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  • The Democracy Project

  • A History, a Crisis, a Movement
  • Written by: David Graeber
  • Narrated by: Grover Gardner
  • Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (19 ratings)

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The Democracy Project

Written by: David Graeber
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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Publisher's Summary

A bold rethinking of the most powerful political idea in the world - democracy - as seen through the lens of the most transformative political movements of our time and the story of how radical democracy can yet transform America.

Democracy has been the American religion since before the Revolution - from New England town halls to the multicultural democracy of Atlantic pirate ships. But can our current political system, one that seems responsive only to the wealthiest among us and leaves most Americans feeling disengaged, voiceless, and disenfranchised, really be called democratic? And if the tools of our democracy are not working to solve the rising crises we face, how can we - average citizens - make change happen?

David Graeber, one of the most influential scholars and activists of his generation, takes listeners on a journey through the idea of democracy, provocatively reorienting our understanding of pivotal historical moments, and extracts their lessons for today - from the birth of Athenian democracy and the founding of the United States of America to the global revolutions of the 20th century and the rise of a new generation of activists. Underlying it all is a bracing argument that in the face of increasingly concentrated wealth and power in this country, a reenergized, reconceived democracy - one based on consensus, equality, and broad participation - can yet provide us with the just, free, and fair society we want.

The Democracy Project tells the story of the resilience of the democratic spirit and the adaptability of the democratic idea. It offers a fresh take on vital history and an impassioned argument that radical democracy is, more than ever, our best hope.

©2013 David Graeber (P)2013 Random House Audio
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Enlightening and to the point

I rarely give 5 stars. 10 stars from me, please!

In the past, I struggled making sense of what terms like Liberalism, Communism and Anarchism mean. David Graeber connects the dots by complementing the historical perspective with an account of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
This book opened my eyes in so many ways! It is one thing to read about some dry theoretical definitions and an entirely different thing to get clear, every day life examples, like this book provides.
More importantly, David proves how polarizing and toxic political parties and vote-based elections can be and how we should free our mindset to imagine better social systems based on non-violence, debate and cooperation.
We should study and learn from the peaceful bonobos , in contrast with the aggressive chimpanzees. But I digress.

The author also sheds a light on the disastrous impact of allowing money in politics , on the role of police and law enforcement, as well as on how revolutionary changes to social systems took place in the past.

Even more importantly, David Graeber gives us hope that we should be able to build a better society through education, by learning from the history and by sticking to our right to dream and think freely. Just Imagine, like in John Lennon's song.

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