Imagine iPhone applications that could change the world by promoting recycling instead of killing brain cells trying to master the Tic Tac Toe app. The imaginary iPhone apps that line the front cover of a recently released book, “Generation Change,” encourage reading, adopting shelter animals and disarming weapons, reflecting the book’s theme of progressive change.
Jayan Kalathil, a San Luis Obispo native turned New Yorker and a communications and marketing professional, collaborated with public-service announcements writer and director Melissa Bolton-Klinger to create this 200-page handbook that suggests 150 ways people can make a difference in the world. With Kalathil’s background in nonprofit work and Bolton-Klinger’s experience with writing, the pair created a “perfect storm” of collaboration over the year they spent writing the book, Bolton-Klinger said. Their backgrounds in nonprofit organizations gave the writers a head start on researching issues regarding change.
The book is sectioned off into three concepts of change: ways to change our country, our world and ourselves. Under each category, there are ideas meant to inspire progressive thinking followed by a list of Web sites or books to explore. From blogging to following the 10 green commandments at the end of the book, Kalathil and Bolton-Klinger hope that readers use the resources they are given to invoke change in their community and the world.
These two New Yorkers wrote the handbook like a Twitter or Facebook page, mimicking the short, casual jargon seen in online social networks. The paperback speaks to the reader like a comment on his or her Facebook page instead of a dry, textbook-style manuscript about nonprofit organizations or the U.S. Congress. Both of these topics are covered in “Generation Change” in easy-to-understand manner.
Bolton-Klinger said that this style of writing was intentional. In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, Bolton-Klinger and Kalathil wanted to create a book that was engaging, informing and above all, concise.
“We wanted to write it like it’s a blog, like it’s a voice, like we’re talking to people. It’s kind of how we’d write or talk to people,” Kalathil said.
The technology-inspired handbook is intended to reach out to the “Obama generation,” a group of young individuals who have been moved by Obama’s “yes we can” campaign.
“(The election of President Obama) really galvanized a lot of young people to get involved. His message of change really rang home with a lot of the younger demographic,” Kalathil said.
While the book references President Obama’s speeches, readers don’t have to be an Obama fan to enjoy the book, Kalathil said, since the writers discuss universal issues.
Bolton-Klinger says he hopes the message of making a difference reaches a wide spectrum of people. She describes the book as one to be enjoyed by an entire family, in a similar way to how they enjoy activities like board games.
“When you look at like a Parker Brothers game and they say ages 2+, we want it to be like that. Like a mom could read it to a four-year-old and the four-year-old would ask his mom to take him to adopt a pet,” he said.
Regardless of age, geographic location or political party, the beauty of the book is that it applies to everyone, Kalathil said. Students at Cal Poly are lucky to be at such an amazing university with different resources available to them. However, even students who don’t go to universities like Cal Poly will be able to pick up the book and get involved in whatever organization hits home with them with a click of the mouse, he said.
“That’s one of the takeaway messages: If you want to get involved, you can,” Kalathil said.
Born and raised in San Luis Obispo until his early years of college, Kalathil has a fairly large local following on the “Generation Change” Facebook fan page that he and Bolton-Klinger created. Lori Matthew Hauge, a Cambria mother of two, went to school with Kalathil from middle school until college. She’s looking forward to reading Kalathil’s first publication.
“I am guessing it will be a good read given that Jayan is partially responsible,” Hauge said. “I really only have a desire to read the book because of my long lasting friendship with Jayan.”
The book was released Nov. 1 by Skyhorse Publishing.