An old book likely being contemporary to many.

Excellent listen. Anyone who may disagree with the policy of the author will most likely also learn a lesson from the author.

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Its Time is Now

What stood out most for me is how current the autbor's proposals depite the book being published over 50yrs ago.

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A manual for soft core Leftist agitation

The narration is good. The content explains how Leftists work. It requires an attitude of ‘the ends justify the means’ and an ability to be amoral and to turn off empathy. Sadly, Allinsky has been a big influence on the Clintons and his methods are now standard operating procedure for the Democrats. It is valuable to understand how such people have no problem with lying and manipulating people and situations for some kind of revolutionary win. I did find the tone very patronising and probably his story would have meant much more when the corporations and the government were enemy of the have nots as in the post Vietnam era, unlike today where there has been a total reversal.

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A must read - the far lefts strategy guide.

If you want to know how Donald Trump operates, read 'The Art of the Deal', if you want to know how the far-left operate read 'Rules for Radicals'.

Learn how the far-left have been infiltrating and corrupting everything they have touched since the 1960s.

It's very well read - very easy listening.

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4 people found this helpful

Some good insights but there are better books

The author begins his narrative with relatively clear concepts and focusing in the ideas of revolution and the plight of the oppressed overcoming oppression but as he begins to speak about the issues within the middle class, his language and approach becomes less dense and he wastes a lot of time with stories rather than approaches.

he then finishes with wishy washy, none summative or conclusions regarding statements about hope for the future.

Not enough acknowledgement of the requirements for education and ideas of social change

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1 person found this helpful

Listening to this book is a necessary evil

First of all, I must say that Scott Lange is a brilliant, gifted narrator. The material of this book is tedious at best, and obnoxious at worst; yet Scott manages to infuse the whole reading with interest, and maintain the attention of the reader. He does this, I think, by carefully varying the cadence and pauses, according to tiny variations in the material. I shall look out for further readings by him.

As regards the book, it would take another book to pick it apart its vile views and decadent advice, but hopefully the future listener, whether of the left or the right, will be able to note its defects themselves.  Suffice it to say however, that if you are middle class, Alinsky repeatedly says that you lead a boring, meaningless existence, alienated from your children, and your only hope is to become politically active with him on his campaigns as an 'organiser'.  Forget about the enjoyment of picnics with your children, or happy days fishing - for Alinsky you are just an empty drone, waiting to be programmed with his 'meaning' on another campaign.

One of those campaign methods is to consume masses of baked beans with your fellow enlightened ones, then go into a concert hall and all fart all the way through, as a form of warfare by sound and smell. Another method is to gang up on a lone woman administrator in her office, then shout her down for 15 minutes in order to achieve a sense of solidarity in your gang of bullies.

What Alinsky advocates is the exploitation of the vulnerabilities of polite, civil, democratic society, in order to achieve what he deems to be superior ends. The obvious consequence is our degeneration into an impolite, uncivil, undemocratic society, and once we've lost those precious qualities, we won't get them back. 

Those tactics are all around us now, in the format of current political discourse. We live in an Alinsky framework. The split between left and right is getting wider, the lack of understanding is getting deeper, and the hatred is getting stronger. Alinsky's teaching that the end justifies the means so 'anything goes', is evident in the physical attacks on ordinary Americans for a hat they are wearing, or the shut down of speaker events by threats of violence, or actual violence.  

Its only a matter of time before those being physically attacked learn to adapt to the new political environment, then the forces of left and right will be equal again, but we will all be socially poorer.  We will look nostalgically at black and white tv debates between opposing sides, done with respect and courtesy. We will be surprised to see historical footage of protests where the opposing sides do not simply try to kill each other.

That is why everyone who is interested in political action should read this book, even when it makes them want to vomit. The ideas of this book are all around us, and leading us to a darker place. A better knowledge of just how corrupting and damaging these ideas are, may allow us to reject them before it is too late.

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20 people found this helpful

absolutely incredible

loved it. it was inspiring, frightening and empowering. I felt serious compassion for the lower middle class because of this book, Alinsky was a genius.

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3 people found this helpful

Informative

I don't like radicals. Wanted to know how they think. This does a good job.

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