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People, Power, Change: Organizing for Democratic Renewal
At a moment when our democratic abilities seem to have eroded, and political, economic, and technological forces have weakened the capacity for collective action, People, Power, and Change is a once-in-a-generation book for anyone who wants to create real and lasting change.
Marshall Ganz is one of the world's leading authorities on democratic organizing, and this book is the culmination of his decades of teaching, research, and work. In People, Power, and Change , Ganz distills for students, practitioners, and activists the principles he has gleaned over the last half-century of creating collective action.
Ganz explores the forces, craft, and learned skill of organizing and provides an actionable framework for how to actually do it. He focuses the book on the creation and substance of relationships, the fuel of values and narrative, the resources and power of strategy, the necessity of structure, and the accountability of action. Across these five organizing ideas, Ganz weaves in his personal experiences from a lifetime of organizing in iconic social movements and campaigns to illustrate how collective action actually works and to build the practices and skills that must be developed to do it with intention and with success.
Marshall Ganz is one of the world's leading authorities on democratic organizing, and this book is the culmination of his decades of teaching, research, and work. In People, Power, and Change , Ganz distills for students, practitioners, and activists the principles he has gleaned over the last half-century of creating collective action.
Ganz explores the forces, craft, and learned skill of organizing and provides an actionable framework for how to actually do it. He focuses the book on the creation and substance of relationships, the fuel of values and narrative, the resources and power of strategy, the necessity of structure, and the accountability of action. Across these five organizing ideas, Ganz weaves in his personal experiences from a lifetime of organizing in iconic social movements and campaigns to illustrate how collective action actually works and to build the practices and skills that must be developed to do it with intention and with success.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2024
101 people are currently reading
529 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 10, 2024
Marshall Ganz's "People Power Change" is a deeply valuable source of concise learning, inspiration, and hope, especially in times when things seem to come apart or emotions and energies explode without a shared purpose, structure or direction. While many scholars and commentators help us understand the critical unraveling of our democracies, the crisis of inequality, and climate-induced threats to our livelihoods, few offer such a rich framework for moving from inertia or apathy to action as Ganz does in this long-awaited book.
Ganz covers core ideas, stories, and concepts, bringing to life the full spectrum of the often difficult and demanding work of organizing and leading social change efforts. It applies to much broader contexts than that of grassroots or labor organizing and has shown its efficacy also in complex formal institutions such as health and care systems and change processes in large private sector firms and industries. Across the globe.
He weaves the real-life lessons of his extraordinary journey into the development of core concepts, allowing readers to engage with the text and the struggles, successes, and failures of a life of civic service. This approach gives readers a much deeper sense of the craft of building stronger communities locally or a democracy fit for our challenging times more broadly.
You can't help but feel a sense of history-making on these pages, as Ganz takes us through his lived experiences—from the moral lessons of the Second World War through the civil rights movement, the farm workers movement, the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, and onwards to innovations in large-scale political campaigning, culminating in the Obama campaign in 2007-8. However, the book does not end here and does not offer a simple formula or blueprint as many others do, thereby reducing complexity and neglecting the importance of context. Instead of an exclamation mark—do this to succeed—it ends with an invitation: will you join us?
In a world saturated by dreams of building societal machines of efficiency and predictability, the notion of democracy is in trouble. The book offers a plausible yet daunting alternative route to the standard transactional way of doing politics and imagining societal and civic structures and processes, since it insists that true revitalization of our societies in times of crisis and conflict comes from the craft of relationally reconnecting with people around us, reinterpreting our values and shared stories to allow us to find common ground anew, thereby yet again carrying the democratic promise onwards with a sense of renewed purpose and plausibility.
This is a key power of the book and of Ganz's practice and teaching—not least how it allows us to appreciate our capacity as individuals and groups to come together and reinterpret our resources in light of both threats and opportunities for engaging with hope and resourcefulness. The book opens to a global perspective across cultures, traditions, and political contexts, inviting readers to embrace our current, collective predicament and to accept our responsibility to play however small a part in countering the current cynicism and apathy with a renewed sense of urgency and agency.
Ganz covers core ideas, stories, and concepts, bringing to life the full spectrum of the often difficult and demanding work of organizing and leading social change efforts. It applies to much broader contexts than that of grassroots or labor organizing and has shown its efficacy also in complex formal institutions such as health and care systems and change processes in large private sector firms and industries. Across the globe.
He weaves the real-life lessons of his extraordinary journey into the development of core concepts, allowing readers to engage with the text and the struggles, successes, and failures of a life of civic service. This approach gives readers a much deeper sense of the craft of building stronger communities locally or a democracy fit for our challenging times more broadly.
You can't help but feel a sense of history-making on these pages, as Ganz takes us through his lived experiences—from the moral lessons of the Second World War through the civil rights movement, the farm workers movement, the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, and onwards to innovations in large-scale political campaigning, culminating in the Obama campaign in 2007-8. However, the book does not end here and does not offer a simple formula or blueprint as many others do, thereby reducing complexity and neglecting the importance of context. Instead of an exclamation mark—do this to succeed—it ends with an invitation: will you join us?
In a world saturated by dreams of building societal machines of efficiency and predictability, the notion of democracy is in trouble. The book offers a plausible yet daunting alternative route to the standard transactional way of doing politics and imagining societal and civic structures and processes, since it insists that true revitalization of our societies in times of crisis and conflict comes from the craft of relationally reconnecting with people around us, reinterpreting our values and shared stories to allow us to find common ground anew, thereby yet again carrying the democratic promise onwards with a sense of renewed purpose and plausibility.
This is a key power of the book and of Ganz's practice and teaching—not least how it allows us to appreciate our capacity as individuals and groups to come together and reinterpret our resources in light of both threats and opportunities for engaging with hope and resourcefulness. The book opens to a global perspective across cultures, traditions, and political contexts, inviting readers to embrace our current, collective predicament and to accept our responsibility to play however small a part in countering the current cynicism and apathy with a renewed sense of urgency and agency.
November 5, 2024
4.5 stars
November 9, 2024
Brilliant book by Professor Ganz. It reads like you're sitting with him or hearing a talk, and is full of anecdotes from his organizing time as well as clear, structured frameworks. In these dark times we need relational organizing more than ever. This is a must read for anyone wanting to create visionary change with others.
December 3, 2025
Truly incredible book: just as much a manual for life, than one for mobilizing political power with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. Want to learn how to manage your resources and frame a vision in order that David beat Goliath? Marshall Ganz clearly says how to do that, and why, starting from the most powerful and rewarding place… the personal story in your heart, your autobiographical narrative. Reading this led me to reflect quite a bit on myself and articulate those moments when “you became yourself,” as you look back. Then he teaches you the political power of sharing those moments, even if I’m only doing it for a tad bit of inspiration or punch in a team meeting, or a conversation with somebody I’m mentoring.
November 16, 2024
If you’re going to go on a long and arduous journey, it’s important to find an experienced guide who can show you the way. Marshall Ganz is that guide. People, Power, Change offers new and experienced civic leaders a leadership framework that serves as a roadmap for leading change with others. I was impressed with Ganz’ ability to condense decades of wisdom about leadership, organizing, and action for democratic renewal into one easy to read and well researched book. The concepts and skills will be familiar to those who have studied the works of Ganz or who have been trained in a community organizing tradition. Leadership is not about “doing”, but about enabling others to achieve shared purpose in the face of uncertainty. It is personal, social, and responsive to a constantly changing world. It is developmental, adaptive, and rooted in values that emerge out of lived experience. By integrating the capacities of the heart (storytelling), head (strategy), and hands (building relationships, structuring teams, and mobilizing action), leaders and social movements can enable ordinary citizens to become a constituency that can transform shared resources into the power that is needed to bring about change. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about building a better world through the power of people.
May 20, 2025
This is a must read for any political/union organizer and gives a great framework/ideas on how to become a better organizer.
The story of self/us/now is discussed here and I like how the audiobook used a legit clip as an example. It reminded me of an organizer training I took many years ago, where we listed to Barack Obama's famous 2004 speech and identified those concepts within, before making a speech ourselves. This was a good refresher for me to remember to incorporate that concept, among others brought up in this book.
The story of self/us/now is discussed here and I like how the audiobook used a legit clip as an example. It reminded me of an organizer training I took many years ago, where we listed to Barack Obama's famous 2004 speech and identified those concepts within, before making a speech ourselves. This was a good refresher for me to remember to incorporate that concept, among others brought up in this book.
September 23, 2024
A tour-de-force on organizing! This was an exceptional read.
I have not done community organizing myself, but have always been interested in social movements and how to effect positive change. This book lays out the process in a systematic way. It truly is a masterclass in a book.
I'm certain that I will be returning to this book over and over again.
I have not done community organizing myself, but have always been interested in social movements and how to effect positive change. This book lays out the process in a systematic way. It truly is a masterclass in a book.
I'm certain that I will be returning to this book over and over again.
December 28, 2024
The book offers a succinct exploration of the principles of organising. However, I found the emphasis on storytelling somewhat unconvincing. It seems more like a tool for fostering relationships rather than a distinct pillar of organising in its own right.
July 16, 2025
Gave me so many refreshing ideas to try out with advocacy work! Dense and I read it at a slower pace than I usually read, but would recommend to anyone wanting to better their organization skills or trying to come up with ways to speak out and get your voice heard.
Want to read
August 30, 2024author interview The.Ink Anand Giridharadas 8.30.2024
September 17, 2024
A huge giant in organising. It’s a beautiful testament to the work he is so committed to, not just the craft but the people who make change and do the grit for it.
November 26, 2024
Used this book to teach the theory of change at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement for AP US History
March 14, 2025
A nice How To Guide about organizing, offered perspective on how attainable human togetherness can be
August 12, 2025
Essential! Will continue to reference this.
October 3, 2025
This book is great if you work for an organisation. It truly helps understanding many things you live on your day to day and put into a framework
September 9, 2024
Marshall Ganz's "People, Power, Change" is a brilliant distillation of his extensive experience and expertise in democratic organizing. Having studied and worked with Ganz, I can say this book perfectly captures his key ideas.
What's fantastic about "People, Power, Change" is how accessible it is. The book lays out a clear framework for organizing, focusing on relationships, values and narratives, strategy, structure, and accountability. Ganz uses real-world examples from his own life in social movements to bring these concepts to life, making them easy to understand and apply to various issues.
This isn't just a book for community organizers or politicians. It's essential reading for any manager or leader who wants to mobilize people and drive meaningful change. Ganz's insights are timely and relevant, especially now when our collective ability to create change feels weakened.
In short, "People, Power, Change" is a must-read for anyone looking to make an impact. It's a practical, inspiring guide from one of the best in the field.
What's fantastic about "People, Power, Change" is how accessible it is. The book lays out a clear framework for organizing, focusing on relationships, values and narratives, strategy, structure, and accountability. Ganz uses real-world examples from his own life in social movements to bring these concepts to life, making them easy to understand and apply to various issues.
This isn't just a book for community organizers or politicians. It's essential reading for any manager or leader who wants to mobilize people and drive meaningful change. Ganz's insights are timely and relevant, especially now when our collective ability to create change feels weakened.
In short, "People, Power, Change" is a must-read for anyone looking to make an impact. It's a practical, inspiring guide from one of the best in the field.
March 12, 2025
Endlessly practical, deceptively simple, and extremely readable, Ganz has provided the perfect introductory handbook for community organizing and development. I will definitely be returning to this little manual in the future! Beyond his political insight, I also appreciated Ganz's use of religious symbols and traditions. In my opinion, modern political organizing is tragically anemic in its utilization of those narratives and myths that so deeply resonate with many of the people in our communities. We forget that King was a minister and Chavez's march was a Lenten pilgrimage. There is much to learn from South American liberation theologians, whose Eucharistic tables fed striking laborers.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews