This an excerpt from a post by Quaker blogger, Imperfect Serenity, that sums up why I would like you all to read Bury the Chains:

Joe [Volk of Friends Committee on National Legislation] noted that this spring is the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and said that the people who started the abolitionist movement had no reason to believe they would ever be successful in changing the widespread belief that slavery was necessary and normal. When Quakers first started opposing slavery, they seemed just as “unrealistic” and “idealistic” as peace activists seem today. Joe talked about a sense of history as one of the things that can help us in this work, along with a sense of humor and a sense of God’s presence among us.

I’m not selling Quakerism here, folks. I’m selling idealism. In a generation or two, deeply entrenched, unjust attitudes can be reversed by the focused and passionated efforts of a few. Perhaps we can do the same for our current global society’s attitudes towards the utility of war, gender/race/economic inequality, genocide, mass starvation, destruction of the environment and the hidden costs of international capitalism.

If you have problems tracking the book down or don’t want to invest in a copy, let me know. I’m willing to purchase and ship (no questions asked) a couple of copies to anyone willing to invest the time in reading and discussing the book.