Description
“A vital resource for progressives who want to win.” —Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal
“Progressive activists will want to dog-ear, underline, and pore over this well-conceived handbook.” —Kirkus Reviews
How do underdogs, facing far stronger opponents, sometimes win? In the tradition of Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals and Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, Deepak Bhargava and Stephanie Luce’s Practical Radicals offers winning strategies, history, and theory for a new generation of activists.
Based on interviews with leading organizers, Practical Radicals combines “the hard-earned wisdom of our movement ancestors, the rigorous theory of serious practitioners and academics and the functional tools organizers need to spring into action” (In These Times). Incorporating stories of organizations and movements that have won, including Make the Road NY, the St. Paul Federation of Educators, the welfare rights movement, the Working Families Party, New Georgia Project, Occupy Wall Street, 350.org, the Fight for 15, and Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Practical Radicals “takes inspiration from successful social movements to identify tactics that pay off.” (The Guardian).
With a sweeping new afterword by the authors addressing the challenges of 2025 and beyond, the authors explore how the seven strategies the book highlights can provide a toolkit for underdogs looking both to resist authoritarianism and to win alternatives. At a time of immense uncertainty inside the United States, “this crucial book is for everyone who cares about the future of racial, gender, and economic justice and the future of democracy.” (Dorian Warren, president of Community Change).,
High profile author: Bhargava led the Center for Community Change where he mentored and supported many of today’s leading activists. He now heads a new center at CUNY social movement leadership.
TNP track in this space: When We Fight We Win, a similar manual for activism and organizing, sold over 20,000 copies. From Dictatorship to Democracy, a strategy manual for democracy activists, sold over 10,000 copies.
Wide network of supporters: Over 100 leading activists and organizers from every major social movement—from Ai-jen Poo to Pramila Jayapal—read the manuscript and offered comments and all have pledged support for the launch.
Coordinated national launch: Authors are tapping their many friends and supporters to plan a coordinated launch via social media and related events.
Punchy, accessible package: Blends accessible theory and strategy into a compact text meant to appeal to a wide readership, borrowing from the self-help genre and format.
Authoritative argument on par with bestselling Alinsky book: Drawing on decades of experience and expertise, the authors’ purpose is to offer a relevant update of Rules for Radicals (over 260,000 copies in its most recent edition) for our times.
