How to Find Your Political Voice and Become a Catalyst for Change
August 2, 2004
Fifty members of the online activist group MoveOn.org provide tips on how to take political action in this inspiring audiobook, which is impressive not only because of the breadth of its suggestions, but also because 42 of the 50 contributors lend their own voices to the recording. Although this makes for an uneven listening experience, as not all of the contributors possess velvet voices, it drives home the audiobook's message: that people of all ages, races and income levels can make a difference. The essays—which cover everything from starting an online petition and hosting a political salon to writing letters to congress and organizing a political book club—each end with a set of "action tips" summarizing the steps the writer took in achieving his/her goals. The most useful component of this audiobook, however, may be its enhanced CD features. Those with access to a computer can browse these "action tips" and link directly to any Web sites mentioned in the material. Based on the Inner Ocean Publishing paperback.
April 15, 2004
The most surprisingly effective grass-roots activism campaign to hit this country in years, MoveOn has quickly grown from a husband-and-wife team with a home computer to an office of eight full-time staff running a network of 1.7 million members. MoveOn has consistently relied on progressive ethics and the wisdom of its members to develop easy, admirable actions for change in which anyone can participate. This handbook compiles some of its members' excellent, time-tested ideas, from emailing the President to serving as an elected official to reforming the media; the 50 ideas were pared down from a list of 2500. The book includes not only tools for various actions but also inspirational stories behind members' decisions to engage in them. Written by Americans of different ethnic backgrounds, ages, classes, and locations, these stories are heartwarming, well written, sometimes funny, and always helpful. Recommended not only for public and academic libraries but to those in businesses and schools where community service is emphasized.-Khadijah Caturani, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.