    29
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    59
  • 4 Stars
    21
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    54
  • 4 Stars
    25
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Inspiring story, but mistitled

I enjoyed listening to this book. Justin's passion, commitment, hard work, and success are impressive and inspiring.

I think he genuinely wants each of us to change the world in our own way. He says that frequently. For me, it was lacking breadth of examples and specifics on how. It was more of a memoir of his work to end slavery.

I'm glad I listened. I'm impressed and inspired to tackle something big. I wish the title had been more aligned with the content.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK

This book answers questions we secretly ask ourselves about meaning and life. It instructs without taking away our choices, and it points out human shortcomings with incredible compassion and understanding, all while pushing us to be and do better.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Powerful but could be better

This book is essential for changing the world for the better, however I felt some things were missing. There is a strong focus on education in this book but little mention of feeding and clothing those children, which is a strong precursor to them being able to learn in school (as per the mention of the hierarchy of needs). Many over dramatized, and overly sentimental elements take away from the writer's appeal to our practical senses. Juvenile's rap is discordant with the rest of the factual accounts and his comparison to Jay z, who's musical arsenal talks widely about hoes and bling, is poorly thought out at best. I'm also pretty sure the boy at the end was excited more about having and giving out snacks than freeing children, but that's my assumption. As Justin says these problems are not simple and in some cases removing these children from factories and labor puts them in other, sometimes more dangerous, situations. Those who think critically about these issues need these things to be part of the discussion. I would love to see the next edition come with a few edits.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Full of lies and lack of sense

The fact that he praises Mother Teresa, a known abuser and sadist, that ran a torture chamber masked as a religious institution (no surprise there) lost me... Absurd and lack of factual research.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good heart, ok execution

I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 3 because it's good for all of us to listen to all the material we can that causes us to be more empathetic and motivated to try to make a difference in the world.

The author tried to be a rock star, then gave up on that dream to pursue a new passion--ending child slavery in the world. The book describes some of that fight. I'd say this book is about 20% an autobiography and 80% an exhortation for the listener to think of a world-changing idea and then spend their life working on it.

The author says that he is very bad at fundraising. I can understand this. The book follows classical non-fiction patterns. He uses stories, metaphors, memorable lines and mnemonics. But it doesn't quite work. The mnemonics are completely unhelpful and the metaphors are confusing and unnecesary. It just isn't as impactful or persuasive as it should be. I'd suggest the author experiment with different examples to see what works better or focus on more plain English.

The stories about trying to get an anti-slavery event scheduled near the White House or visiting mica mines in Africa where children cut minerals out of the earth are quite captivating. The bulk of the material, telling us to get off our lazy butts and give up everything to make the world a better place, are less so, and sometimes the advice is even conflicting.

And I still utterly fail to see how this is a "selfish plan" in any way, especially when the author talks about how you have to give up your dreams to instead focus your time, energy, money and life goals on a higher purpose, just as he gave up his "rock dream" for his "soul dream".

Don't give me wrong. I care very much about world problems. I want to do my part and am interested in any project helping people to make a bigger difference in the world. I think this book may be more effective if it had more material related to the author and other people doing amazing things to change the world, with small sections encouraging us to be like them. I believe that effect would be more inspirational.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I love this book!!! I am going to find my riot!!!

I LOVED this book! I have a heart of service and have struggled in the pursuit of my meaning.
This book gives me a new lease to search hard for it, no matter where I am!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A true inspiration

I love and how are the writer he was his personal story, experiences and insight to inspire a generation of thoughtful people who aim to change the world for the better.
I seek to start an organization that would change this world and this has been the perfect homework. I will listen to this again and again in my journey

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding content and performance!

In the beginning I thought it was gonna be another average listen but instead it turned out to be fabulous on many different levels..

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

inspiring

Before I finished the book, I scheduled three meetings with people who have the power to make a change. I had been waiting, until I had the 'right' degree. I was waiting until I was an 'expert'. Actually, when I look at it, I already have the degrees, and the certifications and the seasoned level of experiences and even, even the respect one needs. But, I was still waiting. Look out world! I am not waiting anymore.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of my favorite.

Really enjoyed the stories and message, and can really relate with most of the ideas.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!