Author: Saul Alinsky
Year of Publication: 1971
Page Count: 196
My personal library is rather roughly organized according to topic, and one of the categories that I use to sort my collection is “Know Your Enemy.” The books included under this heading are ones that I wouldn’t recommend because I agree with their content, but rather because it’s important to know first-hand what it is that we’re up against. Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals (1971, 196 pages) is one such book – a highly influential work that provides an insider’s view of tactics that have become ubiquitous in the world of politics, and what motivates those who use them. If you’ve ever wondered why the political arena is so often characterized by dishonesty and pragmatism instead of by high ideals and straightforward honesty, you need look no further than Rules for Radicals, the playbook for a generation of “community organizers,” activists, and politicians.
Alinsky’s dedication of this book to “the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom – Lucifer” reveals his starting point, and from there, as you can well imagine, it goes nowhere good. So I recommend this book, not because I agree with it or find its arguments compelling, but rather because we need to be aware of the tactics that are being used against us. For more, check out my Dan 11:32 podcast here on Alinsky’s book.