Letters to a Young Activist

Gitlin, Todd

ISBN 10: 0465027385 / ISBN 13: 9780465027385

Published by Basic Books, New York, 2003

About this Item

AT2 - DJ is mylar protected. DJ has wrinkling and chipping on some edges and corners, light discoloration and shelf wear otherwise very good. Book has a few light smudge and stains on the page edges, light discoloration and shelf wear otherwise very good. Signed by the author on the title page. Letters to a Young Activist is part of the series, "The Art of Mentoring," based on Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Seller Inventory # EC14729BB

Bibliographic Details

Title: Letters to a Young Activist

Publisher: Basic Books, New York

Publication Date: 2003

Binding: Hard Cover

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good

Signed: Signed by Author

Edition: First Edition.

About this title

Synopsis:

In the spirit of '60s activism, one of our era's most influential advocates of social and political change teaches protesters and dissenters how it was done, and how to keep doing it today. "Be original. See what happens." So Todd Gitlin advises the young mind burning to take action to right the wrongs of the world but also looking for bearings, understanding, direction, and practical examples.In Letters to a Young Activist , Todd Gitlin looks back at his eventful life, recalling his experience as president of the formidable Students for a Democratic Society in the '60s, contemplating the spirit of activism, and arriving at some principles of action to guide the passion and energy of those wishing to do good. He considers the three complementary motives of duty, love, and adventure, and reflects on the changing nature of idealism and how righteous action requires realistic as well as idealistic thinking. And he looks forward to an uncertain future that is nevertheless full of possibility, a future where patriotism and intelligent skepticism are not mutually exclusive.Gitlin invites the young activist to enter imaginatively into some of the dilemmas, moral and practical, of being a modern citizen--the dilemmas that affect not only the problems of what to think but also the problems of what to love and how to live.

Book Description:

"These thoughtful, humane essays on issues like idealism, identity politics and the legacy of the 60's merit an audience beyond the campuses and coffee shops. Gitlin's intellectual style is nimble and open-minded, the antithesis of pedantic."-The New York Times