Revolution

It a great read, love his thought process

I had never heard of Russell Brand until I became aware of him and his career when a close relative was part of the Katy Perry organization about five years ago. I made an Internet search to find out something about him and quite honestly didn't think he was all that funny. British humor (except for Monty Python and Peter Sellers) has always been a little opaque to me. In any case, I didn't hold Russell Brand in very high regard as someone who should be taken seriously as a comic much less a political critic. His humor seemed manic, tortured and over-compensating and sometimes just mean. He just wasn't funny to me. So, when his name came up in the context of politics, I was intrigued. What, I wondered, could such a person have to say that would make anyone, much less the BBC, want to listen other than pure celebrity?This book, Revolution, is an autobiographical account of a kid who starts out in the most commonplace circumstances, achieves fame and a fair degree of wealth along with all the sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll that go along with it. What is interesting is that Mr. Brand has the insight (seems to be an important part of being a comic) or self-awareness or wisdom to see the superficiality in all of it. He holds a mirror to his past, and even present self, warts and all, with the aim of breaking free of himself and his own self-imposed limits. He challenges us all to do the same in the name of personal freedom and as a first step toward a greater social and community freedom. He spends time discussing the spiritual nature in of all of us, and while I am not inclined in that direction, does it in a way that is accessible whether you are hard core atheist or as devout as a church deacon or madras Imam.I think what is particularly useful in Mr. Brand’s book is that he doesn’t predict or insist on any particular ideology or economic model (he cites worker cooperatives as an example of participatory democracy) as a precondition or destination for a revolution. He does correctly identify the global-corporate-profit-at-all-cost-damn-the-environment model that is threatening all of us including the 85 on the “fun bus.” (A reference to the world’s 85 wealthiest persons who control nearly 50% of the resources.) He notes it’s not right or healthy to let these 85 people have the final say on our future. Anything we do or say to disrupt the current dominant model is a liberating blow and we need to get serious about doing it. We need to make common cause when and where we can. We need to do it in a spirit of generosity and brotherhood. That is revolutionary.This book isn’t a recipe for how to seize the telegraph office or man the barricades. It is a very compelling book that revisits the same things that people like Gandhi and Martin Luther King talked about. Getting free inside your head and heart as the first and foundational step toward the world we want to live in. That is revolutionary and that is what makes this a very cool book.

Everyone should read this book. Everyone, anyway, who's sick and tired of being told the world is degenerating into a horrible and dangerous place, and that this cultural, economic and political decay is somehow beyond our control. It is a glorious reminder that we, the disenfranchised, the 'disempowered', the common decent working folk, the masses, ALWAYS ultimately have the only real power. It is a testament to the idea that we should be leading our 'leaders', and that if we make the conscious and collective choice to do so, they will have no choice but to follow.The "Revolution" espoused is not a 'pitchforks in the streets' affair - the kind which, if successful, just replaces one corrupt, centralized government with another one that will itself, eventually and inevitably, become corrupt. We neither need nor want any big, clumsy and anything-but-representative government, rather we have the power to make all forms of such governance irrelevant. Russell Brand very eloquently and always amusingly describes a revolution that begins with an evolution of collective consciousness that provides for our continued creative and ideological expression as individuals, while living in a manageable balance with everyone and everything else on the planet. Lofty goals that will take time to achieve, no doubt, but are anything but impossible. And hey, why not start now, today, right where you live...The people who so vehemently criticize the ideas expressed in this book are people who either haven't even read it - as I suspect is too often the case - didn't understand it, or are so steeped in the 'fear of change' message drummed into us from every angle as to be immune to the concepts of real community and universal human decency. This message, though, is controlled and delivered by a relative few people and institutions that directly, materially benefit from the unsustainable status quo - people and institutions so badly in need of the irrelevance they deserve for such short-sightedness.We are reminded that a vote "for the lesser of two evils" (and who among us hasn't cast one of those - one that ultimately made no discernible difference at all?) is still a vote IN FAVOR OF and IN SUPPORT OF some variety of evil.We can all choose, instead, to stop listening to their message, reject the negativity and fear and begin communicating (globally) amongst ourselves, organize (locally) and DO something different and ultimately better; something based, perhaps on love, mutual respect, kindness and well-thought out sustainability. Worth a try in this reviewer's opinion... The alternative is to acquiesce to the fear and ride the current wave onward toward our own demise.If I have one criticism, it's that the book is a little light on specifics. The message is so positive, such good and badly-needed medicine, drifting and bobbing all lonely-like in a milieu of media-generated and -sponsored misery, one can't help wanting more. (A good place to look, by the way, is "The Freedom Manifesto", by Tom Hodgkinson.) If you follow the author's Trews and interviews, though, he readily acknowledges this revolution is a work-in-progress, as are all big ideas, cultures, and individuals. This book, however, is a powerful place to start.

4 stars: Mr Brand puts forward a rallying cry for revolution in our muddied and chaotic times. Using his penchant for self-mockery mixed with a healthy dose of realism and lashings of rage against the machine, Brand comments on the various broken elements of modern day society. He sprinkles personal stories through the narrative which help to humanise the whole and remind us that there's a lot more to him than just wild idiosynchrasies and slightly ridiculous hair (sorry Russ).It's reassuring to hear about his journey through fame and how he's now a bit sick of the whole farcical mess, clearly stating how secretly everyone knows how vapid and shallow it all is and that there's a growing recognition of this fact amongst the glitterati.The author concludes his piece with an excellently penned description of the vile hegemonic global systems which continue to suck the soul from humanity, decrying the psychopathic tendencies of corporate CEOs, bankers, brokers and corrupt politicians which allow them to propagate. Finally providing a call to arms through non-violent revolution, the need for us all to remember that deep down everybody is a decent human being, and that the bell tolls for those clinging to power in a horrifically unequal system.Bravo!

I think most, if not all of us, know the current system fails many more of us than it works for. But we get bogged down in apathy, hopelessness and the false belief that there is no alternative. This book puts forward the arguments that show that there are other ways that can benefit all of us. It all starts with revolution. Change is needed if we and the planet are to survive. The arguments aren't new (and those already out there from Chomsky and others are included here) but they are put in an accessible way. I think it's commendable that Brand fulfilled his promise of using the profits from this book to start a social enterprise in the spirit of the book's message (a café collectively run by recovering addicts).

He talks fast. His ideas come quickly. Some parts of the book needed to be re-read to absorbed.Russel is very self aware and some may not like his inflated ego. But his ideas and arguments are very thought provoking. Maybe he is right a revolution of thought is needed. I enjoyed the book.

Some interesting ideas but he doesn’t spend nearly enough time discussing them.At least a third of the book is Russell telling anecdotes about himself that have very little to do with the main topic of the book.He includes a lot of padding, as he mentions at one point his main focus is ‘meeting my 100,000 word target’.Overall, it’s a worthwhile topic but Russell Brand fails to do it justice.

Russell Brand is a sincere left-winger, and there is nothing wrong with that. Our media is dominated by right-wingers, they tend to have more resources and use thetm to get their views aired. Russell brings his jokey, irreverent character to the party and gets publicity by being a bit outrageous or outspoken.The book itself carries a logical message - there are more poor people than rich people, so in a demoncracy why doesn't a party representing the poor win? I gave the book 3 stars, and that is because after a while it was clearly self-indulgent, and there was lots of page-filling verbage that could have been easily cut out. It must be tough to write a book when someone has set a word count target.Recommended?...mm...If you are already a fan of Brand, then OK. If not, then not, sorry. For a heavier read along the same lines, choose - Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class.