Activism Books

Mr. Rowan has never shied away from tackling the tough issues of our time and in this study, he is insightful and provoking. His mastery over complex subjects is impressive and I hope that we will be able to explore more of Mr. Rowan's work in the future.

This text is written not for the layman, which is disappointing as Mr. Rowan draws our attention to significant points about which those who make public policy decisions should take note. For those with a background or a serious interest in the moral questions concerning some of our most controversial contemporary social issues, I strongly recommend this book.

A very informative book on a era in which either you weren't alive at the time, too young, or couldn't believe that you went through all of what happened during the 1960's to early 1970's.

Nothing inspires so much enduring controversy and strongly held opinions as the subject of active draft resistance during the Vietnam War. The draft resisters were composed of a relatively small segment of the hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of young American men of draft age who avoided serving in the Army in one fashion or another. While most avoided active service in one or another fashion by enrolling in colleges or graduate schools, getting married and quickly having children, or by crossing the border into Canada, the draft resisters stood their ground and actively (and often quite dramatically) confronted the system by openly opposing the draft, burning their draft cards publicly, and serving themselves up for the legal and social consequences of refusing to serve in the military.

The author's approach is both appealing and effective; he uses a plethora of anecdotes and then places them in context by providing an overall history of the movement as well as an effective analysis of the effect of the movement both for the individuals choosing to participate in it as well as for the society at large. Author Michael Foley is a history professor at the City University of New York College of Staten Island, and he obviously has some personal experience informing his awareness of the phenomenon, which was in his estimation one of the most important and most progressively attempted efforts at defanging the war machine, a technique which comprising the cutting edge of young Americans opposition to the war in Southeast Asia. It found its inspiration in the Gandhi-like examples of the civil rights movement, and found widespread philosophical and legal support for a method that eventually forced the formal apparatus of government to sit up and take notice.

What I found especially fascinating about Foley's approach is his concentration on events transpiring in the greater Boston area, where I had many personal experiences, both with the active resistance against the war as well as the other related anti-war activities. So the author's cogent analysis and colorful anecdotes often churn up memories of people and the times from my own reservoir of such experiences some thirty-five years ago. What was so intriguing about the movement was the way it transformed what was initially a massive loathing for what was considered an unmanly and suspect strategy into one that was much more widely supported and endorsed by mainstream Americans. Thus, by placing themselves and their futures on the line (many resisters eventually served time in prison rather than serve in the military), the resisters did change public opinion and popular perception of the war itself and on the ways in which honorable young men could behave in response to it.

Eventually, such efforts actually helped to end the draft, as President Nixon foisted a lottery system as an interim approach to the patently unfair policies of the draft, and soon thereafter created an all-volunteer service in response to the public outcry over 'selective service'. The actions of the war resisters sparked a wide-spread recognition among their peers of the obviously unfair nature of the draft itself, and helped to legitimize the mass-protests against the war involving millions of Americans outraged by the racist and social class distinctions made in draft policies. Finally, Foley shows how greater civic awareness is required to ensure a more enlightened and informed understanding of one's patriotic duties to the country during time of war. Enjoy!

As a Wicca practitioner, I found Ms. Olomo's views to have resonance to my practice and understanding of nature based spiritual study. Her views on our relationship to Divinity and Nature are at once both elegant and electrifyingly groundbreaking; going far beyond the explanations and understanding of many authorities. Even though I do not study a Yoruban tradition, I found many analogies and parallels that have made my own personal studies much richer and my rituals (even as a solitary Wiccan) much more moving and fulfilling. This book is a gem to any Pagan study and is sure to become a modern classic.

This book comes to us from a powerful alternate Black epistemology through the view point of a woman who is a powerhouse of cultural wisdom. The Iyalosha Aina Olomo has many things to teach us, particularly to reorient us to the views of a transnational community that has maintained its consciousness despite attempts to undermine, misrepresent, and belittle non-European forms of thought.
Olomo's discussion of the "Walls" addreses the struggles and realities of an ancestral tradition that has guided its adherents to recreate themselves into a conscientious and collective transnational community. Her work flies in the face of four-hundred years of disdain for ancestral traditions that evolved from attempts to control Black knowledges for the purpose of colonialism and the disorientation of displaced diasporic people. The text battles fearlessly with the ideologies of colonizing belief systems.

Olomo offers an insightful discussion of the disentanglement of colonized sprituality and everyday life through a liberation theology that has little time for the poor representation of her tradition in the mainstream. Why should it? Ifa Orisa traditions are exquisite, powerful, and have shown their ability to sustain the physical, social, economic, political, and spiritual needs of communities as far afield as Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and North America. At the same time, the book is pragmatic and displays an intense focus on the production of community in this alienating age.Olomo notes strategies of Black regeneration created through cultural memories of the knowledges of their ancestors. Her work is enhanced by analysis that goes beyond afro-centricity. Olomo is not preaching about the importance of Black cultures--that is a given. Hers is not an argument for an ideological standpoint, instead, she narrates an understanding of praxis, a life lived in full commitment to the liberation of humanity through the traditions of her ancestors, from their relationship to the pracitical concerns of humankind to the divine energies of this planet. Hers is a contribution not just to philosophy, but also to the preservation of the planet, and the liberation of humanity from colonized knowledges. We are fortunate to have this intellect share such a brilliant view of a lifeway born in Africa, bred in the Americas, and now more than ever aware of its significance to world history. In its very framework and approach, this book is a form of liberation. An important read for the practioners of these traditions, the scholar of African Diaspora theology, and the student of human consciousness.

As a Fortune 500 Market Researcher specializing in targeted/online marketing, I can't stress enough the importance of this foundational work. If we take a step back and think about the future of e-commerce more broadly, then the true significance of Cyberpolitics becomes even clearer.

The Internet is, above all else, a vehicle for information. E-commerce is often the medium through which information is provided, organized, and housed. However, before marketers can determine the most effective means of successfully accomplishing this task, we have to gain a fuller picture of the overall audience. Since political information is a primary information need for Internet users, the dynamics of this user market is something that should interest anyone involved in e-journalism, political sites, community portals, and online information sources more broadly. I look forward to follow-up studies from the authors!

This is really a very good book, and very timely as well. Too many books about the Internet, including books about politics, investing, relationships, privacy, etc., are simply pie-in-the-sky theorizing. This book, focussing on politics, actually provides evidence through what looks like lots of research to prove its assertions. I highly recommend this book to people interested in something a bit more down to earth and less breathless about politics, the Internet, and the future.

Reading this book tells Ambedkar was a great scholar.It all describes about how dalits , called lower caste people are treated. It tells about the how india showing two faces towards this community . Inside still these peoples kept separate and treated badly outside it try to create an image as enough and more benefits are given to this society

History, political history in particular is a chronology of rule. Who ruled and who were ruled? History is written by the historians but nevertheless, rulers strongly influence the historical writings. This is especially true in India where a minuscule minority ruled over the majority for centuries. Majority of the people were strictly barred from the opportunity of education till 150 years ago. Injustice has been done to the untouchables while writing the history of the independence of India. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's name is often omitted or finds only a terse mention in the books of history. He alone fought to get human rights for the Indian masses comprising backward classes , scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. He awakened the masses , made them aware of their pathetic conditions , infused the spirit of self respect and social equality. As the chief architect of the Indian constitution , has been singularly responsible for the firm establishment of modern political and social values in India. Dr. Ambedkar's followership is has surpassed that of Gandhi and Nehru. This is evident on his birth and death anniversary. Yet, this is not reflected even today in the historical or contemporary writings. This is a glaring anomaly in the writing of modern Indian history. The book `Dalits and the Democratic Revolution : Dr. Ambedkar and the Dalit Movement in Colonial India' by Gail Omvedt is exceptional in this respect. This book brings out several veritable socio-political facts hitherto unknown to the intellectuals as well as to the common citizens. This book clearly highlights the fact enunciated by Dr. B.R.Ambedkar that the untouchability was basically a political problem rather than a social stigma. The role of Dalit movement under the leadership of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as the harbinger of the new social order based on liberty, equality and fraternity in modern has been brought in light like never before . It was a fight against the advocates of the old social order of the caste based inequality as well as the relative reluctance of British to promote social reforms. The author has a holistic understanding of the historical conflict of Bramhnical and non Bramhnical ideologies. This has enabled her to present the entire subject in a proper perspective. This book is a must for the students of Indian sociology and Indian polity. Above average intellectual lay persons will find this book useful in analyzing perplexities of the contemporary politics as the genealogy of the current political problems can be traced in the failure of National political parties in honoring the political aspirations of the Dalits raised by Dr. B.R.Ambedkar.

Wow! What nasty reviewers! I did not expect to see so much hate and contempt spewed at a women who lost her child to a mindless and illegal war. It just boggles my mind! This reflects the intelligence of those who disagree. Whatever happened to "respectfully disagreeing" with an opponent? Whatever happened to just plain, old fashioned common sense?

This insightful booklet lays out in a very simple manner one person's objections to an immoral war. This is not World War 2 where civilization was endangered by another breed of hate mongers. Nor, is Iraq another Afghanistan, no matter how hard some of our elected officials try to make us believe bald-face lies.

It's important to remember - Iraq was a country ruled by a bunch of gangsters much more interested in lining their pockets than killing over religious doctrine. Afghanistan, on the other hand, was essentially a country occupied by foreign forces, which is why there is currently no brutal civil war despite having to deal with an active insurgency, and homegrown war lords, to boot!

In Iraq we are in the middle of a full fledged civil war. If we can draw any lessons from our own American Civil War, where 14,000 captured Union soldiers died horribly from disease and malnutrition in one single prison complex (Andersonville) - it's that Civil Wars tend to be extremely brutal. So it's reasonable to assume any sane person could disagree with the American government's involvement in someone else's civil war! My hat's off to Cindy Sheehan for her brave and robust dissent!

P.S. Both of the very nasty reviews of "Dear President Bush" has since been deleted! I guess the reality of an endless & unjustified brutal war has caused a change of heart!

The Activist's Handbook: A Primer Updated Edition with a New Preface

When I had the opportunity to meet Cindy Sheehan, what impressed me the most about her was how "real" she was - completely unpretentious. She clearly is speaking straight from the heart, with a fundamental resolve driven by grief and compassion.

For it isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it.
-- Eleanor Roosevelt

I bought this book after looking at the table of contents and after my own inquiries about addressing environmental problems. Many times, a state of gridlock develops between at least two polarized groups who are completely unwilling to make any compromises, and consequently, making any progress is difficult at best.

So, I was not disappointed when I started reading this book. Although I have not finished it, I was impressed with how easy it was to read, but the concepts are pretty heavy especially for those who tend to consider themselves more environmentally minded. Throughout the book, Mr. Hughes emphasizes the need for creativity and true openmindedness, as well as really trying to put yourself in the other person's place. These are not easy tasks, but he illustrates how essential these skills are in making slow but steady progress.

With regard to a job search and the role that this book played, the outcome is quite interesting. I had one job interview with an environmental consulting firm before reading the book, and incidentally did not get the job. I was actually asked in this interview what I would do as a consultant if I had someone screaming at me that what I wanted to do was ludicrous and made no sense. Revealingly, the interviewer said that he often ended up screaming back (which further escalates the situation). I was thrown off by his question and unprepared to answer it well. Now enter my reading this book and a different interview, this time with a state environmental regulatory agency. I explain my "new school" approach (what some would term this book regarding its strategies), and my emphasis on finding mutual points of consensus between polarized groups, and I get offered the job.

So, those who are interested in innovative environmental problem solving, read this, and you may just get a job because of it.

This book is clear and deep. Like a lake it covers a wide expanse and provides a rich store of information. Jeffrey Hughes is not jaded by the environmental problems he sees. His enthusiam and practical solutions are impressive. A good read that helped me look at issues with new eyes.

Dave Burgess' commitment to social justice began in the American missionary culture of his childhood in China and continued through his student years at Oberlin College and Union Theological Seminary in the late thirties. He and his wife Alice lived and worked side by side with farm and factory workers in several states in the 1940's, combining community organizing with Dave's ministry as an ordained United Church of Christ clergyman. In the fifties Dave worked closely with the labor unions. In the sixties he was invited into high level agency leadership positions in India, Burma and Indonesia. His book has fascinating material on the Peace Corps, UNICEF, and the insatiable curiosity of the FBI. As a sixties India Peace Corps volunteer myself I read these chapters closely.

So now here is Dave, living in Benicia and still dedicated to justice, peace, and serving the poor. He is active in the local UCC congregation. He founded the Affordable Housing Affiliation, which has broken ground for a small low income housing complex, the first to be built in Benicia for two decades.

Dave celebrated his 83rd birthday recently. I have had the honor of meeting him; we live in the same small California city. You will find his memoirs inspirational. I pray that we can all take to heart the words of Jesus that Dave Burgess lives by: "From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required..." Deacon Susan M. Reeve, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Benicia, CA.

"A generation's history would be incomplete without this story told by Dave Burgess. He and his wife Alice continue to draw from deep aquifers of faith 'to do justly, and love mercy, and to walk humbly with their God.' No pilgrim has left surer footprints of faith and service." Bill Moyers, from the Foreword.

"A fascinating story of a rank and file U.S. worker and strong family man, who projected U.S. democracy onto the grassroots of distant lands and foreign cultures. Its vibrant text and captivating personal photos will inspire all who open its pages." Victor Reuther, former Assistant to the late Walter Reuther, AFL-CIO Vice President.

"From his decades of unswerving dedication to justice and peace, David Burgess has distilled the highlights of service to the poor, and to his God. An extremely rich and rewarding autobiography of a remarkable man." James MacGregor Burns, historian and Professor Emeritus, Williams College.

"Burgess has given us a superbly worded, clearly organized, authentic personal account of his ethical and vigorous life of public service as first a sensitive student, then a political activist and labor organizer, a Christian, minister and USFS official, and as a versatile striver for a better life for all people." Alexander Heard, Chancellor Emeritus, Vanderbilt University.

"David Burgess represents the very best of Christian social activism in our time. In these days when some of us have so much and so many so little, David's honest and well told commitment to progressive social change is a source of inspiration and instruction. It deserves to be read by all those who desire an inside view of the history of vigorous social activism over seven decades, as well as by those committed to building a more just and caring society in the immediate years ahead." Paul Sherry, former President of the United Church of Christ.

"This book provides us with a new way to understand the history of social activism from the 1930s through the 1990s. Specifically, Burgess's story sheds light on American social gospel-inspired liberalism as it manifests itself in pacifism, labor union organizing, international humanitarianism, and inner city church work and development. The life story approach provides a personal perspective and insight into the ideas, motivations, and satisfactions associated with this work. More importantly for our historical understanding, by telling his own story, Burgess helps us to see the connections between what might seem on the surface to be very different movements. Fighting For Social Justice will help students, historians and the general reader to get a sense of the cohesiveness of American left-liberal reform in the mid-twentieth century." History Professor Tracy E. K'Meyer, University of Louisville.

Don't be deceived by how short this book is. It is an intellectual powerhouse that cleverly presents the major developments and nuances of fundamentalism in its varied religious, political and social forms. Author Malise Ruthven is an exceptional guide on this semantic, religious and social journey as he delves into uncharted territories that a casual reader would never even begin to think are related to this complex subject. In this provocative book, Ruthven draws amazing links among conceptual beliefs and modern issues, including globalism, feminism, nationalism, modernism and politics. Given how well this little gem sustains its high level of intelligent investigation, getAbstract recommends it to readers intrigued by the subject. Even if you know what the newspapers say about fundamentalism, you will learn something here.

This is such an excellent little book, I have to say that it's probably the best book I've read in the last couple of years. Although fundamentalism is a product of Protestant Christianity, Ruthven takes you through examples in Islamic, Jewish, Hindu and even Buddhist fundamentalisms. There are explanations on what conditions enable the rise of religious fundamentalism and what tempers it. The book introduces issues affecting fundamentalism such as: identity, modernity, traditionalism and how religious fundamentalism is intended as a backstop against modernity, yet is ironically made more secular in the process. The author mainly focuses on examples of international political-religious conflicts as a way to explain fundamentalism's connection to politics. In addition, Ruthven explores the role of women in societies influenced by fundamentalism. This is an amazing and wonderful book which is incredibly well-written and extremely timely. I highly recommend it and I'm looking forward to reading more from this series and from Malise Ruthven.

I have never written a review before. This is a gripping, challenging account of one man's decision to DO Something, not just feel sad, concerned etc. Everyone should read this book: whether for the adventure, the insights into character and even politics, the amazing will-power and conviction of the person, the absence of western-white-guy knows all but collabotative, respectful approach to the Burmese (Myanmah) people and their fight against absolute infringement of human rights. The book is about integrity, honour, respect, indomitable will to fight for freedom against opression. All in all: a can't-put-down read. I got it from the library, we all read it in my house and now I am going out to buy a copy to keep!

The hurt must break to see that people aren't reading what matters. When I came to amazon.com to review this wonderful book I have expected to see thousands of reviews. I have found none.
Why? Because a fictionous stupid Harry Potter is more interesting
than people who get killed in daily basis all over our beautiful
planet.
Anyways, for smart people who care about others this is a great book. It is the account of James Mawdsley, a British Citizen that makes BRITAIN and the NORMAL WORLD so PROUD. He had everything in his hometown Bristol, but that wasn't enough when people in other parts of the world had nothing but hunters who would kill them right in the spot.
James, leaves Bristol to go to Burma and there he does everything he can, to help restore the power to the right people.

JAMES MAWDSLEY you're a HERO that media didn't like to promote for some reasons, so your heroic book could become a bestseller.
But the thing is movies will be made from your experience. Your part that you've done for the world will be APPRECIATED sooner or later. WHAT's RIGHT AND JUST will always be the very best.