Gabriel Thompson is a Steinbeck Fellow in Creative Writing at San Jose State University. He is the author of several books, including Working in the Shadows, and has written for Harper’s, New York, Mother Jones, Virginia Quarterly Review, and The Nation.

"Those who know the name Fred Ross probably identify him as 'the man who taught Cesar Chavez how to organize,' as he was once dubbed by The Chronicle. Most Californians probably have never heard of him. Gabriel Thompson’s superb new biography of Ross, 'America’s Social Arsonist: Fred Ross and Grassroots Organizing in the Twentieth Century,' will be fascinating for both groups. The author sheds new light on the life of a man whose presence was behind the scenes but whose work ended up in the headlines. . . . Thompson has plumbed Ross’ extensive notes and files to relay vivid accounts of his experiences and insight into his ideas. During his half century as an organizer, Ross pioneered tactics that are widely used today. 'But,' asserts Thompson, 'his greatest legacy is in the people he inspired and mentored who went on to shape California and U.S. history.'"

Gabriel Thompson is a Steinbeck Fellow in Creative Writing at San Jose State University. He is the author of several books, including Working in the Shadows, and has written for Harper’s, New York, Mother Jones, Virginia Quarterly Review, and The Nation.

"Those who know the name Fred Ross probably identify him as 'the man who taught Cesar Chavez how to organize,' as he was once dubbed by The Chronicle. Most Californians probably have never heard of him. Gabriel Thompson’s superb new biography of Ross, 'America’s Social Arsonist: Fred Ross and Grassroots Organizing in the Twentieth Century,' will be fascinating for both groups. The author sheds new light on the life of a man whose presence was behind the scenes but whose work ended up in the headlines. . . . Thompson has plumbed Ross’ extensive notes and files to relay vivid accounts of his experiences and insight into his ideas. During his half century as an organizer, Ross pioneered tactics that are widely used today. 'But,' asserts Thompson, 'his greatest legacy is in the people he inspired and mentored who went on to shape California and U.S. history.'"