Best Books

I am currently reading ' The Legacy of Mark Rothko ' by Lee Seldes, to learn how a one time anarko-communist artist sold out and how capitalist forces shaped the outcome of his life and possibly his suicide. Just finished 'Blood of Brothers' by Stephen Kinzer about the Rise and Fall and Re-Birth of Sandinista Nicaragua....great fuckin book by someone who constantly risked his life to write an un-biased, very well balanced, first person account of the Nicaraguan Socialist Revolution.

 

I just finished "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise and Fall of Disaster Capitalism" by Naomi Klein. It's pretty self explanatory from the title alone. But basically it's about how the idea of an unfettered free market has destroyed everything in it's path, from South America, Russia, China, Poland, and South Africa, to New Orleans and the post 9/11 United States.

One of the best books i've read in a while.

 

I want to read a Brave New World

 

You should! It's quite good, even if the writing is kind of stodgy and dense at times... A brilliant philosopher Huxley was, but not significantly skilled at crafting a story or developing characters, in my opinion...

If you do read it, you should also read Island, Huxely's utopian example, so you get both sides of the sociatal spectrum.

 

I like alot of Hunter S Thompson

the fight club book is alot better than the movie,
but either way Chuck p. proves his point that people will buy anything.
including books that are anti-capitalist, anti-consumerist.

 

Hm... i have read quite a bit. Its one of my passions. If i had to pick a book(s) that was very good to me would have to be a tie between Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm and Zinn's Peoples History of the United States. Read these when i was about 16 or so and they pretty much catapulted me into reading literature along the lines of these works.

Rock on to reading...

AND FUCK THOSE PALM PILOT THINGS FOR BOOKS YOU TECH DOUCHEBAGS

 

Nice choice, animal farm is one of my all time favorites... go figure since i was forced to read it in high school...

 

I saw Naomi Klein speak on this subject some months ago, she's great.

 

I'm currently reading The COINTELPRO Papers by Ward Churchill and Jim Vander Wall. It's a great book for revolutionaries of all stripes as it gives a pretty detailed look at how the FBI has disrupted social justice movements. Churchill and Vander Wall include a lot of photocopied primary source memos from FBI field agents and offices which make for interesting reading.

 

Just finished the Inhuman Condition by Clive Barker
Favorites are Vonnegut, Heller, Lovecraft, and Barker

Steal This Book is a classic, even if it isn't the most relevant.

 

Thanks CrustyElmo

666

 

Books are a favorite hobby of mine, I spend more time reading than doing schoolwork.

Anywho I'm quite fond of Stephen King, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Tom Clancy.

Currently I re-reading The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King, highly recommended.

Any suggestions for post apocalyptic fiction along the lines of The Stand?

 

I'm reading a lot of science-fiction from the 60-80's . I like this period in SF since the writers are really serious about the topic at hand and blends philosophy and critique of modern society into good stories.

Apart from that I'm currently reading some Nietzsche and Black Flame: The revolutionary Class Politics of Anarchism and syndicalism

 

After reading "No Logo" as well, i'd say she is one of the greatest journalists of our time.

 

The Handmaids Tale is sposeta b alrite, read Doris Lessing um and noami klein um that cud b debated haha, na but she opened sum eyes and on her, need to read others for perspective though oh and also remember to look up and around you and think about you're life or you'l never understand a thing, Camu - the outsider is good, look up exhitentiolist writers too, i don't read much of that stuff as its in the context of after world war 2 when half the wordl had been destroyed, its helpful but not the end all which many richy uni kids take to heart as they have no experience of 'life', not punk rock which deals in realities which the system often wants to distract us from any which way then realise wait on, don't get self rightious once read and think you know all eives, thats what context is for but do follow ya heart and stay focussed, oh see The Take too, def haha

 

A few of my favourites:

Making A Killing: The Political Economy of Animal Rights by Bob Torres

Introduction to Animal rights by Gary Francione

Evolution by Stephen Baxter

King Leopolds Ghost by Adam Hochschild

The Graves are Not Yet Full by Bill Berkely

And if you are into epic sci-fi with leftist undertones I can heartily recommend anything by Iain M. Banks. His "culture" novels are mind blowing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Culture

 

One of teh best books I've read is:

Granny Made Me An Anarchist by Stuart Christie

True life story of a working class guy from Scotland who became involved with anarchism and went to Spain to kill Spanish dictator Fransisco Franco, he was also linked with the Angry Brigade and started the Anarchist Black Cross and Black Flag magazine along side Albert Meltzer.

A fascinating read from the view point of a working class man who just had enough, well worth a read in my opinion.

 

no anarchy involved just a good book THE SCHWA WAS HERE its an easy read but i love it

 

I usually read a couple of books at a time so here goes:

Italian Anarchism by Nunzio Pernicone
detailed history of the early anarchist movement in italy from 1964-1892

Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis
the best book i have ever read about the hyposcrisy of fundamentalist christians. Lewis was a satiritical genious

An Anarchist Faq Volume 1
i know its online for free, but i hate reading through a computer screen. If i read for too long it gives me a headache. definatly the best staring point for anyone who wants to learn about anarchism.