Subversive: Interviews with Radicals

by Brian Whitney

Subversive is a book of interviews with fifty-two of the most radical people in the world. Some of them are famous, while others are almost completely unknown. These are people different to the rest of us. They want the world to change, and they are doing things to change it. Some are activists, some live in such a way that society has to take notice. Subversive doesn't adopt a sensationalist tone. It approaches its subjects with a curiosity about what they believe in and how they lead their lives.

Genres: Nonfiction

236 pages, Paperback

Published November 2, 2017

About the author

I am the author or co-author of numerous books, three of which have been optioned for film. I ghostwrite for Kevin Anderson and Associates.


I live on the coast of Maine.

Reviews

[Caroline Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really intriguing little book. What my mother might describe as being “out there”. Regardless of some of the interview subjects’ absolutely WILD ideas, and that’s why reading this was so interesting and so entertaining. I found myself contemplating a lot of their points even when their wider arguments were....out there. Or between “out there” and “downright fucking ridiculous” I appreciated some of the author’s commentary on some of the people whom he interviewed as well. You can tell what he thinks based on those little introductions, and some of them are a little funny, not gonna lie.

The reasons I’m only giving it 3 stars are because
1) it was too short. I just wanted to keep reading and reading and eventually it ended, which was unfortunate.
&
2)the vast majority of the people the author interviewed are men, and while that’s not inherently a bad thing, a wider variety of interviewees would’ve made this book even *better*. I feel as if the author barely scratched the surface with what people do and believe which is “unacceptable in society.”

[Kitty May · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly I think this book is incredibly disappointing. Some of the interviews really are thought provoking. But out of 52 "radicals" he interviewed about 5 women. Most of whom are sex workers - as if sex work is the only radical thing women do (also it's not radical at all, sex work has existed for thousands of years). He also interviews many people who are not in anyway subversive or radical e.g. men's rights activists (who he does not challenge in any way). Men rights activists are not radical, they are upholding the current sexist status quo. Let's hear from people that actually have something new to say. And more importantly - women!!!

[Ben Arzate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review

Brian Whitney's Subversive: Interviews with Radicals is a look into strange and unusual people that is sometimes insightful, sometimes offensive, and often times both. It shows both the rational and irrational thought processes that go into rejecting widely-held mores. Some of the subjects of the interviews are guaranteed to be off-putting to a lot of people, but that doesn't make this book any less worth reading.

[Ben Myhre · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was pretty good and full of weirdos. Some I liked and others that were not good. Still interesting.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whitney continues to fly under the radar as one of the most interesting writers out there today. His ability to interview some truly out-there people without judgment is refreshing. The fact he also gives a bit of a wink and a nod to the reader that he's well aware some of these people are equal parts nutjob and revolutionary only adds to the enjoyment. Whitney is the everyman most of us don't want to admit that we are...he has one of the most diverse and enjoyable catalogs of work of any writer of the last five or six years.

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't understand how this book isnt more popular

I came across this book when one of the people spoken about in here posted an excerpt on his website. I instantly got it and I don't regret it at all. Although there are some people who might be considered unhinged or out right dangerous, I still think its a good book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich mochte das Buch wirklich und wollte gerne 5 Sterne geben. Aber ich fand es schade, dass nur so wenige Frauen interviewt wurden und alle etwas mit Sexarbeit zu tun hatten. Ich bin mir ziemlich sicher, dass es auch Frauen gibt, die radikale Sachen machen die nicht ihren Körper beinhalten.