"Gal Beckerman has written a book about process as if process were an end in itself. Because it usually is.

"The Quiet Before is a quirky, delightful mix of a book that explores the intellectual impulses behind a series of cultural shifts and political revolts occurring across continents and centuries. Beckerman scours scientific correspondence from Europe’s Republic of Letters, parses Twitter debates by Black Lives Matter Twitter activists, tracks Soviet-era samizdat writings and revels in 1990s Riot Grrrl zines, to name just a few of the movements and moments he considers, delving into the principles and grievances behind them all. However, his focus is on how these movements communicated — the ways that writers and intellectuals shared, argued and refined ideas before inflicting them on the world. 'If we rewind to the instant when a solid block of shared reality is first cracked,' Beckerman writes, 'it’s usually a group of people talking.' Talking does not just reflect thinking, but shapes it, too, or — to use a favorite Beckerman word — incubates it." - Carlos Lozada

BOOK REVIEW: What’s The Right Process For Changing The World?