"In The Slow Lane, social entrepreneur Sascha Haselmayer guides the reader on a meditation about what it takes to achieve and sustain social change and address systemic issues like racism and climate change. The popular approach to problem-solving, he explains, has been dominated by a mentality of 'dealing with change by finding shortcuts.' Haselmayer calls this approach 'the fast lane,' which is epitomized by the 'move fast and break things' mantra of Silicon Valley that has since been adopted across industries. In the start-up world, Haselmayer observes, the playbook is unambiguous: Investors celebrate short-term, 'one size fits all' solutions that are easily scalable for profit.

"Instead, Haselmayer proposes the slow-lane approach of listening, extending trust, developing relationships, and shifting power dynamics to solve systemic problems. Slowing down, he acknowledges, runs counter to 'a world that celebrates only quick fixes [that] often end up doing a lot more harm than good.' Unlike the quick-fix mindset of people in the fast lane, people in the slow lane, Haselmayer says, “create solutions that don’t simply patch over a problem but take aim at the injustices and broken systems that keep producing failure in the first place.”

"...While The Slow Lane takes inspiration from existing approaches to social change, such as systems change and empathy-driven design, its most defining feature is its emphasis on the undeniable and consequential role that people’s humanity plays. Haselmayer argues that we must invest in our human relationships—only by becoming vulnerable and open to human connection will we be able to pause, listen, and share the power to act and effect meaningful change." -  Sophie Bacq

Book Review: Exiting the Fast Lane

Related Article: Rebecca Solnit: Slow Change Can Be Radical Change