Librarian picks
Forums
a list of some anarchist librarians’ favorite and recommended texts on the library
read the post here:
https://bookshelf.theanarchistlibrary.org/library/librarian-picks
and share your own list below in the comments of this forum post.
a mixed bag, just as i'd…
a mixed bag, just as i'd expect. how about having guest lists every now and then?
PS the CAPTCHA is way too hard on here. it took me three attempts and i'm usually quite good at them. the image is too small
Hello Anonymous, This forum…
Hello Anonymous,
This forum post is for guest posts. Would love to see your top 10 favorite and recommended texts from The Anarchist Library as a comment here.
I eased up the image CAPTCHA and immediately got hit with like 5+ spam comments and articles. We have been under robot spam attack since starting these forums. I will try changing it up to the math CAPTCHA instead of an image one to see how this works.
ex-librarian picks
Last time I put together a list I included these:
"The Anarchist Tension", a talk by Alfredo M. Bonanno. Jean Weir's translations are good, but if you read Italian go for the original. Bonanno's work more generally is worth digging into.
"That Teaching is Impossible", by Alejandro de Acosta.
"The Philosophy of Progress" and "Principles of the Philosophy of Progress", serving as introductions to P.-J. Proudhon's anti-absolutism and his very-useful sociology in terms of *collective force*.
"Why We Don't Make Demands", by CrimethInc., a very accessible text on the 'direct action' ethic of anarchists.
All of Voltairine de Cleyre. Really enjoyed 'getting to know her' in the past few years. Most of it is still not available on the library. Also check out Paul Avrich's biography ("An American Anarchist").
"The Bankruptcy of Beliefs" and its sequel "The Rising Anarchism", by Ricardo Mella.
My favorite 4
My favorite 4 that have been really influential to me as a person (and that I go back to) are:
- Finding Revolutionary Love in a World of Profound Alienation by Hêlîn Asî
- The Child and its enemies by Emma Goldman
- Green Syndicalism by Jeff Shantz
- Against the Logic of the Guillotine by Crimethinc.
I like these texts because they tackle things that I care about in this case child care (lest we forget Froebel’s advocacy for universal education at a time where only the church and wealthy had the ability to learn new things), love and how it’s a constant force that keeps people alive, syndicalism and worker unions and how worker power and the intimate connections we make at work, home, school, etc. are important towards saving the environment and creating an equitable world without hierarchy and oppression, and the lessons we learn from our pasts and how to apply it towards creating a safer world for everyone without the need of vengeance fantasies.
Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day!
recommended bangers
What do anarchists mean by "federalism?" - Daniel al-Rashid
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/what-do-anarchists-mean-by-fede…
Foundational Concepts of the Specific Anarchist Organisation - Tommy Lawson
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/tommy-lawson-foundational-conce…
Towards an Anarchist Theory of Power - Filipe Correa
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/towards-an-anarchist-theory-of-…
Elements of Anarchist Theory and Strategy - Filipe Correa
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/felipe-correa-elements-of-anarc…
The Workers, United: A Case for Anarchist Participation in Mass Unions - Levi H.
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/the-workers-united-a-case-for-a…
Huerta Grande - Federación Anarquista Uruguaya
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/federacion-anarquista-uruguaya-…
COPEI - Federación Anarquista Uruguaya
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/federacion-anarquista-uruguaya-…
"An Organisation of Militants" - Tommy Lawson (interview with the FAU)
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/tommy-lawson-an-organisation-of…
Black Anarchism Reader - Black Rose Anarchist Federation
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/black-rose-anarchist-federation…
For a Theory of Strategy - Brazilian Anarchist Coordination (CAB)
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/coordenacao-anarquista-brasilei…
Social Anarchism & Organisation - Anarchist Federation of Rio de Janeiro
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/anarchist-federation-of-rio-de-…
Capitalism, Anti-Capitalism and Popular Organisation - Popular University of Rio de Janeiro
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/popular-university-of-rio-de-ja…
Socialism is Not Charity: Why We're Against "Mutual Aid" - Black Flag Sydney
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/black-flag-sydney-socialism-is-…
Feminism & Organised Anarchism - Brazillian Anarchist Coordination (CAB)
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/coordenacao-anarquista-brasilei…
The Burning Issue - Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/melbourne-anarchist-communist-g…
Agroecology & Organised Anarchism - Anarchist Federation of Rio de Janeiro & Black Rose/Rosa Negra
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/black-rose-anarchist-federation…
A Sick Planet - Guy Debord
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/a-sick-planet
Minimum Definition of Revolutionary Organisations - Situationist International
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/situationist-international-mini…
The Society of the Spectacle - Guy Debord
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/guy-debord-the-society-of-the-s…
Swedish Syndicalism: Its ideology and practice - SAC
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/rasmus-hastbacka-swedish-syndic…
I think the idea was to tell…
I think the idea was to tell people why, not just hit them with a wall of text...
^ 100%. Also the librarians…
^ 100%. Also the librarians limited the texts to a maximum of 10ish.
Would love to hear why you think some of these texts are your favorites.
nah totally fair I should…
nah totally fair I should have kept it limited and organised the list
They've been reference texts I've gone back to multiple times (Foundational Concepts of the SAO, Social Anarchism & Organisation, huerta grande), or condense a lot of useful information in a relatively short amount of pages. Some of them are strategic documents or review/introduce core aspects of anarchist practice, like COPEI (armed struggle), or "The Burning Issue" (climate strategy).
This is what makes good theory to me, rather than something being cool or famous or from a historically big name like bakunin.
I tried to think about what I would want to save if the library was about to be lost as a resource forever, and there wasn't enough time to grab the things personally dear to me. A lot of those had been recommended elsewhere anyway
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