Behind the Book: Helping Rob Jefferies Turn a Lifetime of Ideas into Renaissance 2.0

A Book That Refused to Fit One Box

Rob came to me with a manuscript that was, on the surface, ambitious in an unusual way. Part memoir, part treatise, it draws together decades of thinking on the relationship between business and the environment, alongside a collection of poems he had written for his grandchildren and his personal tales. Two very different threads, both deeply personal to him.

My role was to help those threads come together and make a sensible, interesting read. Through a round of light developmental editing, we worked on the order and flow of the book — letting the poetry balance and give pause after a rational argument or formula. From there, copyediting tightened the language so Rob’s voice stayed intact while the ideas came through clearly for readers meeting them for the first time.

The Author’s Big Idea

Rob’s central theory is that we’ve faced civilisation-defining crises before — and come through them with flair. He draws a parallel between our current moment of climate change and geopolitical conflict, and the conflict, disease and famine of the late Middle Ages that gave rise to the original Renaissance.

His answer: a call to adopt the same spirit of reinvention as back then, but using more social awareness… and more care and ethics than we’ve shown so far. He suggests meeting environmental and social challenges before us with a fundamental rewrite of financial accounting equations to achieve sustainable balance.

Rather than paraphrase it all, I’ll let Rob’s own blurb introduce it:

How can we avoid further disastrous escalation of climate change if political leaders will not unite in the fight? What will drive industry towards practices that support healthy social and environmental outcomes with equal vigour to the efforts made to maximising profitability?

How do we prepare as communities and individuals for the inevitable change before us? Renaissance 2.0 proposes adoption of a self-sustaining approach to creating a viable, equitable and vibrant future for the world and our children.

There are many lessons to be learnt from looking at what has worked in past situations and seeking solutions available to today’s society by adopting principles and approaches that use modern technologies in an ethical and practical way.

Learnings of a lifetime are conveyed in a deeply personal manner, to all who share common concerns and a desire to build a better future. The messages are especially addressed to our children and grandchildren, who are inheriting an uncertain future and the legacy of the industry and lifestyle of a society increasingly living beyond the capacity of planet Earth to sustain.

Working Together

As a first-time author/publisher, Rob was navigating a lot at once — not just the writing, but the whole process of bringing a book into the world on his own terms. It’s exactly the kind of project I love supporting, because the ideas and creative touches was already there; the work was helping them land the way Rob intended. And as he was an engineer, it was fascinating to get multiple viewpoints from one author.

Here’s what he had to say about the process:

“As a first time indie publisher, Jennifer’s guidance and professional editing work has been invaluable. Thank you for the patience and support.”

Read the Book

If Rob’s ideas resonate with you — or if you know someone who’d appreciate a book that sits at the crossroads of new ideas, environment and family legacy — I’d love for you to check it out, purchase if liking it, and consider leaving a review. Every bit of support helps an indie author like Rob reach the readers his book was written for.

Amazon Affiliates link below. You can also find this book in other retailers.

Find Renaissance 2.0 on Amazon