The Power of Unreasonable People:
How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World
by John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan

Overall Rating

Reviewed by Christina and Benjamin Macfarland

The Power of Unreasonable People addresses the following questions about social entrepreneurs: Who are they? What are their business models? What distinguishes them from other agents of change in the world? By answering these questions, authors John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan lay the groundwork for an understanding of social entrepreneurialism.

The book is organized into three parts. The first part analyzes the attributes of social entrepreneurs and the types of social ventures and funding used by them. The second part identifies the market opportunities and the issues on which social entrepreneurs tend to work. The third part focuses on bridging the gap between ideas and implementation by scaling these social enterprises, so that these seemingly unreasonable people are then able to change the landscape of society.

A prevailing theme in this book is the importance of having a strong understanding of the behavior and motivating factors surrounding social entrepreneurship.  The book is extremely helpful when it establishes the top ten characteristics of “what social entrepreneurs do.” According to the authors, social entrepreneurs: 1) shrug off the constraints of ideology and discipline; 2) focus on practical solutions to social problems; 3) innovate by finding a new product, service, or approach to a problem; 4) engage in social value creation; 5) jump in without waiting before ensuring they are fully resourced; 6) possess unwavering beliefs in the innate capacity of others; 7) have dogged determination; 8) are passionate about the need for change; 9) have a great deal to teach change-makers in other sectors; and 10) share a healthy sense of impatience and do not do well in bureaucracies.  The authors add that social entrepreneurs are willing to take direct action that generates a paradigm shift while attacking what they perceive to be an unsatisfactory equilibrium. 

Overall, The Power of Unreasonable People is comprehensive and thoughtful.  It is a great source that helps readers to better understand the amazing variety of social entrepreneurs throughout the world. The authors make the topic very approachable, and their writing is informal. If the reader is new to the field of social entrepreneurship, then this book is an excellent place to start.  Because this is a book about unreasonable people doing remarkable things, the reader comes to closure with a sense of hopefulness about the future. The authors offer countless intriguing and inspiring descriptions of individuals who are making a difference through their works of social entrepreneurship.