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Disruption: Why Things Change
How do things change? The question is critical to the historical study of any era but it is also a profoundly important issue today as western democracies find the fundamental tenets of their implicit social contract facing extreme challenges from forces espousing ideas that once flourished only on the outskirts of society. This books argues that radical change always begins with ideas that took shape on the fringes. Throughout time the "mainstream" has been inherently conservative, allowing for incremental change but essentially dedicated to preserving its own power structures as the dominant ideology justifies existing relationships. In this tour of radical change across Western history, David Potter will show how ideologies that develop in opposition or reaction to those supporting the status quo are employed to effect profound changes in political structures that will in turn alter the way that social relations are constructed.
Not all radical groups are the same, and all the groups that the book will explore take advantage of challenges that have already shaken the social order. They take advantage of mistakes that have challenged belief in the competence of existing institutions to be effective. It is the particular combination of an alternative ideological system and a period of community distress that are necessary conditions for radical changes in direction. The historical disruptions chronicled in this book-the rise of Christianity, rise of Islam, Protestant reformations, Age of Revolution (American and French), and Bolshevism and Nazism--will help readers understand when the preconditions exist for radical changes in the social and political order. As Disruption demonstrates, not all radical change follows paths that its original proponents might have predicted. An epilogue helps situate contemporary disruptions, from the rise of Trump and Brexit to the social and political consequences of
technological change, in the wider historical forces surveyed by the book.
Not all radical groups are the same, and all the groups that the book will explore take advantage of challenges that have already shaken the social order. They take advantage of mistakes that have challenged belief in the competence of existing institutions to be effective. It is the particular combination of an alternative ideological system and a period of community distress that are necessary conditions for radical changes in direction. The historical disruptions chronicled in this book-the rise of Christianity, rise of Islam, Protestant reformations, Age of Revolution (American and French), and Bolshevism and Nazism--will help readers understand when the preconditions exist for radical changes in the social and political order. As Disruption demonstrates, not all radical change follows paths that its original proponents might have predicted. An epilogue helps situate contemporary disruptions, from the rise of Trump and Brexit to the social and political consequences of
technological change, in the wider historical forces surveyed by the book.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
12 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
David Potter
65 books4 followersThere are numerous authors who publish under the name David Potter, as well as many with variations of middle name or initial.
The authors listed here are authors who cannot be identified as a specific "David Potter".
The authors listed here are authors who cannot be identified as a specific "David Potter".
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 14, 2021
In Disruption, Potter attempts to describe why fundamental change occurs, beginning with Christianity’s adoption throughout the Roman Empire in the 4th century CE, then moving to Islam’s rise in the 7th, the Protestant Reformation in the 16th, and the American and French Revolutions at the end of the 18th. He ends with the Russian Revolution and Nazi Germany in the 20th.
Potter identifies three keys to successful disruption:
• A growing mistrust in existing institutions and leadership.
• Alternatives exist to the status quo.
• Led by someone (or a smallish clique) close to the ruling elites who see opportunity and are capable of exploiting it.
Disruption is a short book; therefore, the author is unable to get too far into the weeds of the various periods he discusses. But, being familiar with some of them, I was sometimes uncomfortable with the generalizations made. Overall, though, the argument is sound and I agree that the factors he identifies are indeed crucial to successful revolutions.
Potter’s real purpose for this book is revealed, however, in the epilogue, where he examines the January 6 insurrection, when a delusional mob of Donald Trump supporters attempted to storm the U.S. Capitol and reverse the election that tossed him out of office. Fortunately, they failed miserably but Potter argues that all the signs are there that a disruption is imminent:
• Since the end of WW2, but accelerating with the Vietnam War and Reagan’s election in 1980, people have become increasingly distrustful of social institutions.
• Alternatives to the existing political and economic paradigms are available.
• The one thing lacking is a viable leader(s) who can legitimize a “new order.”
Potter isn’t arguing that disruption is always negative – e.g., Nazi Germany or the French Revolution – but can constructively reorder society. In fact, most of his examples, he would consider so – e.g., Christian Rome, Islam, the Reformation, the American Revolution. We're on the cusp of a profound change that at the moment could go either way. For all the negative signs like the insurrection, the rise of fascist movements throughout the world, widening gaps between the 1% and the rest of us, and people taking horse deworming medicine over an actual vaccine, counter movements exist and are growing that are struggling to make the change constructive.
I would recommend this book.
I would also recommend another book that doesn’t explicitly ask the questions Potter does but does describe in great detail a period of disruption: Ronald Syme’s The Roman Revolution, which examines the transition from republic to empire in the last century before the Common Era.
Potter identifies three keys to successful disruption:
• A growing mistrust in existing institutions and leadership.
• Alternatives exist to the status quo.
• Led by someone (or a smallish clique) close to the ruling elites who see opportunity and are capable of exploiting it.
Disruption is a short book; therefore, the author is unable to get too far into the weeds of the various periods he discusses. But, being familiar with some of them, I was sometimes uncomfortable with the generalizations made. Overall, though, the argument is sound and I agree that the factors he identifies are indeed crucial to successful revolutions.
Potter’s real purpose for this book is revealed, however, in the epilogue, where he examines the January 6 insurrection, when a delusional mob of Donald Trump supporters attempted to storm the U.S. Capitol and reverse the election that tossed him out of office. Fortunately, they failed miserably but Potter argues that all the signs are there that a disruption is imminent:
• Since the end of WW2, but accelerating with the Vietnam War and Reagan’s election in 1980, people have become increasingly distrustful of social institutions.
• Alternatives to the existing political and economic paradigms are available.
• The one thing lacking is a viable leader(s) who can legitimize a “new order.”
Potter isn’t arguing that disruption is always negative – e.g., Nazi Germany or the French Revolution – but can constructively reorder society. In fact, most of his examples, he would consider so – e.g., Christian Rome, Islam, the Reformation, the American Revolution. We're on the cusp of a profound change that at the moment could go either way. For all the negative signs like the insurrection, the rise of fascist movements throughout the world, widening gaps between the 1% and the rest of us, and people taking horse deworming medicine over an actual vaccine, counter movements exist and are growing that are struggling to make the change constructive.
I would recommend this book.
I would also recommend another book that doesn’t explicitly ask the questions Potter does but does describe in great detail a period of disruption: Ronald Syme’s The Roman Revolution, which examines the transition from republic to empire in the last century before the Common Era.
September 16, 2021
I heard David Potter (who used to go by David Stone Potter, making it actually quite difficult to find more books by him) interviewed about this book on BBC History Extra Podcast and enjoyed it so much, I purchased the kindle edition while I was driving. (don't judge me). I was not disappointed: this became the second book in almost as many weeks that I had trouble putting down (the other being the exciting and incredibly well written A Chelsea Concerto).
Potter takes some of the biggest events in western world history, and then explains why the disruptions happened: Constantine adopting Christianity as the state religion of Rome; the rapid rise of Islam; the Protestant Reformation; the American & French Revolutions and their aftermaths; Karl Marx & Social Darwinism, Stalin and Hitler; and finally, an (honesty frightening) epilogue all about Donald J. Trump and the insurrection of January 6, 2021 (which seems so long ago right now).
He is able to distill these major world events down in such a way that they are instantly understandable, and also quite exciting and interesting. This was a great book!
Potter takes some of the biggest events in western world history, and then explains why the disruptions happened: Constantine adopting Christianity as the state religion of Rome; the rapid rise of Islam; the Protestant Reformation; the American & French Revolutions and their aftermaths; Karl Marx & Social Darwinism, Stalin and Hitler; and finally, an (honesty frightening) epilogue all about Donald J. Trump and the insurrection of January 6, 2021 (which seems so long ago right now).
He is able to distill these major world events down in such a way that they are instantly understandable, and also quite exciting and interesting. This was a great book!
October 6, 2024
A hard slog to get through this and perhaps the only book I stuck with for this long. Potter is a prolific writer, many books, but this one needed to be more books. Too much for just one short tome. The narrative is a collection of confluences – a sequence of events that resulted in global impact and historical change. Constantine, who was a leader with a mindset for future events. His conversion to Christianity, well, we all know what happened thereafter. Martin Luther. Islam. The Nazi party. Russian revolution. How the world wars started with pillow talk, ambitious and stupid advisors, weak yang.
Martin Luther's endeavours were aided by the invention of the printing press. Church leaders wanted The Word in their secular little hands, but the press changed that. The church could only martyr so many people before everyone had a method of learning to read. Although not every dictator figures out you can't kill everybody.
The disruptions in the faith of Muhammed were exacerbated by the criteria that those who rose to leadership had to have personally known the prophet. That can only last so many generations before somebody has to actually know how to form a governance beyond faith.
Tsar Nicholas was a weak leader, who had a chance to turn Russia into a social democracy, except that Alexandra had her familial agenda and Rasputin. If it had not been for Kelensky, one of the weak power-grabbers featured in this book, and other second string players who impact world history beyond their expertise. If Lenin had not been smuggled back into Russia...so change happens.
If not for Hindenburg, Germany might have embraced communism rather than giving muscle and airtime to the Nazi party.
We also learn that– like serial killers – weak men who begin to believe theirs is the only voice always up the violence. And other weak and cruel men climb onboard the murder train.
There is an epilogue chapter that is frightening. Potter has shown us in small steps how bloody dictatorships create centuries of conflict. And here we are today.
Martin Luther's endeavours were aided by the invention of the printing press. Church leaders wanted The Word in their secular little hands, but the press changed that. The church could only martyr so many people before everyone had a method of learning to read. Although not every dictator figures out you can't kill everybody.
The disruptions in the faith of Muhammed were exacerbated by the criteria that those who rose to leadership had to have personally known the prophet. That can only last so many generations before somebody has to actually know how to form a governance beyond faith.
Tsar Nicholas was a weak leader, who had a chance to turn Russia into a social democracy, except that Alexandra had her familial agenda and Rasputin. If it had not been for Kelensky, one of the weak power-grabbers featured in this book, and other second string players who impact world history beyond their expertise. If Lenin had not been smuggled back into Russia...so change happens.
If not for Hindenburg, Germany might have embraced communism rather than giving muscle and airtime to the Nazi party.
We also learn that– like serial killers – weak men who begin to believe theirs is the only voice always up the violence. And other weak and cruel men climb onboard the murder train.
There is an epilogue chapter that is frightening. Potter has shown us in small steps how bloody dictatorships create centuries of conflict. And here we are today.
January 1, 2022
A deep read for people with broad backgrounds in history, politics, economics who have a desire to see a better world today. Much can be learned.
I found much of the book to be interesting and informative. Some of the areas were more familiar to me than others. The author’s style gave me the impression that some foundation was needed and providing that would be too lengthy for this book. My current reading filled in nicely in some areas, but not others. On the whole I learned much. The last third of the book was most enlightening and insightful.
I found much of the book to be interesting and informative. Some of the areas were more familiar to me than others. The author’s style gave me the impression that some foundation was needed and providing that would be too lengthy for this book. My current reading filled in nicely in some areas, but not others. On the whole I learned much. The last third of the book was most enlightening and insightful.
October 11, 2021
This is a fascinating book. Disruption is a cliche used by neoliberal forces to keep their workforce on edge, fearful, and worried.
What this book shows is that the empowered used disruption to create change but - and this is important - they can't control the change that emerges after the disruption.
This is a powerful argument. The empowered demand disruption to create change, but the change that emerges is not in their interests.
Fascinating. Provocative.
What this book shows is that the empowered used disruption to create change but - and this is important - they can't control the change that emerges after the disruption.
This is a powerful argument. The empowered demand disruption to create change, but the change that emerges is not in their interests.
Fascinating. Provocative.
September 24, 2021
The bulk of this book covers a set of case studies in which disruptive events changed the course of history. While the case studies are interesting (and spiced up with some sly commentary), I would like to have seen more analysis at the end of each one. Also, the coverage of the French writers / philosophers was about two times too long.
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September 22, 2022Read and reread! Powerful, insightful book, offering a set of "principles" for dealing with the Information Age. Clearly not everyone will want or could embrace all of them, but they are useful guides to thinking about the future.
August 12, 2021
Prolific author with a wealth of historical knowledge and experience producing another fabulous book that is immediately applicable to today’s sociological challenges.
December 29, 2021
Hard to approach and very intellectual. Couldn't get thorough
January 25, 2022
Pretty dense but a good span of history in there
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews