Paul Loeb's Work

"Paul Loeb brings hope for a better world in a time when we so urgently need it."
--Millard Fuller, founder, Habitat for Humanity

"The voices Loeb finds demonstrate that courage can be another name for love."
-- Alice Walker

"The Impossible's new edition is exactly the book we need for these times. When every day presents reasons to give up in exhaustion or despair, it brings together a chorus of courageous global voices to remind us that others have faced equally difficult times, kept on, and prevailed. Truly an inspiring work for anyone who wants to work for change."

— Thom Hartmann

"You are part of what's good about this world and I admire your work very much."

—-- Bill Moyers

 

 

“When my daughter asked from college how to be an effective grassroots citizen, I gave her Paul's books.”
--Josette Sheeran, former Executive Director, United Nations World Food Program

"Paul Loeb has been doing wonderfully patient work, exploring the American conscience from the inside. I regard Loeb as something of a national treasure."
-- Susan Sontag

 

 

"A lot of smart people who have some influence on the course of history will read and admire you--and learn from you."

-- Kurt Vonnegut

Paul Rogat Loeb's global anthology of political hope, The Impossible Will Take a Little While: Perseverance and Hope in Troubled Times, has over 125,000 copies in print, with a wholly updated new edition coming out October 2026. The Impossible creates a conversation among some of the most visionary and eloquent voices of our time. Together with Loeb's introductions, they teach us how to keep on working for a more humane world, replenish the wellsprings of our commitment, and help us continue no matter how hard it seems.

The Impossible explores the historical, political, ecological and spiritual frameworks that help us to persist—how people have faced despair and overcome it. The book examines what it was like to confront South African apartheid, Putin's prisons, South Korea's recent attempted coup, the Eastern European Communist dictatorships, Robber Barons present and past, and America's current attacks on democracy. The stories don't sugarcoat the obstacles. But they inspire hope by showing what keeps us keeping on--even when the odds seem overwhelming.  The Impossible spent 11 weeks on the independent bookstore bestseller lists and won the Nautilus Award for the best social change book of its year. Click here for a description, excerpts, rave reviews, and information on The Impossible's wonderful classroom responses, and here to order the book.

Loeb is also the author of Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in Challenging Times. With over 175,000 copies in print through its own updated editions, Soul has become a classic handbook for budding social activists, veteran organizers, and anyone who wants to make a difference—large or small. An antidote to powerlessness and despair, it has inspired thousands of citizens to make their voices heard and actions count.

Soul explores what leads some people to get involved in larger community issues while others feel overwhelmed or uncertain; what it takes to maintain commitment for the long haul; and how community involvement and citizen activism can give back a powerful sense of connection and purpose. It speaks particularly to how to keep engaged despite dashed hopes and disillusionment. Click here for Soul's description, sample sections, and wonderful reviews, as well as information on classroom use.

In 2008 Paul founded the Campus Election Engagement Project, (CEEP), a national nonpartisan project that helped America's colleges and universities motivate their 20 million students to register, volunteer in campaigns, educate themselves, and turn out at the polls. CEEP focused on how administrators, faculty, staff, and student leaders can help engage students. Paul ran the project through 2020, at which point it worked with over 600 campuses enrolling 6.4 million students, then spun off its nonpartisan candidate guides into a separate project, which distributed over 8 million guides.

Paul has lectured at over 500 colleges and universities and numerous conferences. He's written articles for publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, AARP Bulletin, Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution,  Christian Science Monitor, Chronicle of Higher Education, InsideHigherEd, The Nation,  Raw Story, Huffington Post,  Redbook, and Parents Magazine, and been interviewed on NBC, CNN, PBS, Fox, C-Span, NPR, the BBC, the ABC, NBC, and CBS radio networks, American Urban Radio, Voice of America, and national German, Australian, and Canadian radio. Here's his more detailed bio.

If you're not already receiving Paul's monthly articles, sign up here to receive them. Paul lectures widely on both Soul and The Impossible. Click here to invite him to your community, and here to pass the word on his books.