Meet Jack Toohey, author of Better Things are Possible: How Rebellious Hope Will Change the World
Can you please introduce yourself and three words that best describe you?
G'day! I'm Jack Toohey. An activist, author, and creative. A jack of all trades, if you will. Three words that best describe me? Hmm. Curious. Hopeful. Staunch?
Why this book, and why now? What's your favourite part?
When the opportunity arose to write a book, what was meant to be a quick chat with my eventual publisher ended up being a long, winding conversation that spanned housing and climate and gender and mental health and media and politics and the general apathy that Australia has in the face of these intersecting crises. I had far more to say than I could ever hope to fit into a 90-second reel. So Better Things Are Possible was born, glued together by my (mostly) unwavering hope for and belief in a better Australia and world.
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but my favourite part of the book is the climate section. Particularly, the chapters about our huge potential for renewable energy and regenerative agriculture. I had the pleasure of spending a lot of time in rural and regional Australia as I researched for those parts of the book, and it really reinforced to me how good nature is at its job and how many wrongs we can right by simply taking nature's lead.
The solutions to so many problems have been here for literally billions of years!
What would you say to people who feel overwhelmed by what's going on in the world?
I'm not sure if I'm allowed to swear here. So, I'll just say things are cooked (literally and figuratively). There's really no way around that fact. We have a multitude of problems to solve, and many of them are literally existential. Is it fair that we are the ones who have to solve them? No. Is it a massive opportunity (and responsibility) to lead humanity and all living things into a kinder, less extractive future? Yes! To rise to that responsibility, it's really important to take time out, touch grass, spend time with our family and our communities. That way, we not only recharge but are reminded of what we are fighting for. There's no point hiding from the realities we face…
In doing that, we only make things worse AND miss out on so much of what makes life worth living. If you really think about it, the privilege of being able to live life and save all life on earth is pretty special. Feel better yet?"
How would you like people to feel after reading Better Things Are Possible?
I hope that when people put down the book, they find some new sense of resolve, or rediscover it. Their belief in nature. Their belief in community. Their belief in humanity. Hope.
But I do understand that some people have struggled to find that hope through reading a book that presents so many intersecting crises. Even though I've done my best to present as many solutions as possible, it can still be very overwhelming to have it all presented to you in one go (I'd know, I wrote the damn thing). To that, I'd say take your time. I wrote it as a book to pick up, put down and come back to when the time is right. And if you need to hook some hope straight into your veins, start with the introduction and skip right to the conclusion as a treat. It's okay, I won't be offended!
The end of the book is set in 2050, a future where we've come together and solved what we face today. That vision underpins everything I do."
Finally, where can someone get their hands on Better Things Are Possible?
Think global, act local. The best place to pick up a copy is always your local bookshop or library. But if you can't get there, it's available online. I'm also going to be at a bunch of writers' festivals this year, so if you happen to live near one of those, I'd love to meet you there!
Better things are possible. And maybe that starts with picking up a book, touching grass, or simply choosing hope.