Inciting Democracy Cover

Inciting Democracy

A Practical Proposal for Creating a Good Society

How we can develop and sustain
a powerful, grassroots social change movement

by Randy Schutt


Reviews and Testimonials


The Peace Chronicle

“…a very accessible and useful resource for activists everywhere…”

“The book tackles the important question of how to best go about developing and sustaining a powerful and effective grassroots-based social change movement. Written by a progressive activist primarily for fellow activists, this book offers both visions and strategies to overcome many such problems as turf battles, the funding crisis and personal burnout, which progressive organizations at the grassroots level have been grappling with for quite some time. Written in first person and rich in personal reflections on past organizing, this is a very accessible and useful resource for activists everywhere. The text is enhanced with numerous quotations, figures, sidebars and a comprehensive bibliography and references. You can order online at: http://www.springforwardpress.com.”

The Peace Chronicle: The Newsletter of the Consortium on Peace Research, Education, & Development (COPRED) and the Peace Studies Association (PSA), Volume 1, Number 2, Spring 2002
http://www.peacejusticestudies.org/documents/spring2002.pdf

Midwest Book Review

“…very highly recommended…”

“Randy Schutt’s Inciting Democracy: A Practical Proposal for Creating a Good Society addresses the urgent civic question of how to best go about developing and sustaining a powerful and effective grassroots based social change movement. Schutt offers a compelling vision of what a “good society” might look like and how ordinary citizens can overcome five key obstacles to creating such a social order. Very highly recommended and informative reading for social activists and political reformers, the engaging and provocative text is enhanced with 71 figures, 44 sidebars, 270 quotations, 166 detailed endnotes, 233 annotated references, a bibliography of 110 cited works, and a comprehensive index.”

— Midwest Book Review, published in the August issue of “Wisconsin Bookwatch”, p. 8, col. 2 and the August issue of “Internet Bookwatch”  http://www.execpc.com/~mbr/bookwatch/ibw/aug_01.htm#politicalscience

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Clamor Magazine

“…an incisive social critique…”

“…Seeking the attention of grassroots activists, but also accessible to lay readers, this book is highly educational for its abundance of information, numerous easy-to-focus tables, and abundant notes and references at the end of each chapter. …It offers an incisive social critique and its progressive suggestions in a refreshing air of optimism…”

— Vassiliki Leontis, Clamor Magazine, Mar/Apr 2002, p. 74

GrannyD

“…an exciting, page-turning book …”

“Randy Schutt’s Inciting Democracy is an exciting, page-turning book describing a new, attainable Eden. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop — I had to know how it was going to work. I wish I were 40 years younger so I could see it all happen.”

— Doris (GrannyD) Haddock

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Bill McKibben

“…a veritable Leatherman for doing the big job that needs doing…”

“Here’s a tackle box, a tool belt, a veritable Leatherman for doing the big job that needs doing: redeeming our society. Sure it’s an optimistic vision — but that may be just what we need.”

— Bill McKibben, author of The Age of Missing Information, The End of Nature, and Hope, Human and Wild

Abigail Abrash

“…an inspiring vision and concrete action plan…
…an excellent main textbook for any course on citizen advocacy…”

“Randy Schutt has written the book that we in the progressive social change movement have been waiting for. Inciting Democracy offers an inspiring vision and concrete action plan for pursuing effective progressive social change. It also provides a constructive critique of where we have been and an easily accessible analytical framework for understanding what we face. The book is destined to become a core and comprehensive guide for those seeking a better society, and it will make an excellent main textbook for any course on citizen advocacy. Thank you, Randy, for leading us to the next level of effectiveness and organizing.”

— Abigail Abrash, Program Director, New Hampshire Citizens Alliance; Instructor, Antioch New England Graduate School

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Bob Cooney

“…a detailed and well thought out strategy…”

“Randy Schutt has given shape and form to a collective vision of a new America. Inciting Democracy draws from the core values of the Sixties to present a new and better balanced approach to changing our world and improving the lives of ourselves and others. Schutt backs up his call for new initiatives and new leadership with a detailed and well thought out strategy based on his own wide experience with the real dynamics of personal and social change. Randy is a good listener and a perceptive observer who has distilled his years of involvement into a book that satisfies on many levels. Inciting Democracy describes the 21st century approach to really creating a good society and an empowered citizenry.”

— Bob Cooney, co-editor of The Power of the People: Active Nonviolence in the United States

Penn Garvin

“…an extremely thorough job…”

“I just finished reading your book and want to let you know what a wonderful job I think you have done! So much useful material included and an extremely thorough job. Thank you for all your good work.”

— Penn Garvin, social change activist and teacher

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