The promise of Occupy

The Occupy Wall Street movement caught many analysts of social protest by surprise. Although there were isolated social protests against social inequality and disenfranchisement in many parts of the world, the Occupy movement as a global phenomenon was unprecedented. In this review essay, three recent books that focus on the social context that contributed to the Occupy Wall Street movement are discussed. The role of anarchism in imparting the distinctive characteristics of the movement is emphasized.