Book picks similar to
Ideas for Action: Relevant Theory for Radical Change by Cynthia Kaufman
organizing
theory
read-enough
social-entrepreneurship
The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World
Vijay Prashad - 2007
The Darker Nations traces the intellectual origins and the political history of the twentieth century attempt to knit together the world’s impoverished countries in opposition to the United States and Soviet spheres of influence in the decades following World War II.Spanning every continent of the global South, Vijay Prashad’s fascinating narrative takes us from the birth of postcolonial nations after World War II to the downfall and corruption of nationalist regimes. A breakthrough book of cutting-edge scholarship, it includes vivid portraits of Third World giants like India’s Nehru, Egypt’s Nasser, and Indonesia’s Sukarno—as well as scores of extraordinary but now–forgotten intellectuals, artists, and freedom fighters. The Darker Nations restores to memory the vibrant though flawed idea of the Third World, whose demise, Prashad ultimately argues, has produced a much impoverished international political arena.
How Nonviolence Protects the State
Peter Gelderloos - 2007
Today protest is often shaped by cooperation with state authorities—even organizers of rallies against police brutality apply for police permits, and anti-imperialists usually stop short of supporting self-defense and armed resistance. How Nonviolence Protects the State challenges the belief that nonviolence is the only way to fight for a better world. In a call bound to stir controversy and lively debate, Peter Gelderloos invites activists to consider diverse tactics, passionately arguing that exclusive nonviolence often acts to reinforce the same structures of oppression that activists seek to overthrow.Contemporary movements for social change face plenty of difficult questions, but sometimes matters of strategy and tactics receive low priority. Many North American activists fail to scrutinize the role of nonviolence, never posing essential questions:• Is nonviolence effective at ending systems of oppression?• Does nonviolence intersect with white privilege and the dominance of North over South?• How does pacifism reinforce the same power dynamic as patriarchy?• Ultimately, does nonviolence protect the state?Peter Gelderloos is a radical community organizer. He is the author of Consensus: A New Handbook for Grassroots Political, Social, and Environmental Groups and a contributor to Letters From Young Activists. He is the co-facilitator of a workshop on the prison system, and is also involved in independent media, copwatching, anti-oppression work, and anarchist organizing.
This Civilisation is Finished: Conversations on the end of Empire - and what lies beyond
Rupert Read - 2019
It requires limitless economic growth on a finite planet. The reckless combustion of fossil fuels means that Earth's climate is changing disastrously, in ways that cannot be resolved by piecemeal reform or technological innovation. Sooner rather than later this global capitalist system will come to an end, destroyed by its own ecological contradictions. Unless humanity does something beautiful and unprecedented, the ending of industrial civilisation will take the form of collapse, which could mean a harrowing die-off of billions of people.This book is for those ready to accept the full gravity of the human predicament - and to consider what in the world is to be done. How can humanity mindfully navigate the inevitable descent ahead? Two critical thinkers here remove the rose-tinted glasses of much social and environmental commentary. With unremitting realism and yet defiant positivity, they engage each other in uncomfortable conversations about the end of Empire and what lies beyond.
The Democrats: A Critical History
Lance Selfa - 2008
Lance Selfa has crafted a smart, readable history of the Democrats that reminds us of the party’s allegiance to capital."—Eleanor J. Bader, The Indypendent"If you've ever wondered where the democracy is in the Democratic Party and why US elections rarely seem to change anything, this book will explain the where and the why. Providing readers with the history of the Democrats from its genesis as the party of the slaveholders to the neoliberal DLC, author Selfa describes the Democrats' role in diverting Americans' desire for change."—Ron JacobsOffering a broad historical perspective, Selfa shows how the Democratic Party has time and again betrayed the aspirations of ordinary people while pursuing an agenda favorable to Wall Street and U.S. imperial ambitions.He examines the relationship between party leaders and social movements, from the civil rights struggle to the movement to end the Iraq war; reveals the unhappy marriage between U.S. labor and the “party of the people;” and assesses the mixed record of attempts to build a third party alternative.Further, Selfa argues that the Democrats’ record of backing the rich and breaking promises to its voting base is not a recent departure from an otherwise laudable past, but results from its role as one of two parties serving the interests of the U.S. establishment.
Until We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarceration, and a Road to Repair
Danielle Sered - 2019
Critically, Sered argues that reckoning is owed not only on the part of individuals who have caused violence, but also by our nation for its overreliance on incarceration to produce safety—at a great cost to communities, survivors, racial equity, and the very fabric of our democracy.Although over half the people incarcerated in America today have committed violent offenses, the focus of reformers has been almost entirely on nonviolent and drug offenses. Called “innovative” and “truly remarkable” by The Atlantic and “a top-notch entry into the burgeoning incarceration debate” by Kirkus Reviews, Sered’s Until We Reckon argues with searing force and clarity that our communities are safer the less we rely on prisons and jails as a solution for wrongdoing.Sered asks us to reconsider the purposes of incarceration and argues persuasively that the needs of survivors of violent crime are better met by asking people who commit violence to accept responsibility for their actions and make amends in ways that are meaningful to those they have hurt—none of which happens in the context of a criminal trial or a prison sentence. Critically, Sered argues that the reckoning owed is not only on the part of those who have committed violence, but also by our nation’s overreliance on incarceration to produce safety—at great cost to communities, survivors, racial equity, and the very fabric of our democracy.
Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World's Water
Maude Barlow - 1999
Our most basic resource may one day be limited: our consumption doubles every twenty years—twice the rate of population increase. At the same time, increasingly transnational corporations are plotting to control the world’s dwindling water supply. In England and France, where water has already been privatized, rates have soared, and water shortages have been severe. The major bottled-water producers—Perrier, Evian, Naya, and now Coca-Cola and PepsiCo—are part of one of the fastest-growing and least-regulated industries, buying up freshwater rights and drying up crucial supplies.A truly shocking exposé that is a call to arms to people around the world, Blue Gold shows in frightening detail why, as the vice president of the World Bank has pronounced, “The wars of the next century will be about water.”
Colonize This!: Young Women of Color on Today's Feminism
Bushra Rehman - 2002
Now a new generation of brilliant, outspoken women of color is speaking to the concerns of a new feminism, and their place in it. Daisy Hernandez of Ms. magazine and poet Bushra Rehman have collected a diverse, lively group of emerging writers who speak to their experience—to the strength and rigidity of community and religion, to borders and divisions, both internal and external—and address issues that take feminism into the twenty-first century. One writer describes herself as a “mixed brown girl, Sri-Lankan and New England mill-town white trash,” and clearly delineates the organizing differences between whites and women of color: “We do not kick ass the way the white girls do, in meetings of NOW or riot grrl. For us, it’s all about family.” A Korean-American woman struggles to create her own identity in a traditional community: “Yam-ja-neh means nice, sweet, compliant. I’ve heard it used many times by my parents’ friends who don’t know shit about me.” An Arab-American feminist deconstructs the “quaint vision” of Middle-Eastern women with which most Americans feel comfortable. This impressive array of first-person accounts adds a much-needed fresh dimension to the ongoing dialogue between race and gender, and gives voice to the women who are creating and shaping the feminism of the future.
My Life: A Spoken Autobiography
Fidel Castro - 2006
Here Castro speaks with raw frankness about the events of his extraordinary life and the legacy he hopes to leave behind.
Reform or Revolution
Rosa Luxemburg - 1898
Why capitalism cannot overcome its internal contradictions and the working class cannot "reform" away exploitation and economic crises.
Knocking the Hustle: Against the Neoliberal Turn in Black Politics
Lester K. Spence - 2015
“I’m not a business man; I’m a business, man.” Perhaps no better statement gets at the heart of this turn. Increasingly we’re being forced to think of ourselves in entrepreneurial terms, forced to take more and more responsibility for developing our “human capital.” Furthermore a range of institutions from churches to schools to entire cities have been remade, restructured to in order to perform like businesses. Finally, even political concepts like freedom, and democracy have been significantly altered. As a result we face higher levels of inequality than any other time over the last century. In Knocking the Hustle: Against the Neoliberal Turn in Black Politics, Lester K. Spence writes the first book length effort to chart the effects of this transformation on African American communities, in an attempt to revitalize the black political imagination. Rather than asking black men and women to “hustle harder” Spence criticizes the act of hustling itself as a tactic used to demobilize and disempower the communities most in need of empowerment.
Introduction to the Reading of Hegel: Lectures on the Phenomenology of Spirit
Alexandre Kojève - 1947
This collection of lectures--originally compiled by Raymond Queneau and edited for its English-language translation by Allan Bloom--shows the intensity of Kojeve's study and thought and the depth of his insight into Hegel's Phenomenology. More important--for Kojeve was above all a philosopher and not an ideologue--this profound and venturesome work on Hegel will expose the readers to the excitement of discovering a great mind in all its force and power.
Guitar: The Circle of Fifths for Guitarists: Learn and Apply Music Theory for Guitarists
Joseph Alexander - 2016
Discover how to build every major and relative minor scales.
Understand how key signatures work and instantly know the notes of any scale
An instant trick to tell you the notes in any key, just using by looking at your guitar fretboard!
Bonus: Learn to instantly see the relationships six ‘secret’ closely related key changes that you can use in your own writing and playing instantly. Are you Missing part of the puzzle? Most guitarists know a lot of scales, but few actually understand the essential principles of how they are built and how they relate to each other.The Circle of Fifths is like an ancient ‘Rosetta Stone’ of music theory that not only tells you which notes are in any key, but also contains the secret of how every scale is built and how every scale relates to each other.In The Circle of Fifths, you will not only learn how The Circle works, but you will also learn to build it yourself and gain instant access to the deep inner core of theory that governs everything in music.The Circle of Fifths for Guitarists shows how every key, scale, chord and modulation works in music. It’s essential knowledge of any aspiring musician. Hear it! Theory is just knowledge, but once you hear it, it becomes music. The Circle of Fifths for Guitarists contains many supporting audio examples to help you get inside the theory and quickly apply the concepts to your own playing. Get it for free from www.fundamental-changes.com This book is Free on Kindle Unlimited
Marxism and Literary Criticism
Terry Eagleton - 1976
Sharp and concise, it is, without doubt, the most important work on literary criticism that has emerged out of the tradition of Marxist philosophy and social theory since the nineteenth century.
The Red Deal: Indigenous Action to Save Our Earth
The Red Nation - 2021
We—Indigenous, Black and people of color, women and trans folks, migrants, and working people—did not create this disaster, but we have inherited it. We have barely a decade to turn back the tide of climate disaster. It is time to reclaim the life and destiny that has been stolen from us and rise up together to confront this challenge and build a world where all life can thrive. Only mass movements can do what the moment demands. Politicians may or may not follow--it is up to them--but we will design, build, and lead this movement with or without them.The Red Deal is a call for action beyond the scope of the US colonial state. It’s a program for Indigenous liberation, life, and land—an affirmation that colonialism and capitalism must be overturned for this planet to be habitable for human and other-than-human relatives to live dignified lives. The Red Deal is not a response to the Green New Deal, or a “bargain” with the elite and powerful. It’s a deal with the humble people of the earth; a pact that we shall strive for peace and justice and a declaration that movements for justice must come from below and to the left.
Before You Put That on: 365 Daily Style Tips for Her
Lloyd Boston - 2005
He's familiar to readers who made his style guides for men -- and the women who dress them -- bestselling books. Now with Before You Put That On, Boston delivers 365 expert fashion tips to help women create a wardrobe and a personal style they can be proud of every day of the year -- using much of what may already be in their closets! Lloyd Boston defines finding your style as "taking your world and giving it shape." That's what he's done for his individual and corporate clientele for years, and now with this beautifully designed book -- including his own original art -- he's offering his insider secrets to you. Boston's user-friendly references are filled with inspirational ideas for looking and feeling your most stylish.Friendly, frank, and with a wealth of professional tips at his disposal, Boston guides readers through an entire year's worth of fashion choices, beginning with a new style resolution at the top of the year, through the fresh fashion possibilities of spring and barely dressed days of summer, and back through the glittering holidays.Before You Put That On offers:• Hints for choosing garments to flatter every body type• Simple solutions for going from day to night in minutes• Tailoring tricks that bring new life to items you already own• Advice on adding accessories that turn a look from frumpy to fabulous• Organizational tips for creating a user-friendly closetNamed one of Crain's magazine's "40 Under 40," he is also a national spokesperson for companies including Tommy Hilfiger, Jones New York, and LensCrafters. As Boston himself says, "Nothing makes me happier than helping real people look their absolute best." Whether the occasion is lunch with a new client, a catch-up drink with friends, or a special holiday gathering, Before You Put That On provides classic ideas that will usher readers through every event with confidence and panache.