Community Organizing Books

Showing 1-50 of 388
Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals (Paperback)
by (shelved 17 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.74 — 8,564 ratings — published 1971
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Stir It Up: Lessons in Community Organizing and Advocacy (The Chardon Press Series) Stir It Up: Lessons in Community Organizing and Advocacy (The Chardon Press Series)
by (shelved 12 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.06 — 153 ratings — published 2003
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Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds (Emergent Strategy, #0) Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds (Emergent Strategy, #0)
by (shelved 9 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.25 — 9,878 ratings — published 2017
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Organizing for Social Change: Midwest Academy Manual for Activists Organizing for Social Change: Midwest Academy Manual for Activists (Paperback)
by (shelved 9 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.14 — 263 ratings — published 1991
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We Do This 'til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice We Do This 'til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice (Paperback)
by (shelved 8 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.64 — 5,915 ratings — published 2021
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Creative Community Organizing: A Guide for Rabble-Rousers, Activists, and Quiet Lovers of Justice Creative Community Organizing: A Guide for Rabble-Rousers, Activists, and Quiet Lovers of Justice (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.77 — 149 ratings — published 1960
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Roots for Radicals: Organizing for Power, Action, and Justice Roots for Radicals: Organizing for Power, Action, and Justice (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.11 — 141 ratings — published 2003
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Going Public: An Organizer's Guide to Citizen Action Going Public: An Organizer's Guide to Citizen Action (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.83 — 252 ratings — published 2002
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Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements (Hardcover)
by (shelved 5 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.24 — 2,359 ratings — published 2018
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The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.83 — 445 ratings — published 2010
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Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.52 — 1,660 ratings — published 2020
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Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.52 — 5,031 ratings — published 2018
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Fundraising for Social Change Fundraising for Social Change (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.02 — 216 ratings — published 1995
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Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.36 — 62,393 ratings — published 2020
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Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers’ Rights Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers’ Rights (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.59 — 4,304 ratings — published 2018
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Take Back the Land Take Back the Land (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.12 — 57 ratings — published 2008
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Tactical Urbanism: Short-term Action for Long-term Change Tactical Urbanism: Short-term Action for Long-term Change (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.99 — 311 ratings — published 2014
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Beautiful Trouble: A Toolbox for Revolution Beautiful Trouble: A Toolbox for Revolution (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.14 — 317 ratings — published 2012
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Conflict Is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair Conflict Is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.84 — 3,485 ratings — published 2016
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A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.09 — 263,373 ratings — published 1980
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Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.94 — 230,509 ratings — published 1995
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Towards Collective Liberation: Anti-Racist Organizing, Feminist Praxis, and Movement Building Strategy Towards Collective Liberation: Anti-Racist Organizing, Feminist Praxis, and Movement Building Strategy (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.11 — 172 ratings — published 2013
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Transforming Power: Biblical Strategies for Making a Difference in Your Community Transforming Power: Biblical Strategies for Making a Difference in Your Community (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.88 — 69 ratings — published 2003
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The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.29 — 2,434 ratings — published 2007
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Medicine Stories: Essays for Radicals Medicine Stories: Essays for Radicals (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.73 — 74 ratings — published
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Tools for Radical Democracy: How to Organize for Power in Your Community Tools for Radical Democracy: How to Organize for Power in Your Community (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.40 — 40 ratings — published 2007
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Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.53 — 2,773 ratings — published 2023
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Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity in This Crisis (And the Next) Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity in This Crisis (And the Next)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.29 — 5,529 ratings — published 2020
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Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine and the Foundations of a Movement Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine and the Foundations of a Movement (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.44 — 35,002 ratings — published 2015
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Community Organizing: A Holistic Approach Community Organizing: A Holistic Approach (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.69 — 16 ratings — published 2011
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Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.88 — 2,132 ratings — published 2014
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People Power: The Community Organizing Tradition of Saul Alinsky People Power: The Community Organizing Tradition of Saul Alinsky (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.60 — 5 ratings — published 2015
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Lessons Learned: Stories from a Lifetime of Organizing Lessons Learned: Stories from a Lifetime of Organizing (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.33 — 15 ratings — published
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Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.93 — 4,289 ratings — published 2015
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Seeds of Change: The Story of ACORN, America's Most Controversial Antipoverty Community Organizing Group Seeds of Change: The Story of ACORN, America's Most Controversial Antipoverty Community Organizing Group (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.19 — 31 ratings — published 2010
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Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization (Hardcover)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.98 — 9,968 ratings — published 2008
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Intelligent Disobedience: Doing Right When What You're Told to Do Is Wrong Intelligent Disobedience: Doing Right When What You're Told to Do Is Wrong (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.01 — 216 ratings — published 2015
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Radical social work in practice: Making a difference (Social Work in Practice Series) Radical social work in practice: Making a difference (Social Work in Practice Series)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.90 — 10 ratings — published 2009
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The Road Not Taken The Road Not Taken (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 3.86 — 69 ratings — published 2001
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Building a Movement to End the New Jim Crow: an organizing guide Building a Movement to End the New Jim Crow: an organizing guide (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.47 — 886 ratings — published 2015
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Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice (Hardcover)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.30 — 115 ratings — published 2014
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No Fascist USA!: The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee and Lessons for Today's Movements No Fascist USA!: The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee and Lessons for Today's Movements (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.25 — 65 ratings — published
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Subdivided: City-Building in an Age of Hyper-Diversity Subdivided: City-Building in an Age of Hyper-Diversity (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.21 — 103 ratings — published 2016
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Rise Up! Rise Up! (Hardcover)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.08 — 106 ratings — published
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Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.63 — 499 ratings — published
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Oppression and the Body: Roots, Resistance, and Resolutions Oppression and the Body: Roots, Resistance, and Resolutions (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.24 — 121 ratings — published 2018
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Take Back the Economy: An Ethical Guide for Transforming Our Communities Take Back the Economy: An Ethical Guide for Transforming Our Communities (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.14 — 114 ratings — published 2013
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As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom through Radical Resistance (Indigenous Americas) As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom through Radical Resistance (Indigenous Americas)
by (shelved 2 times as community-organizing)
avg rating 4.57 — 1,140 ratings — published 2017
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Gal Beckerman
“The seven core members also became more involved in local Minneapolis politics. Drawing attention at a national level had been the driving impetus of the earlier Black Lives Matter protests, which had relied on getting that hashtag to spike. Now it was clear that if their focal point was police funding, it would need to be a local effort, dependent on a partnership with the city council and the mayor's office, where these budgetary decisions were made. They would need to learn the mechanics and make some allies.

This was organizing as it had long been done, and they got good at it. It was also, in a way, what separated Minneapolis from Cairo. Whereas the Middle East lacked a democratic or grassroots political tradition-and had no way to even imagining how to create one-this wasn't the case in America....But there was a long history of African American organizing that predated Silicon Galley. Miski and their friends got to know city council members and their aides, inundated them with research material, visited their offices, and maybe most important, brought people out to hearings when the budget was being discussed, arguing in forum after forum against the belief that all the police needed were a few more bodycams. All this happened without much fanfare and largely off-line.”
Gal Beckerman, The Quiet Before: On the Unexpected Origins of Radical Ideas

Gal Beckerman
“Phillip. the Dream Defenders founder, had a similar insight. For him, the experience of the Blackout had been a lesson in the varieties of power. Borrowing a concept from Joseph Nye, the political scientist, he now came to understand social media as a form of 'soft power,' a force that shapes culture through argument and story. But there was also 'hard power,' which Nye, in assessing the capacity of different nation-states, characterized as military and economic might. For movements, hard power was the ability to lobby for legislation, elect sympathetic political leaders, get resources allocated toward your cause. Social media, Phillip now saw more clearly, was good at building soft power. But when it came to hard power, it could do very little. And if for Nye every successful state needed a mix of the two, this was doubly true of social movements, which didn't stare with a store of either.

The only way to built hard power was on the ground. As Rachel put it, 'You just can't shortcut organizing.' It made them want to stop the performance, the race for followers, even the reflex to always make their actions public-they would think carefully about if and when to use tactics like occupations and sit-ins.”
Gal Beckerman, The Quiet Before: On the Unexpected Origins of Radical Ideas

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