Let Them Call Me Rebel: Saul Alinsky: His Life and Legacy

As an (almost) lifelong Chicagoan, I grew up hearing about Saul Alinsky from my dad and my 7 uncles, all lifelong blue collar, union working men. He inspired them and to me he was a powerful voice for the lower middle class. This is one of the few books about Alinsky that I found enjoyable to read.

Saul Alinsky wrote two books that have become must-reads for politicians and activists on the right, in the center, and on the left: "Reveille for Radicals" and "Rules for Radicals." The word "radical," however, conjures up images of wild-eyed bomb-throwers trying to overthrow the government of the U.S. A radical in Alinsky's terminology is actually someone trying to get to the "root" of matters. Alinsky, therefore, is better referred to as a Jeffersonian activist, who instructs various communities how to organize to fight for what is right. A key rule is to get the Establishment (a company or an agency) to follow its own rules.In "Let Them Call Me Rebel: Saul Alinsky, His Life and Legacy," we follow Alinsky through his formative years as he gained knowledge about how to work with people and to get them to work with their neighbors for common goals. Let Them Call Me Rebel: Saul Alinsky: His Life and Legacy Howard DensonAuthor: "Mowbray and the Sharks," "Shoot-Out with a Wild-eyed Radical," and "A Quandary of Fibbles" Let Them Call Me Rebel: Saul Alinsky: His Life and Legacy

This fat biography of an American icon of greatness/evil (take your pick) has something to annoy everyone. Admirers will cringe to learn that their favorite Alinsky stories were mere bluster and self-promotion. Critics will droop when they learn that his references to Lucifer and Marx were deliberate provocative twaddle, not his true beliefs. Those who fell for any of that, meet the real Alinsky in the meticulous research of author Sanford Horwitz. Alinsky was street smart and ivory tower smart - sociology degree, insider studying the Al Capone mob for his PhD in criminology, criminologist for the Illinois state prison system, labor organizer for the CIO who applied union methods to communities, grant-seeker who pried tons of money from Chicago's wealtiest elite (the Marshall Field fortune), and practical idealist raging for justice for underdogs of any flavor. His books  Reveille for Radicals  and  Rules for Radicals  don't tell you HOW he organized communties, but this superb biography does. Critics take heed: you don't know half how dangerous he really was. Admirers, this undeservedly obscure bio will geld your high-horse. Put a little reality into your Alinsky - read this book! Reveille for RadicalsRules for Radicals

Saul Alinsky is one of the worst influences in modern times. Read this book.

It's the top biography of the top community organizer in the country. If you're into that then you'll like this book