Power from Experience

“Haber’s book is an outstanding contribution to our understanding of social movements in Mexico and beyond. His historical summary of Mexican politics in a remarkably brief fifty pages, his methodological discussion, and his review of the literature are excellent and all written in particularly lucid style. Most important, Haber’s focus on the impact of social movements on electoral politics (and the impact of electoral politics on social movements) is illuminating. His insistence that the ‘story of movements is incomplete without attention’ to the fact that 'movements must survive in the world as it is' is, in itself, a major contribution, along with his recognition of the tensions between political and material survival and 'visionary ideals.'” —Judith Adler Hellman, York University

“Power from Experience is a tour de force. Haber provides a compelling and highly significant analysis of the contribution of social movements among the urban poor in Mexico to that country's transition to democracy. Haber's unique access to all levels of two leading social movement organizations allows him to combine the ‘experience of movement’ with more traditional power analysis to great effect. In the early twenty-first century, when movements of the poor are often suggested to be linked to insurgency or global terrorism, it is of urgent importance to consider Haber's work, which masterfully illuminates how social movements of the urban poor instead moved Mexico towards democracy. Experts, students, and general readers will have much to learn from reading this book.” —Vivienne Bennett, California State University, San Marcos

“[Haber] carefully relates social movements to social theory within the Mexican context. This analysis helps one understand how the Mexican political system both withstood popular movements and was ultimately (if only partially) transformed by them.” —R. E. Hartwig, Choice

“Despite the ten years or more of research that went into its making, the book is pleasingly slim. In sum, this is a good book on social movements in Latin America. That makes it rare enough to be well worth reading.” —Joseph Foweraker, The Americas