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Revolution by the Book The AK Press Blog

Tons of new books!

Posted on April 2nd, 2011 in AK Distribution, Recommended Reading, Uncategorized

Below you’ll find the latest installment in our bi-weekly mailorder email blast, written especially for you by our awesome sales person, Suzanne! Doesn’t it make ya want to go to the website and order books right now???

The Right To Be LazyHappy spring from AK Press!

Despite this awesome photo of AK collective member Macio “getting lazy” with The Right to Be Lazy, it’s been an incredibly busy and productive month for us!


We’ve just published two long-awaited books: Property Is Theft! (the Proudhon reader) and Andrew Cornell’s Oppose and Propose. Plus, we’ve finished up work on Eddie Conway’s autobiography, Marshall Law, which will be arriving at the warehouse next week! Read on, below, for more about these new titles.

As if that’s not enough for one month, we’ve put out an exciting “surprise” release that wasn’t even part of our previously announced publishing season: the aforementioned The Right to Be Lazy, which is a co-publication with our comrades at the Charles H. Kerr Company. PLUS, we’re sending off another “surprise” release to the printer: Revolt and Crisis in Greece, edited by the folks at Occupied London (preorder yours now!!!).

So you can see we’re going a little publishing crazy. And it’s you, dear readers (we’re looking at you especially, Friends of AK Press) who will reap the benefits!

Spring is also our busiest events season of the year. Next weekend we will be tabling simultaneously at anarchist bookfairs in San Francisco and New York! Next stops: Toronto, Houston, and Los Angeles! Check out our upcoming events schedule to see if there might be an AK Press table near you…

New from AK Press: 25% Off

Property Is Theft

Property Is Theft
A Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Reader

Edited by Iain McKay · AK Press · Order Now for $18.70
(25% off regular list price of $24.95)

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809-1869) was one of the most important and influential political theorists of the nineteenth century, and the first man to call himself an “anarchist.” His social and economic ideas have been a source of inspiration and debate since 1840. Property Is Theft! collects his most important works in one volume, making many available in English for the first time. An indispensable resource for anyone interested in the history and development of anarchist principles and practice.

Read more about this book on our blog!

The Right to Be lazyThe Right To Be Lazy
Essays by Paul Lafargue

Edited by Bernard Marszalek · AK Press/Charles H. Kerr · Order Now for $12.00

(25% off regular list price of $16.00)

At once a masterpiece of critical theory and rip-roaring radical humor, this is one of the most spirited attacks on the notion of the “work ethic” ever to be published! Featuring a revised edition of the original English translation by Charles Hope Kerr, this collection also includes four of Paul Lafargue’s lesser-known critiques (including the “Cathecism for Investors”), as well as a biographical sketch by longtime Wobbly organizer Fred Thompson and a new introduction by the editor. Released in collaboration with Charles H. Kerr Company to celebrate their 125th anniversary year, and including a tribute to Kerr by labor journalist Kari Lydersen.

Read more about this book on our blog!

Oppose and ProposeOppose and Propose

Lessons from Movement for a New Society

Andrew Cornell · AK Press · Order Now for $9.00

(25% off regular list price of $12.00)

Where do the tactics, strategies, and lifestyles of today’s activists come from? Many ways of doing radical politics pioneered by Movement for a New Society in the 1970s and 1980s have become central to anti-authoritarian social movements: consensus decision making, spokescouncils, communal living, unlearning oppressive behavior, and co-operatively owned businesses. Andrew Cornell’s important contribution to US political history uses this story to raise crucial questions for activists today.

This is the second book in the Anarchist Interventions series, co-published with the Institute for Anarchist Studies. Also check out the first book in the series, Cindy Milstein’s Anarchism and its Aspirations.

Coming Soon from AK Press: 25% Off

Marshall Law

Marshall Law
The Life & Times of a Baltimore Black Panther

Marshall “Eddie” Conway & Dominque Stevenson · AK Press · Preorder Now for $11.96
(25% off regular list price of $15.95)

In 1970, the feds framed Eddie Conway for the murder of a Baltimore City Police officer. Forty years later, still incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit, Eddie Conway continues to resist. Marshall Law is a poignant story of strength and struggle. From his childhood in inner-city Baltimore to his political awakening in the military, from the rise of the Black Panther Party to the sham trial, the realities of prison life, escape attempts, labor organizing on the inside, and beyond, Eddie’s autobiography is a reminder that we all share the responsibility of resistance, no matter where we are.

Revolt and Crisis in GreeceRevolt and Crisis in Greece
Between a Present Yet to Pass and a Future Yet to Come

Edited by Antonis Vradis & Dimitris Dalakoglou · AK Press/ Occupied London · Preorder Now for $13.50

(25% off regular list price of $18.00)

How does a revolt come about and what does it leave behind? What impact does it have on those who participate in it and those who simply watch it? Is the Greek revolt of December 2008 confined to the shores of the Mediterranean, or are there lessons we can bring to bear on social action around the globe? A collaboration with the anarchist publishing collective Occupied London, this timely new volume traces Greece’s long moment of transition from the revolt of 2008 to the economic crisis that followed. In the essays collected here, over two dozen writers from around the world offer historical analysis of the factors that gave birth to December and the potentialities it has opened up in face of the capitalist crisis.

Read more about this book on our blog!

Be Our Friend… With Benefits.
Friends of AK PressFriends of AK Press


With so many great books on the horizon, there’s no time like the present to become a Friend of AK Press! It’s a great way to support AK Press’s publishing work, and in return you get every new book we publish, delivered right to you.
Sign up now, and get a stylish tote bag featuring the Friends of AK logo designed by Josh MacPhee! If you’re already a Friend, just refer someone else, and if they mention you when they sign up, you’ll both get a tote bag. And that’s not all-if you keep referring more people after your first, you’ll get a $20 AK Press gift certificate for each additional new Friend you sign up!

New Titles from AK Press Distro

Burn Collector #15

Burn Collector #15

Al Burian · Microcosm · $3.00

The expatriated Al Burian reflects on a year spent living in Berlin, Germany. His wildly free-range topics include: freedom, happiness, animal liberty, Aristotle, modern dentistry, riots as rituals, uncomfortable proximity to drunken teenagers, and how to best color co-ordinate an outfit that includes a Black Flag T-shirt and a baby stroller. Bonus: “When You Realize the Freedom,” an illustrated essay by Anne Elizabeth Moore.”

If you like Al Burian’s work, also check out: Things Are Meaning Less, Burn Collector: Collected Stories from One through Nine, Natural Disaster (which collects issues 10 through 13), and Burn Collector #14.

Fair GameFair Game
A Strategy Guide for Racial Justice Communications in the Obama Era

The Praxis Project · $20.00

A workbook-style guide from the good folks at The Praxis Project, designed to help racial justice advocates navigate new political waters. Through case studies, planning tools, and the latest research, Fair Game invites readers to explore proven strategies that offer promise for future success and to consider what we must do over the long term to regain lost ground. First introduced at the US Social Forum in Detroit, Fair Game is now available to the general public (and stores!) for the first time through AK Press Distribution.

And also be sure to check out this related title from AK Press: Talking the Walk: A Communications Guide for Racial Justice

3 Dead Princes3 Dead Princes
An Anarchist Fairy Tale

Danbert Nobacon & Alex Cox · Exterminating Angel · $13.00

A kids’ picture book from one of the founding members of Chumbawamba! Princess Stormy lives in a semi-detached castle with her family and a Fool. When an unhappy neighboring kingdom decides to invade, Stormy must go on her quest, meeting giant Cats, Mermangels, Giggle Monkeys, a Gricklegrack, and Flying Lizards on the way. Oh, and she kills three princes. But that’s by accident, and anyway it’s their own fault …

“An alternative fairy tale for anarchist/punk/fello traveler parents to read with their kids!” says Jessica Mills, author of My Mother Wears Combat Boots.

The South Is Still RisingThe South Is Still Rising

Contemporary Radical and Anarchist Activism in Richmond, Virginia from 1994-2004

Mo Karnage · Wingnut Collective · $21.95

The South is Still Rising explores the little-known story of radical organizing in Richmond, VA in terms that Mo’s mom (and by extension you!) can understand. It’s a history that places what’s happening in Richmond in relation to the area’s history, as well as to what’s going on nationally and internationally. Despite what you would discover from traditional media outlets, there is a lot of activism and anarchism to be found in Richmond!

True Cost of CoalTrue Cost of Coal Poster

Beehive Collective· $22.00

In 2008, the Beehive Design Collective allied with Appalachian grassroots organizers fighting Mountain Top Removal Coal Mining, a practice which blasts mountains into moonscapes to fuel the ever-growing global demand for electricity. Their team of volunteer artists and educators have put countless hours into designing “The True Cost of Coal,” a visually stunning graphic multi-tool for activists and ordinary folks seeking real solutions. This poster is 60″ X 31″ (about 5 feet by 2.5 feet, for those of you who are less mathematically inclined).

We also carry the Beehive Collective’s Plan Colombia Poster.

VenezuelaVenezuela

Revolution as Spectacle

Rafael Uzcategui · See Sharp · $16.95

Both leftist supporters and rightist opponents of the Chávez government will be outraged by the book’s premise that the Chávez regime is neither dictatorial nor revolutionary, but rather is one of a long line of Latin American populist regimes that are ultimately subservient to the U.S. government and to the transnational corporations. This well documented book covers a wide range of topics: Venezuela’s political history and the long involvement of the military in that history; Venezuela’s economy; Venezuela’s indigenous rights and human rights movements; Venezuela’s labor movement; and the social policies of the Chávez government and its predecessors.

CIA Makes Science Fiction Unexciting

The CIA Makes Science Fiction Unexciting #6

Lee Harvey Oswald
Abner Smith
· Microcosm · $5.00

At long last it’s the new issue of Microcosm’s continuing CIA zine series! For the tenth anniversary issue, we get an intimate, never-seen-before examination of the life and death of Lee Harvey Oswald. Using exclusive info and newly declassified documents,  CIAMSFU #6 puts into perspective a richly-detailed version of the Oswald story, from birth in 1939 to his historic televised assassination. Packed with interview text featuring figures as close to Oswald as his wife and mother, CIAMSFU #6 shows us Lee as a confused Marxist, an employee, a soldier, a lover, a people person, a trouble-starter, a world traveler, a show-off, even a “real cutie.” Shocking, humanizing-whatever you take away from it-this is the most fascinating and fast-moving CIA zine to date. A great addition to this well-loved series.

Also check out these other zines from the series.

Dream Whip 1-10

Dream Whip, Issues 1-10

Bill Brown · Microcosm · $12.00

Spanning 1994 to 1999, this 352-page pocket sized anthology collects issues 1 through 10 of the long-running Dream Whip zine. Inside, Bill Brown hits the road and finds adventure far and wide. Each page is lovingly handwritten or typed and illustrations and photographs abound. It’s tornadoes and pet cemeteries, Alaskan highways and the lonely ruins of government missile sites. Bill Brown’s America is seen with the big, dreaming heart of a romantic, everything recorded in sweet, smart, funny, beautifully-simple prose.

Also check out Dream Whip #14, a book-length issue in itself!

Vegan Baking Classics

Vegan Baking Classics

Delicious, Easy-to-Make Traditional Favorites
Kelly Rudnick
· Surrey Books · $17.95

Whether you are new to the world of vegan baking or are an old pro, this book will be invaluable. These reliable recipes use high-quality ingredients that are widely available and affordable. You’ll find delicious vegan versions of all the traditional favorites (brownies, muffins, breads,  bars, cookies, cupcakes), many with mouth-watering photos!

Vegan bakers: you’ll also like Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, and Sweet Utopia

How It All Vegan

How It All Vegan

Irresistible Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet (10th Anniversary Edition)
Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer
· Arsenal Pulp · $22.95

Since it was first published, How It All Vegan! has become a bible for vegan cooks, both diehard and newly converted. This tenth-anniversary edition includes a new color photo section and new recipes; it also includes a new introduction by co-author Sarah Kramer, who speaks personally and passionately about the impact of veganism on her life over the past decade.

Also available from the same author(s): The Garden of Vegan, La Dolce Vegan, and Vegan A Go-Go!