How To Make Trouble And Influence People (ISBN 0958554927) was the title of a self-published book from 1996 chronicling the history of political pranks and acts of creative subversion in Australia. The book consists of a series of short paragraphs describing incidents, as well as facsimiles of flyers, posters and graffiti. It also includes an interview with Greg Wadley, author of the zine Loser.
The incidents detailed in How To Make Trouble date from the early colonial days to recent times, and include both explicitly political and non-political pranks. They include industrial disputes in the 1920s, recent environmental and anti-war protests, as well as acts of inspired vandalism and detournement. As such, this book can be said to be a testament to the larrikin tradition of Australia, and its numerous manifestations throughout history.
Two sequels were released, How To Stop Whining And Start Living and Revenge Of The Troublemaker. All of these are attributed to the "Question Mark Collective". It is believed that one of the compilers was Iain McIntyre. Copies of these books may possibly be found in anarchist and countercultural bookshops in Australia.
The book influenced the production of the ABC Radio Background Briefing program on Culture Jamming: How To Make Trouble And Influence People, broadcast in 1998 and also featured in Head Space No 4, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's monthly Arts and Culture Magazine.
A collected and expanded version of all three of the original publications, titled "How to Make Trouble and Influence People: Pranks, Hoaxes, Graffiti and Mischief-making from across Australia" (ISBN 9780980415117) has been collated by Iain McIntyre and Breakdown Press for release in October 2009. The 276 page book includes expanded historical listings, over 300 photographs and 14 interviews with Australian trouble makers.
Famous quotes containing the words trouble, influence and/or people:
“Trouble brings trouble upon trouble.”
—Sophocles (497–406/5 B.C.)
“The adolescent does not develop her identity and individuality by moving outside her family. She is not triggered by some magic unconscious dynamic whereby she rejects her family in favour of her peers or of a larger society.... She continues to develop in relation to her parents. Her mother continues to have more influence over her than either her father or her friends.”
—Terri Apter (20th century)
“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession. It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you -for you were the fewest of all peoples.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Deuteronomy 7:6,7.