? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

People have had a habit of protesting in the past decade. In fact, between 2010 and 2020, more people have protested than at any other time in history. But, what do we have to show for it? If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution by Vincent Bevins aims to answer this question.

Have these protests been fruitful? Not exactly. Bevins argues that the demonstrations rarely achieve what they were looking for and explains why. After conducting research for four years, he takes a look at some of the most notable public uprisings whose plans went awry such as Brazil’s left-wing protests that resulted in an even more conservative government.

A varied worldview: The scope of this book was huge, and we personally enjoyed the sections on Brazil, which took up the majority of the text, because it was clear that that was where the author’s expertise lay, but in the end having varied accounts helped solidify his point. We also liked how he explored the origins of protesting to further political movements.

It’s clear he’s a journalist. The facts are presented in a manner that makes the book more interesting to get through. Having that perspective also shines through the writing with his clear knowledge and passion for understanding revolutionary acts, some of which he was able to witness himself.

You can find the book onAmazon.

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