Nonviolence: 25 Lessons from the History of a Dangerous Idea (Modern Library Chronicles)

Nonviolence: 25 Lessons from the History of a Dangerous Idea (Modern Library Chronicles) | Mark Kurlansky | Good primer

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Nonviolence: 25 Le...

	Nonviolence: 25 Lessons from the History of a Dangerous Idea (Modern Library Chronicles) Mark Kurlansky Modern Library, 2006 - 224 pages average customer review:based on 13 reviews view larger image
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In this timely, highly original, and controversial narrative, New York Times bestselling author Mark Kurlansky discusses nonviolence as a distinct entity, a course of action, rather than a mere state of mind. Nonviolence can and should be a technique for overcoming social injustice and ending wars, he asserts, which is why it is the preferred method of those who speak truth to power.

Nonviolence is a sweeping yet concise history that moves from ancient Hindu times to present-day conflicts raging in the Middle East and elsewhere. Kurlansky also brings into focus just why nonviolence is a ?dangerous? idea, and asks such provocative questions as: Is there such a thing as a ?just war?? Could nonviolence have worked against even the most evil regimes in history?

Kurlansky draws from history twenty-five provocative lessons on the subject that we can use to effect change today. He shows how, time and again, violence is used to suppress nonviolence and its practitioners?Gandhi and Martin Luther King, for example; that the stated deterrence value of standing national armies and huge weapons arsenals is, at best, negligible; and, encouragingly, that much of the hard work necessary to begin a movement to end war is already complete. It simply needs to be embraced and accelerated.

Engaging, scholarly, and brilliantly reasoned, Nonviolence is a work that compels readers to look at history in an entirely new way. This is not just a manifesto for our times but a trailblazing book whose time has come.

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Nonviolence

Excellent. A must-read for anyone who is interested in having a future.

Good primer

Kurlansky's rather small book (only about 180pgs) shows a number of examples of nonviolence, from secular and religious influences, that are presented in a fluid manner, not done in a text-book fashion so you won't feel like you're reading a how-to book.

Out of all of the books I have read on the subject of nonviolence, I didn't really pick up on anything I hadn't already read or learned about elsewhere, however, this would make a good PRIMER for those new to the philosophy of nonviolence. If you're interested in some real meat and potatos, look elsewhere (Muste, Zinn, Sharp, Wink, McCarthy).

Am I saying it's a bad book? Definitely not, I even plan to keep it in my library. It was well written, and my only wish is that he decides to write a more in-depth book in the future.

See my Listmania list for all of the books I have read on nonviolence.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

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