Brian Hassett

Blissfully Ravaged in Democracy: Adventures in Politics - 1980 - 2020 Brian Hassett

This is a book that makes democracy fun. Who ever heard of such a thing?! As legendary New Hampshire activist Granny D put it - "Democracy isn't something we have, it's something we do."

This 400 page book is about 40 years of "doing" - from the Carter-Reagan debate through meeting every candidate at the New Hampshire primary of 2020. It's 100,000 words with 100 photos that tell a story of everything from being involved in campaigns to the culture of the country as they unfolded. It has firsthand accounts of discovering political rallies are really rock concerts, to how to get involved, to backgrounds told entertainingly about everything from "vote swapping" to gerrymandering to third parties.

It's been compared to Hunter Thompson's "Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail" - but it's really "Fun & Loving on the Trail." It has a Jack Kerouac "On The Road" undercurrent, with a Grateful Dead soundtrack of Adventure. John Lennon is mentioned as often as any politician. If you want a book that rips politicos and the democratic process - this is not it. This sees and celebrates the good in others - from presidents to protesters, from voters to reporters. It's a celebration of the process - while encouraging participation in the present.

It's about weaving the playfulness of the Merry Pranksters into the seriousness of deciding our leaders. It's about how we got here and where we're going. It's about political rallies and rallying friends. It's storytelling with substance - history with humor - and the incredible lightness of being. It's about following your dreams to the front row of the revolution. It's a road trip with a narrator full of Adventure Tales and a knack for getting into the center of the action.

It spans Gary Hart to Bernie Sanders, Bill Clinton to Pete Buttigieg, Howard Dean to Elizabeth Warren. It takes the reader from big tube TVs to YouTube videos. It captures political concerts from Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson & Aretha Franklin ushering in Bill Clinton to Bruce Springsteen, U2 & Garth Brooks welcoming Barack Obama. It celebrates the new wave of political leaders who give voice to an open future of possibilities, while also paying tribute to some giants we've lost - from Vaclav Havel to Paul Tsongas, Tim Russert to Abbie Hoffman.

If one of the meanings of life is to be engaged and inspire others - this is a how-to manual. If you thought your voice didn't matter - this is an all-access pass to the choir where everybody's encouraged to sing. This is about getting yourself to the places you want to be - and having the journey be a blast.

It's a celebration of America - from Rockwellian small towns to rocking Manhattan - from the tiniest campaign offices to a million people on The Mall in Washington. It covers every 4-year cycle from Jimmy Carter being President to Joe Biden's nomination. You'll go from a rally with 50 people to one with 5,000 in a couple pages. You'll experience the elation of victories from Obama at Barackefeller Center in New York to Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire - and also be in the room for the shock of a candidate withdrawing or the perfect storm of a tsunami hitting like at the Hillary "victory party" in 2016.

You'll be reminded why all this matters and why it's so important to be involved. It's the ever-unfolding story of humanity - and these are your years to be part of it. You'll learn new ideas about empowering your children to vote and how a local election is as important as the White House Super Bowl. You'll be a fly on the wall with the journalists who cover it - and in the cloakroom of the Senate when the language gets salty.

We each only get one vote - but this will show you how to turn that into a party. A political party.