Review and Response to “Change” by Damon Centola

This may be one of the most important books I have read. “Change: How to make Big Things Happen” by Damon Centola is exactly what it says it is about. This isn’t a book debating change. It is a book on why and how change actually happens. We’re not talking about small changes either. We are talking about huge, major, cultural shift changes. These are changes that have long term impact on people’s lives and organizations and societies. I highly recommend this book.

As a pastor, I’m very interested in the concept of change. After all, by proclaiming the Good News and the Kingdom of God, I’m really proclaiming significant, transformational change.

This is not a theological book, but it is a book that theologians should read. The ideas contained in the book serve as an aid in understanding humanity and what drives humans to change.

The author divides the book into four sections:

• Pervasive Myths that Prevent Change — This is about the myths of how important influencers are, the role of viral change, and the reality of stickiness.
• The Changemaker’s Playbook — This is about understanding how change actually works, what is contagious, the infrastructure needed for change, and the role of relevance.
• The 25 Percent Tipping Point — This is about…