Beautiful Trouble

One of the best things about the book is its modular structure. [...] You can wander, weaving between practice and theory, between the book and the web, forging your own path.

Paul Kuttner, CulturalOrganizing.org

The Project

Why now?

From the Arab Spring to the American Fall and beyond, a new global people’s movement is being born. The impossible suddenly seems possible, and all around the world ordinary people are trying out new tools and tactics to win victories where they live. In the shadow of austerity and ecological crisis, the urgency of this political moment demands resources that will transform outrage into effective action. Beautiful Trouble is a toolbox for the next revolution.

Who is it for?

Beautiful Trouble is both sophisticated enough for veteran activists and accessible enough for newbies. Both artists and activists will find it useful, as it showcases the synergies between artistic imagination and shrewd political strategy. Beautiful Trouble is for everyone who longs for a more beautiful, more just, more livable world – and wants to know how to get there.

Is it a book or a website?

Both! The project consists of short, interrelated modules – creative tactics, action design principles, case studies, and theoretical frameworks – that together comprise an accessible matrix of best practices and ideas in creative campaigning. The website includes the core content of the book as well as a growing array of additional modules, resources, profiles, debates and much more. With your help, the site will evolve in real time with new social movements and their latest tactical innovations.

Can you say more about the book itself?

The physical book is 6″ x 9,” about 450 pages long and published by OR Books. It can be purchased online only. A full color e-book in a range of formats is also available. Both physical and e-copies are available from Amazon.

What makes it unique?

Beautiful Trouble not only presents cutting-edge content in an innovative modular structure, it was assembled in a rather unusual manner as well. With many contributors from around the world participating, the entire project was assembled in the cloud, in an open, collaborative process. We also hosted four “book sprints” – weekend-long gatherings where authors and editors gathered face-to-face and locked ourselves in a large room to write, write, write! Beautiful Trouble’s publisher, OR Books, a nimble, progressive, independent publisher with an innovative post-print business model.