Rating: 
Summary: as American as it gets
Review: How can getting involved in a movement to empower the people be un-American? Apparently to many reviewers, the sign of a good patriot is to remain ignorant and accept everything the government tells you. That works if you are under age 15 maybe. Common sense tells us that everyone has a personal agenda, even our beloved goverment officials. And lastly...everything you hear or see is biased in some shape or form. Having the intelligence to see through the bias to the real message is where having half a brain comes in handy. Labeling an idea as liberal and dismissing it on these grounds is a good way to never learn anything new. Let's try to consider ideas based on merit. Check out this book if you think progressive change is a good think.
Rating: 
Summary: Partisan but Patriotic
Review: As a conservative, I was skeptical -- to say the least -- about a book on "Democracy" from MoveOn.org. While I may not agree with the politics of most of the authors, I have to say that reading the individual stories was eye opening to me in the sense of seeing what a difference one person can make in our gridlocked political arena. I'm so sick of our American government and politics being deadened and directed by extreme, cynical career elites and marketers of both parties. This book offers a rare contemporary glimpse of genuine hope in America for re-establishing our democracy "for the people" -- regardless of what party you belong to. The stories are also very concrete, factual, and short -- so you can learn a lot.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as effective or as "liberal" as one might think . . .
Review: I've worked as the director of a political nonprofit and had to deal with the tactics of MoveOn. Here's basically what they do: They decide to have an action (e.g. lobbying Congress), they send out a bunch of emails, people register on their site, and then a dozen or so show up at a Congressional office. Almost no input from local activist leaders and no communication with like minded nonprofits. Total top-down approach.
MoveOn started as an organization supporting Clinton when he was being attacked by Republicans. Now they've taken the mantle as an "anti-war" group now that Bush is in office. Nowhere close to truth in advertising. If they were anti-war they would have opposed many of Clinton's foreign policies - especially his Iraq policy. But they didn't do that. They were Democratic Party patsies.
So here we have this book. As someone who has worked professionally as an activist organizer, I'm not impressed. Some of the ideas are actually just wrong! For example, emailing any political office is a waste of time. Period. It is naive to suggest that it makes a difference. Online petitions are also typically inadequate. Paper ones are good, but only if utilized properly and the media is let in on the project. A lot of the other ideas are ho-hum.
What's amazing is how much they missed - not a single mention of bird-dogging politicians when they campaign. Astounding. Explain that to Mr. John Strange who challeged Sec. of State Albright at a town hall meeting and ripped her arguments to shreads which helped result in preventing a bombing of Iraq! There are other forms of bird-dogging - street theater, for example.
Another thing missing in the book is the issue of working with libertarians and conservatives who agree with progressives on certain issues. The peace movement _should_ be able to find allies from these quarters if they actually tried. But then . . . MoveOn isn't going to advoate for this. Why? Because they aren't issue activists - they're political party activists. If you're looking to advance the Democratic Party maybe that's fine. If you want to work towards actually changing BOTH parties you will probably want to look elsewhere for ideas.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational, yes. Useful... maybe.
Review: Let's start with the bad, and get that out of the way.
In hindsight I had higher expectation of this book than were reasonable. As someone who works professionally in politics I thought that maybe these tales of grassroots activism would open my eyes to things I'd never thought of doing, or of getting people who work on campaigns with which I'm associated to do. They don't. If you've ever been associated with even a slightly savvy campaign there's nothing new here in terms of strategy or tactics.
And if you read the book going "Well duhhh...!" at the end of every chapter, you'll miss what makes this book a worthwhile read, even for the most cynical of seasoned activists.
So let's get to what's good. Great, even. I started reading "50 Ways..." when I was looking for a "silver bullet" - a new grassroots campaign method (or at least a variation on an old one) that I could apply to a moribund campaign on which I was working. I became frustrated, put the book down about half way through.
Coming back to it after that campaign was over, tired and more than a little demoralised, I noticed the book laying face-down and open on the coffee table one dull Saturday and picked it up. I read the second half. Then I re-read the first half. And by the time I'd finished I was burning to check my emails and see if any new campaigns were seeking help.
Few of the contributors to this book offer startling insight. But boy can they inspire and motivate. Many start with a brief description of their own, often bleak, situation at the time they started helping a particular campaign. Then they list what they did - mostly the "usual" politic stuff - and how it made a difference.
Yes, writing letters to the editor *can* make a difference. So can delivering flyers. So can web-based activism. So can all the things we do during campaigns because we feel we have to do them, often forgetting that we are helping to bring about change.
Read this book not at the beginning of a campaign but at the end - especially if you didn't do as well as you'd hoped. It will make you want to climb back in the saddle and go looking for the next windmill at which to have a good tilt. And in achieving that, it does more of a service to poltical activism that a dozen dry "how to" books.
Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile reading for political or social activists
Review: First off, I have to say I really appreciate Moveon's tremendous grassroots efforts to get all American's voices heard. In this book, there is some writing from Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi and other politicians. There are ideas given on how people can be politically active in their community. With the great websites and ideas offered, you can't go wrong! The only thing I would add is more ideas, don't get me wrong, there are plenty of ideas in here, it's just that - with more ideas there will be more of a chance a person will actually do something. Also, people don't get involved in political change (even for their benefit) because our lifestyle is just made like that - just eat, sleep and work, don't worry about where your taxes are being used. So maybe Moveon could instead of started the book with a bang so people come to attention to make a change.
Rating: 
Summary: Inspiration for change
Review: I enjoyed this book and I would also recommend "The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear". It is important that we keep working for positive change. It is because of progressive changes that people of different ethnicities, sex, age, class, and abilities are being treated more equally than ever before. Our work is not yet done. There are many angry, fearful, greedy, and ignorant people who do not want us to move forward as a society, in fact they are trying to push us backwards. We must not respond by reflecting their anger and hate back to them. We are better than that. Instead we must each listen to our heart and our conscience and fight for the changes we know are needed. If we don't who will?
Rating:
Summary: An decent outline of ways for grassroot involvement
Review: I gave this book an average rating, not because I'm a conservative and have issues with the extreme left wing views of MoveOn and its membership, but because, simply, it's an average book, if that. The outline form and ideas for getting involved in this book, however, are all 4 and 5 star ideas so I do recommend this title, to conservatives and liberals alike, if they are looking for ways that they can get involved on a personal level in the political arena because each idea, although lightly covered here in a page or two, can and should spurn thinking and further investigation.
I would like to point out, and take issue with, the fact that all the stories and all the viewpoints in this title are anti-conservative, and in some cases, extremely anti-Bush. That's fine, I'm not complaining that people feel that way nor that they write about it, but what I am taking issue with is that the book should be more forthright on its cover and in its title.
The title "50 Ways to Love Your Country" is fine, and conservatives can use every idea in this book (albeit for the opposite side of most of the arguments). But the books title should have said something to the effect that all the 50 ways will be presented from people that think Bush is ruining American and if we reelect him we are converging into the fast lane to hell.
I'm going to assume that the people that made this book realized that all these effective and useful tools for change, something that average people can do, would also be effective if used by the right, so obviously, although I doubt they'd say it out loud, those involved in this project probably don't want conservatives to read it. I say, if you're a conservative that wants to get involved and have a say on a personal level in politics and how our country is run then reading this book would be helpful.
Every time you read in the book something like "Bush will destroy the country and ruin the environment and blah, blah, blah" just mentally substitute "Kerry" for Bush and the ideas on how to get involved won't change, the advice won't change, just the side your fighting for will.
Again, to reiterate, I am recommending this book, I think MoveOn has every right to a voice in American politics, I think they can spend all the money they want and say whatever they want. I wish they'd grant the same feeling to my side, but of course, if liberals can't be hypocrites, what would they do?
Rating:
Summary: A handbook for positive change
Review: I'm disturbed that so many of the reviewers chose to trash this book. Did they even bother to read it?
50 Ways to Love Your Country is a handbook for making a positive contribution to your community and to the world around you. With step-by-step strategies and voices from real people, you read this book with hope and a yellow highlighter. I'm reading it again.
To be fair, there are a few biased comments, but everyone is entitled to their personal passions and ideologies. The book shows anyone (regardless of political affiliation) how to channel their frustrations and redirect them towards a positive dialogue. With this book and some elbow grease, you'll have the ingredients to a successful campaign and creating change that lasts a lifetime.
I'll be recommending this book to my creative marketing students too. Another winner is Joe Trippi's "The Revolution will not be Televised"; a powerhouse of energy and insight in social reform.
We can all make a difference. We all have the power to improve those things we care about.
Positively Passionate,
Brian Norris
http://www.BrianNorris.com
Rating:
Summary: A good book for the novice
Review: Bought the book in hopes it might have some new information and while it is interesting I went to my home library and picked up my cope of A Citizen's Guide to Grassroots Campaigns by Jan Barry which I first read in 2000, and they both have a lot of the same information.
Both books are good for the novice who is interested in finally getting involved in voting and candidates etc. Like registering, writing letters to the editor, calling talk shows, hosting candidate parties, donating money and even running for local office etc.
And I recommend both books to anyone regardless of political views in hopes that they will help get more people to the polls on election day.
Rating:
Summary: Michael Loughlin, read the book before you review!!!!
Review: Hate-mongers like Michael Loughlin, below, disgust me. He hasn't read this book; he objects to the politics of the author(s), and uses it as an excuse to bash.
Well, I HAVE read the book, and I think it's an excellent guide to political activism. More, perhaps to the chagrin of the Michael Loughlins of the world, it ISN'T POLITICALLY BIASED. While many of the authors tell personal stories that involve political slant, the advice the book delivers--50 ways to be more politically active--can be used by anyone of any political persuasion.
But you have to read the book first, people!!
Yeesh.
|
