Individual hearts and minds change; those who have been changed become aware of one another; still others are emboldened, in a contagion of boldness; the "impossible" becomes possible; immediately it is done, surprising the actors almost as much as their opponents; and suddenly, almost with the swiftness of thought—whose transformation has in fact set the whole process in motion—the old regime, a moment ago so impressive, vanishes like a mirage. - P27
Stories move in from the shadows to the limelight. And though the stage presents the drama of our powerlessness, the shadows offer the secret of our power. This book is a history of the shadows, of the darkness in which hope lies. I want to start the history of this present moment over again, not with the election or the war but with a series of surprises from the shadows that ushered in this millennium. - P33
Better to marginalize activists—to portray them as rabble on the fringe who are dangerous the way violent criminals are dangerous. - P30
People armed with nothing more than desire or hope brought down the wall. It was a year of miracles, if change wrought by determination against overwhelming odds can be a miracle and perhaps the greatest year of revolutions ever, greater than in 1848, far greater than in 1775 or 1789. - P37
Often the road to the future is through the past. - P38
Often the road to politics is through culture. - P38
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