a book

Rules for Radicals

Name: Rules for Radicals
Rating: 5 (7 reviews)
Author: Saul D. Alinsky
ISBN: 9780307756893

Saul D. Alinsky · 1989 · 196 pages

“This country's leading hell-raiser" (The Nation) shares his impassioned counsel to young radicals on how to effect constructive social change and know “the difference between being a realistic radical and being a rhetorical one.”

First published in 1971 and written in the midst of radical political developments whose direction Alinsky was one of the first to question, this volume exhibits his style at its best. Like Thomas Paine before him, Alinsky was able to combine, both in his person and his writing, the intensity of political engagement with an absolute insistence on rational political discourse and adherence to the American democratic tradition.

recommended by 7 people

sourced from public statements

Ryan Holiday
“Ideology of power and activism teaching how to advance agendas through words and media strategy.”↗
Michael Moore
“The title is a bit of a misnomer. It’s actually a handbook for the average citizen to become politically involved. I remember thinking, ‘Now that’s a good idea!’ or ‘Oh, I could do that, and I’m just sitting here in Flint, Michigan!’ The beauty of the book—and I live by this to this day—is that we will never accomplish anything as long as we, those of us who are politically active, separate ourselves from the mass of people. I see the Left doing this constantly. Whenever I speak to a group of liberals, or granola heads, or whatever, I ask, ‘How many of you watch Friends? Or ER?’ Only a couple of hands go up. I say, ‘How do you expect to change anything in this country if you don’t have a clue what your fellow Americans are watching every night? They’re never going to listen to you because you don’t want to live in their world and they know it. They sense the arrogance of that.'”↗
Susan Suehr
“@jeffld Read book by a former Soviet spy that figured out that there was a God when his 1st child was born. The miracle of life transformed him. Read Saul Alinsky's book "Rules for Radicals". Dedicated to the big "L". BTW not in the old testament. "The Satan" means prosecutor. Ego amuck!”↗
Mike Coudrey
“If you want to know the tactics of the Democrats, you must read this book. If you understand their tactics, you'll be less likely to fall into their traps & better able to defeat them in conversation, in communication, in appearance, in reputation, in policy, & frankly, in life.”↗
Balaji Srinivasan
Balaji S. Srinivasan
Mark Bloomfield