''Your country needs you. Your world needs you. Your time is now.''

Our politics is a mess. Leaders who can''t or shouldn''t be allowed to lead. Governments that lie, and seek to undermine our democratic values. Policies that serve the interests of the privileged few. It''s no surprise that so many of us feel frustrated, let down and drawn to ask, ''But what can I do?''

That question is the inspiration behind this book. It''s a question regularly posed to Alastair Campbell, not least in reaction to The Rest is Politics, the chart-topping podcast he presents with Rory Stewart. His answer, typically, is forthright and impassioned. We cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. If we think things need to change, then we need to change them, and that means getting involved.

But What Can I Do? provides each of us with the motivation and the tools to make a difference. Opening with an acute analysis of our polarised world and the populists and extremists who have created it, it goes on to show how we can effect change for the better. It explains how we can develop our skills of advocacy and persuasion. It draws on Alastair''s long experience to offer practical tips on putting together and leading a campaign team. It provides priceless advice on developing confidence and coping with criticism and setbacks. And it sets out the practical steps by which we can become political players ourselves.

Part call to arms, part practical handbook, But What Can I Do? will prove required reading for anyone who wants to make a difference.