My Bookshelf: Going Public

Alright, this will be my last IAF-related book for a while. I promise.

;-)

The previous two bookshelf entries (Rules for Radicals and Roots for Radicals) are largely concerned with the theory of community organizing. Going Public: An Inside Story of Disrupting Politics as Usual (I love that title) by Mike Gecan is different. Gecan is an organizer with with East Brooklyn Congregations (EBC) in New York. It's an IAF affiliate, so the book does cover familiar territory. However, the author takes a different approach than Alinsky or Chambers by focusing more on the story of the IAF and EBC, rather than the theory behind their work. It's much more anecdotal and the storytelling makes for a very compelling read (I read it in a single sitting).

I keep a half-dozen copies of this book lying around, just so I can loan them out to friends and colleagues. It's that good!

Next week I'll tackle a non-IAF book, but in the meantime please feel free to chime in with your comments.

Tags: community organizing; Industrial Areas Foundation; IAF; East Brooklyn Congregations; EBC; Mike Gecan; Going Public