Walk in Their Shoes: Can One Person Change the World?

Walk in Their Shoes is the powerful, personal story of Jim Ziolkowski's inspiring mission to change the world one community at a time, hailed by the Dalai Lama as “an inspiring tribute to the power of compassion and education: the keys to leading a meaningful life.”

At age twenty-five, Jim Ziolkowski gave up his career in corporate finance to create a not-for-profit organization that turns inner-city youths into community leaders at home and abroad. Under Jim’s leadership, high school students from the South Bronx to San Francisco have contributed more than 1.2 million hours of direct community service, and over the past twenty years, the organization has also constructed more than 550 schools in the world’s economically poorest countries, from Haiti to Nepal.

Jim's tale of far-flung adventures in the most remote corners of the world and America’s toughest inner-cities is a moving testament to the power of faith and teamwork, and shows that when we give, we also help—and heal—ourselves.

Walk in Their Shoes is the story of buildOn’s inspirational work with at-risk teens, its indelible influence on communities around the world, and of the man whose vision, faith, and conviction made it all possible. Jim Ziolkowski “believed that one person could indeed change the world, and his story may inspire others to do the same” (Publishers Weekly).

Jim Ziolkowski started the nonprofit organization buildOn to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy in nations throughout the world. He lives in Stamford, Connecticut.

James S. Hirsch is a bestselling author who has written on race, sports, and the human drama behind topics ranging from the military to medicine. He lives in the Boston area.