If We Burn

"If We Burn" presents a comprehensive analysis of global mass protests during the 2010s, examining movements from Brazil to Hong Kong, Ukraine to Egypt. The book draws from hundreds of interviews with protest organizers and participants across multiple continents to document this decade of upheaval. Vincent Bevins traces the evolution of protest movements from the early 20th century through the 2010s, focusing on the shift from centralized leadership structures to more distributed, horizontal organizing methods. His research explores why these massive demonstrations, despite their scale and intensity, often struggled to achieve their stated goals. The book examines the role of social media, street tactics, and organizational structures in modern protest movements. It analyzes how the absence of traditional leadership hierarchies affected these movements' abilities to maintain momentum and resist co-optation by opposing forces. At its core, "If We Burn" raises fundamental questions about the effectiveness of contemporary protest methods and the future of mass movements in an increasingly connected yet fractured world.

Readers appreciate Bevins' detailed research and interviews that reveal connections between protest movements across multiple countries from 2010-2020. Many note the book provides context missing from news coverage of these events. Common praise focuses on: - Clear explanations of complex political situations - First-hand accounts from protesters - Balance between personal stories and broader analysis Main criticisms: - Some sections move slowly through historical background - A few readers wanted more coverage of certain countries/regions - Occasional dense academic language Ratings: Goodreads: 4.5/5 (382 ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (89 ratings) Sample reader comments: "Helps make sense of protests I remember seeing in the news but never fully understood" - Goodreads reviewer "Could have condensed some of the theoretical framework sections" - Amazon reviewer "The interviews with activists give human dimension to these movements" - Goodreads reviewer

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The End of the Revolution: China and the Limits of Modernity by Wang Hui Studies China's transformation through protest movements and social changes, offering insights into mass mobilization in East Asia.

Networks of Outrage and Hope by Manuel Castells Maps the structures and dynamics of social movements in the internet age through case studies from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street.

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🔸 Vincent Bevins' prior book "The Jakarta Method" exposed the U.S.-backed campaign against communism in Indonesia that resulted in up to one million deaths in 1965-66. 🔸 The book's title "If We Burn" comes from a popular protest chant in Hong Kong: "If we burn, you burn with us," which was adopted from "The Hunger Games" series. 🔸 The 2010s saw more protest movements than any previous decade in recorded history, with demonstrations occurring in 125 countries during 2019 alone. 🔸 The author conducted research across 15 countries and interviewed over 200 activists to document firsthand accounts of various protest movements. 🔸 Social media platforms, which initially helped organize protests during the Arab Spring, later became tools for surveillance and counterprotest efforts by authorities.