Rules for Radicals: A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals Author: Saul David Alinsky | Language: English | ISBN:
0394443411 | Format: EPUB
Rules for Radicals: A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals Description
Review
“This country's leading hell-raiser...has set down some of the rules of the game. No one has had more experience or has been more successful at it than Alinsky.” —The Nation
“Alinsky's techniques and teachings influenced generations of community and labor organizers, including the church-based group hiring a young [Barack] Obama to work on Chicago's South Side in the 1980s.... Alinsky impressed a young [Hillary] Clinton, who was growing up in Park Ridge at the time Alinsky was the director of the Industrial Areas Foundation in Chicago.” —Chicago Sun-Times
“Alinsky is that rarity in American life, a superlative organizer, strategist, and tactician who is also a social philosopher.” —Charles E. Silberman
“He cannot be bought; he cannot be intimidated; and he breaks all the rules.” —The Economist (London)
“I consider him to be one of the few really great men of our century.” —Jacques Maritain
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
From the Inside Flap
This primers tells the "have-nots" how they can organize to achieve real political power for the practice of true democracy.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
See all Editorial Reviews
- Hardcover: 196 pages
- Publisher: Random House Inc (T); 1st edition (May 1971)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0394443411
- ISBN-13: 978-0394443416
- Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
- Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
The purpose for my reading this book was self-educational and an effort to be open-minded about the broad political spectrum that exists today. I found Alinsky's book to be enlightening, thought-provoking, interesting and very relevant. In fact, I strongly feel that "Rules for Radicals" provides a great deal of insight to the current state of political discourse in United States. However, after reading the book, I found myself wondering if Alinsky ever imagined his "radicals" achieving success to the point in which they themselves ultimately become victims of their own methods.
"Rules for Radicals" is essentially a guidebook that encourages individuals to gather, organize and develop a battle-plan to spread a socialist agenda; there is even a list of tactics to be used. Alinsky has conveniently simplified the complex socio-economic landscape of the United States into three groups: The Haves (upper-class), The Have Some, Want More (middle-class) and Have-nots (poor). It is explained that the Haves are the minority that possesses all the wealth/power which is used to ruthlessly exploit the lower classes to enforce their status-quo and maintain their wealth/ power. The Have-Some and Have-nots are basically characterized as being numerically strong, but also mindless and weak ... forced to a life dictated by the Haves. Alinsky then introduces the "community organizer" ... the do-gooder ... the pot-stirrer ... the "social-conscience" ... the one who will fight for those who "can't" or "won't" fight for themselves ... the one who will "take it to" the Haves. Ironically, I found that Alinsky's book provided more explanation of what our current President did prior to being in public office than any media source has ever tried to convey.
Rules for Radicals: A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals Preview
Link
Please Wait...