Demand the Impossible!: A Radical Manifesto

by Bill Ayers

In an era defined by mass incarceration, endless war, economic crisis, catastrophic environmental destruction, and a political system offering more of the same, radical social transformation has never been more urgent—or seemed more remote.

A manifesto for movement-makers in extraordinary times, Demand the Impossible! urges us to imagine a world beyond what this rotten system would have us believe is possible.

In critiquing the world around us, insurgent educator and activist Bill Ayers uncovers cracks in that system, raising the horizons for radical change, and envisioning strategies for building the movement we need to make a world worth living in.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Social Justice

200 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2016

About the author

William Charles "Bill" Ayers is an American elementary education theorist and a former leader in the movement that opposed U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. He is known for his 1960's activism as well as his current work in education reform, curriculum, and instruction. In 1969 he co-founded the Weather Underground, a self-described communist revolutionary group that conducted a campaign of bombing public buildings during the 1960s and 1970s, motivated by US involvement in the Vietnam War. He is now a professor in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, holding the titles of Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, a controversy arose over his contacts with candidate Barack Obama. He is married to Bernadine Dohrn, who was a leader in the Weather organization.

Reviews

[Antoinette Perez]

Good read about thinking outside the proverbial box for social good. It will challenge mainstream ideas about what is truly possible to expect from society. Why not demand, and work for, a world that is better for all, but everyone else says is impossible? Why only pursue achieving the impossible when it comes to personal achievement and making money? That's actually pretty easy if you have even a small amount of privilege (and educational privilege, in particular). There are far bigger challenges that would benefit the common good.

[Gracie Schumacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give it 3.5. I found some chapters to be more inspiring than others

[Mark NP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes in the midst of the activist grind, organizing for justice, freedom, and equality, you can lose sight of the big picture. You can even start to wonder why you're bothering to fight so hard in the first place. That's when you need a book like this. Demand the Impossible is straight propaganda, the kind that probably got you started along your life's path. Ayers breaks his book into sections that brutally deconstruct the injustices of the status quo, from US imperialism to America's prison system, from student debt to climate change. He then imagines radical alternatives, describing more democratic, socialist, and visionary replacements. The details of how we'll get there are vague: there are plenty of references to people power and the potential of the masses, and the evidence of the possibility of this better future is usually hypothetical or anecdotal. But that's all it needs. We know the revolution required to overthrow capitalism only comes with hard work, with our "shoulders to the wheel of history," but sometimes it's necessary to step back and remember why you do what you do. It's because a better world is possible. This book helps you remember what it looks like.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most inspiring books I've ever read. So much change is needed in the world, and it will not come about simply by waiting for it or working within the status quo. Ayers identifies the major issues of the day with succinct clarity—militarism, prisons and the justice system, economic inequality, education, the environment, and the betrayal of the American dream—and outlines ways to address each. The proposals put forth are sensible and rooted in American values, with a minimum of jargon. The one thing that is not acceptable is "TINA": There Is No Alternative. It is one problem to think that the many injustices we face are inevitable or caused by our own inadequacies. It is quite another to see that there are so many alternatives, that it is difficult to decide which path to choose. The question is, where to begin?

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a marvelous & impassioned call to action! Ayers may be characterized as a radical &/or an extremist - he was a founding member of the 60's anti-war Weather Underground - but this book does not strike one as extreme at all except in the sense of the distance we as a country have strayed from our supposed core values. Ayers' manifesto is comprehensive, inspiring, fearlessly cogent & I consider it to belong among the works of required reading. It's a small book & not difficult reading but it packs a wallop!

[Onyango Makagutu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for all those fighting for freedom everywhere

[Ryan O'Malley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“All's well, says the town crier making rounds through the village and lighting lamps for the night. Perhaps it's simply a reassuring thought for the townspeople, or perhaps there's a more malevolent message, the toxic propaganda that the status quo is inevitable and that there is no alternative to the way things are. The dissident, the artist, the agitator, the dreamer, and the activist respond, "No, all is not well." The current moment is neither immutable nor inescapable, and its imperfections are cause for general alarm - for the exploited and the oppressed the status quo is itself an ongoing act of violence.”

What if? What if we had a society that gave health care for all? What if we geared our economy to meet our communities needs? What if we restructured our military, police, and prisons to not be agents of suppression? I was surprised by the hopeful tone of this book. Ayers is a revolutionary who seems to try and fight against the pessimism that everything will always be the same. If we truly believe things need to change we must ask ourselves what if.

[Avery · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and inspirational manifesto for modern times. I think the success here is twofold: 1) Instead of talking ambiguously about capital and proles and alienation, Ayers very systematically lays out distinct issues in contemporary society, explains how they're connected to capitalism, and discusses ways to fight back. 2) He really nicely balances the large and small scale. As per the title, a big part of the argument of the book is the need to be hopeful, to constantly be imagining a better world to fight for, but Ayers is careful not to turn his manifesto into utopian evocations of some ideal world, and there's equal focus on the feet-on-the-ground moment-to-moment struggle required to make the world better.

For people looking for an accessible intro to radical politics or old hats who want a little inspiration, highly recommended.

[Elan Garfias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful ideas to carry around with you. Ayers pushes us to imagine radically just futures without trying to sell readers on this or that particular ideological bent. The sections on education and militarism I found particularly original, and the whole thing is short enough that you can actually take time to meditate on each theme before moving on (or just zip through it like I did). As someone who tends to stick with straight Marxism, I appreciate this book for opening up new vistas for collective, intersectional action and mass mobilizations. It balances optimistic policy proposals with a hopeful, "now see what you come up with" attitude. A perfect primer for advancing the horizon of possibility.

[Molly Roach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto by Bill Ayers

I really enjoyed this book. A lot of books on the state of the world, even the ones that talk about change, tend to be very pessimistic but this one is hopeful. It’s positive and hopeful and I think we can all use a bit of that in our lives especially at this moment in time. The book is broken down into chapters that tackle a specific issue from prison and police abolition to education reform. The chapters give examples on how we can come together to resist and demand change. Read this book if you need a little hope. “We can always do something, and something is where we begin.”
4.5/5⭐️

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone curious about the goals of the American progressive movement and possible means of achieving them, this book is a good place to start. One topic at a time, Ayers succinctly outlines the structural flaws and injustices of our current systems, imagines how those systems would function in an ideal world, and offers starting points for how to reach toward those goals. He makes the case that empathy and humanity should guide our political and economic systems, and that the power to make decisions should lie with the people who are directly affected by those decisions. I happen to agree with most of Ayers' positions, but for anyone who doesn't, he provides ample evidence to support each of his arguments. This book can be eye-opening or merely clarifying depending on where you approach it from; either way it's worth reading.

[Andrea Fisk]

Few citations of evidence and many claims. The ideas vary wildly in scope and effect. Lumps together everything The Government does as evil then reccomends more government spending. Delusional and infantalizing notions of human motivation.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a preaching-to-the-choir type manifesto, in that Ayers isn’t going to change a hard-bitten MAGA or National Review reader into a socialist, but for a leftist audience it’s a good reminder of the kind of better world that’s worth fighting for.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Ayers is a controversial guy, but this book is motivating, visionary, and informative.

[Mirra Price]

For anyone who wants to see an end to the exploitative capitalism system, this is must read.

[Anna Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This little book packs a big punch! It gives you so much to think about: climate change, student debt, the privatized prison complex, the carnage of capitalism, police brutality, etc. etc. Definitely a great read if you’re interested in activism, political reform, or the state of our country through a leftist perspective.

Ayers tended to speak in absolutes, which at times was necessary (ie: scientific facts and statistical analysis) but other times simplified issues, creating an either/or binary rather than a spectrum of ideologies, which leaves little room for discussion. He brings up these massive, complicated issues and breaks them down by the facts and urges everyone to disregard the status quo and to “DEMAND THE IMPOSSIBLE!” I wish he took just that one step farther and spent some more time discussing *how* to change these systems. It felt like yelling at a problem without offering tangible solutions.

The book is both depressing and full of hope, but hey isn’t that what America is all about anyway?

[Reijo Roos · Rating 3 out of 5]

ai että kun nyt kyllä on huono tunne kun huomasin että Kasperhan tämän on suomentanut

mutta suomennos oli sinänsä tosi hyvä (hyvä juttu tulevaisuuden kannalta eikö:)))

mutta kirja itsessään
jonka siis löysin kampin vaihtohyllyltä ja luin sitten baanalla
niinkuin joku pölvästi joka on erehtynyt lukemaan kirjaa
kävellessään
luurin sijasta

eniveis
ihan normi oli, vaikka vähän radikaaliksi - heh - teksti välillä menikin
jotenkin meni kiukkuiseksi ja faktat lensi päin taivasta
vaikka faktat siis muuten olivat kohdallaan ja ideat myös

jotenkin vaan jäi se sama ympäripyöreä mahdottomuuten tunne
mikä tulee useinkin tällaisten manifestien tai liikeiden kanssa

uskoa vähän jää vajaaksi välillä

kyllä halutaan lopettaa sodat ja kyllä halutaan suorademokratiaa
ja kyllä halutaan lopettaa köyhyys (lue: perustulo),
mutta kuka haluaa ja miten?


no

vien takaisen sen kamppiin sitten

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential. I tend to roll strongly left of center but it's been a while since I let myself lavish in radical questioning. This book was just the antidote I needed during Thanksgiving in a very red state and with barely contained intolerance all around me. Even though in so many chapters I found myself skeptical and wondering: could that even be accomplished? Demilitarization, really? I am so grateful for thinkers and activists like Bill Ayers. A solid structure here: 8 themed chapters, laced with questions and examples from history and today, assertions about the need for resistance. It's not easy but actually it's the most important thing to do: like Che Guevara said, "Be realistic, demand the impossible!"

[Mimi V]

recommended by Unabridged Books

[Nohad Nassif · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best human rights books I’ve ever read. It is a truly precious work from cover to cover.

[Audrey Emami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I messed up my reviews but I meant to say that I definitely didn’t finish this either but I did a book report on it!

[Fallon Crowley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not what I would call a radical manifesto. It came across to me as very wishy washy and contradictory - he wants to abolish capitalism and is also strongly in favor of taxes? I did not read the whole book.

[Carlos Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing dazzlingly original for leftists, but provides some useful inspiration.

[David02139 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but broad list of topic Bill Ayers advocates rethinking and imagining the way things could really be. Last section is on how capitalism is the problem. Might have been better to start off this way but I can see how each section needed to stand on its own. I really good book for high school and college students. Will take some of the quotes and put them in my classroom. References "The Rebel" by Albert Camus. should read this. And look for more information about the Freedom Schools in the South.