I've been meaning to read Unpeople for a long time and finally got around into diving into this beast of a book the other week. This is not for the faI've been meaning to read Unpeople for a long time and finally got around into diving into this beast of a book the other week. This is not for the faint-hearted; it's a warts and all historical account of Britain's involvement in pretty much all the wars and genocides which have taken place since WW2. No stone is left unturned here and it makes for some very grim reading.
A must-read for those who are politically skeptical and have a deeper interest in human rights and British foreign policy. Incredibly well researched and written....more
An excellent 'all-rounder' for those interested in climate change. Aimed primarily at younger readers (GCSE level), it covers all the main topics withAn excellent 'all-rounder' for those interested in climate change. Aimed primarily at younger readers (GCSE level), it covers all the main topics with clear information and statistics, and the shorter chapters help to keep the reader interested without bombarding them with too much all at once....more
21 Lessons for the 21st Century has been recommended to me so many times by friends that I lost count that I just had to pick it up from the library. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century has been recommended to me so many times by friends that I lost count that I just had to pick it up from the library. This meaty beast of a book really gets the brain ticking when it comes to discussing in detail, the 'big' problems that society faces. From the widespread use of AI to the rise of populism and fake news, there are so many topics to get your teeth stuck into to open up debates.
I particularly enjoyed the chapter on AI & tech and found it utterly engrossing; I had several deep conversations with friends on this topic alone after reading it!...more
Bonfire Of The Brands initially started off well as the author explains his journey of why he wants to try and live without mainstream & luxury brandsBonfire Of The Brands initially started off well as the author explains his journey of why he wants to try and live without mainstream & luxury brands. However, as the book progresses it becomes tiresome and too self-indulgent, with few interesting titbits to keep the reader engaged.
Although clearly written in a completely different vein, I’d recommend reading the anti-consumer classic No Logo by Naomi Klein instead....more
Books on drug culture seem to have become somewhat redundant in recent years with the rise of documentaries on Netflix, so perhaps the reason that I fBooks on drug culture seem to have become somewhat redundant in recent years with the rise of documentaries on Netflix, so perhaps the reason that I found Streatfeild's history of cocaine so fascinating was because it was like watching a Vice documentary, only in book form.
This hefty 500 page+ tomb appeared rather daunting from the outset but thanks to Streatfeild's friendly and always engaging tone throughout, I found myself instantly sucked into the crazy world of cocaine - the gangs, the politics, the abuses, the addictions, and everything else in between. It's riveting from start to finish and packed full of well-researched info that never gets boring....more
The No-Nonsense Guides are handy, pocket-sized books that cover a range of topical themes. This one is focussed on women's rights and is packed full oThe No-Nonsense Guides are handy, pocket-sized books that cover a range of topical themes. This one is focussed on women's rights and is packed full of useful facts and stats which makes it ideal as a reference guide to essays and dissertations. Nikki van der Gaag writes in a similar style to Naomi Klein and doesn't sugarcoat anything....more
Written back in 2001, The Silent Takeover comes across as a bit dated now, but still serves as a good recap for those who are interested in the rise oWritten back in 2001, The Silent Takeover comes across as a bit dated now, but still serves as a good recap for those who are interested in the rise of free-market capitalism from the start of the Thatcher/Reagan era. It charts the inevitable downfall of this particular method of economics and is interesting as a reminder of how markets crash and how recessions happen....more
CND have always been an organisation that I've had a massive amount of respect for, and I would have loved to have grown up in the '60s, just to experCND have always been an organisation that I've had a massive amount of respect for, and I would have loved to have grown up in the '60s, just to experience those huge protest rallies full of like-minded people. The energy must have been truly electrifying.
Now More Than Ever gives us a comprehensive history of CND; how it came to be from its humble beginnings to its transformation into one of the world's most recognisable anti-nuclear / peace movements with a huge international following. The book charts the many struggles and challenges along the way, as well as recognising the achievements and changes that CND played a part in. Some parts are a little tough to get through if you're not accustomed to certain legal processes, but for the majority is very accessible.
Many people nowadays think that nuclear war will never happen due to all of the world's superpowers possessing arsenals of nuclear weapons based on the popular 'mutual destruction' theory (which is debunked as a myth in the book due to advancements in long-range missile technology - all you need is to be the country with the best tech and you could strike your nukes first, obliterating your 'enemy' into pieces before they even have chance to retaliate). However, with ever-increasing hostility and tensions between world leaders and a lack of essential resources such as oil, food and water being forecast for the future, I still think the threat of nuclear war is a worrying one, especially with a certain reckless orange idiot manning the helm of the most powerful country in the world. Anything's possible and CND could easily see a major revival on the horizon....more
Memoirs and biographies are usually the privilege of the rich and the famous, so it's interesting that a writer would want to nitpick through the gritMemoirs and biographies are usually the privilege of the rich and the famous, so it's interesting that a writer would want to nitpick through the gritty details of a homeless person's life and write a biography of sorts for them, but I'm very glad that Alexander Masters took on the challenge.
This book is a warts and all insight into the life of Stuart Shorter, told in reverse from the present day and winding its way back to his childhood, and it makes for some very difficult reading. Stuart's life was plagued by addiction, mental illness, crime and subsequent imprisonment, homelessness, and sadly child abuse (the latter of which may or may not have been a precursor to the events that later unfolded). It's a depressing series of events to have to live through, but the present day Stuart saw a man coming back from the brink of misery and trying to change his life for the better.
The relationship between Alexander Masters and Stuart Shorter is both entertaining and bittersweet, as Alexander can see the many causes and effects of Stuart's behaviour, which at times are frustrating to those on the outside trying to help him. But there's also the other side to Stuart - the one that wants to help others (as so clearly demonstrated in his campaigning for the release of Ruth Wyner and John Brock back in 1999), the one that sees the positive when others only see the negative, and the one that is desperately trying to get his shit together after years of chaos.
I've seen and worked with many Stuart's during homelessness outreach projects I've been a part of via Shelter and Citizen's Advice, so I was able to identify a lot with Alexander, but the book also helped me to see the world through Stuart's eyes as well. Highly recommend it to anyone working with the homeless or studying social work / social policy etc....more
Jon Ronson is a bit like Hunter S. Thompson if only HST didn't do any drugs, ever. Actually, Ronson doesn't share many similarities with the late, greJon Ronson is a bit like Hunter S. Thompson if only HST didn't do any drugs, ever. Actually, Ronson doesn't share many similarities with the late, great Thompson other than a love for gonzo journalism so he's really much more like Louis Theroux (but not as cute).
I digress. Them is a mostly hilarious account of Ronson's encounters with a range of extremists such as the now exiled Islamic hate preacher, Omar Bakri, members of the Klu Klux Klan and people like the lizard-obsessive David Icke to name but a few - all entwined with an ambition to find out who the secret rulers of the world are, or rather if the infamous Bilderberg group exists or not. Some of his stories with these people are more funny and outrageous than others, so the chapters are a little hit and miss depending on what you find interesting.
In a time when everyone's terrified of IS, I think it's important to have some humour in your life, though I can appreciate that this book won't be everyone's cup of tea. ...more
One of the most engaging books on activism that I've read in a long time and one that's up to date with the main grassroots organisations that have caOne of the most engaging books on activism that I've read in a long time and one that's up to date with the main grassroots organisations that have caused some noise in the media recently (this edition was only published last year). Dixon offers an interesting analysis and insight into these radical movements which are taking place across the world (though I have to say the text is more based on the ones found in the USA and Canada). He looks at the reasons why they form, how they get together and how these groups can take things to the next level to achieve their goals and change the political arena. I found his views on the Occupy movement particularly poignant.
Another Politics is inspiring and thought-provoking without being naive - a must read for anyone into activism and grassroots politics....more
Like many, I first heard about Bates' Everyday Sexism project via Twitter when the #ShoutingBack hashtag was gaining momentum, and I thought it was a Like many, I first heard about Bates' Everyday Sexism project via Twitter when the #ShoutingBack hashtag was gaining momentum, and I thought it was a great idea to have an online platform where women can share their daily experiences of sexism. I picked up the accompanying book, yet I had no idea of the emotional impact it was going to have on me.
When I was 12 years old, my proudest moment was when I campaigned with a group of other girls in my year to force our headmaster to let us wear trousers in the winter months. At that time, I don't think any of us thought of it as a 'women's or equal rights or sexist issue' or anything like that. We were simply fed up of freezing our legs off because we had to wear skirts and it was bloody cold (tights just weren't cutting it)! After our demands were met, the penny only dropped months later when Spring arrived and we were expected to go back to wearing skirts, and we asked that all important question 'but WHY?'. The boys didn't have to wear skirts, so why should we? We don't want to! It's not fair! Eventually, the headmaster relented and that was the end of that.
I didn't give feminism much more thought. Personally, I was much more interested in other issues like saving the environment, animal rights, the third world debt, the rich and poor divide, and later on, socialism, anarchism, communism (the proper kind, not to be confused with fascism). Feminism didn't really appeal to me because the feminists at my college were all lesbians and really uptight- they were no fun and I just wanted to hang out with the boys with dreads, go to gigs, get drunk and smoke weed. Feminists didn't do that, they just moaned about everything.
It was only when I began to work crappy jobs that I started to see how unequal society was. Nearly all the managers and supervisors were men, and the women were mostly working in low paid positions as admin staff, carers, checkout assistants, shop staff etc. It was 'normal' to see women in the bathroom at lunchtime crying because they didn't know what to do because their creepy manager had come onto them earlier that day. I remember having to register at a different surgery seven miles away because my local one didn't have a female GP, and arguing with staff there because I was out of their catchment area. It all started to click into place.
But I digress. Bates' Everyday Sexism book brought up a lot of my own past experiences with sexism that I thought I had forgotten about for good. Like the time I went to London for work experience with a big advertising company and a man in a suit outside asked me if I'd give him a blow job for £50 - I was 16. Or the time I got lost in Manchester after a gig and a group of men asked if I wanted to go back to their flat for a 'party' and I ran faster than I'd ever run in my life. Or the times I had my bra snapped by boys at school or was whistled at by builders and called a slut when I gave them the finger. I rarely told anyone about these and when I did, even close friends didn't want to know and they certainly didn't want to discuss it. These were all just 'normal' things - why did I want to make a fuss?
Reading other women's experiences in the Everyday Sexism book made me incredibly depressed because I never realised how wide a problem it was, but it also made me feel angry and empowered to want to 'do' something about it as well. Interspersed with the factual accounts are shocking statistics and Bates' does a fantastic job of addressing the issues of why we all need to learn and respect the values of consent and personal boundaries and we need to recognise that assault can come in any form where you have not consented to it happening to you.
The chapters are themed around a certain subject (e.g Women in Media, Young Women Learning, Women in Politics etc), very accessible to read, concise and to the point, whilst at the same time offering enough information to get your blood boiling. There's also a good chapter on men and what they can do to call out sexism when they see it and be part of the change because it's not going to happen on just one side. Things are certainly improving from when I was much younger and that was only 10 or 20 years ago, but there's so much more that needs to be done, so this is a book I would recommend to everyone....more
There aren't many more chilling statements that have been made about the death of the human race than this:
"If the bee disappeared off the surface of There aren't many more chilling statements that have been made about the death of the human race than this:
"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left.” –Albert Einstein
A World Without Bees was published back in 2008 so some of the information feels a little dated now as more research has been done, however I would still recommend this to anyone who is looking to brush up on some background info. It looks into some of the possible causes of the declines in honeybee populations around the world, so the use of pesticides and intensive farming is discussed as well as diseases and the phenomena of CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder), whilst giving a good overview of how essential bees are to sustain ourselves and our ecosystem. A sobering book to pick up....more
Chomsky's Media Control is a slim paperback but packs in a lot within its fully accessible mini chapters. It gives us a brief overview of a couple of Chomsky's Media Control is a slim paperback but packs in a lot within its fully accessible mini chapters. It gives us a brief overview of a couple of key propaganda techniques that the US government have employed to keep the 'bewildered herd' distracted, which seems more relevant for me to read than ever as the UK heads towards yet another circus election. If you're already familiar with Chomsky's work then this book will seem much of the same, but if you're not, it's a great little introduction....more
A decent book that recalls some of the history and analysis of the supermarket wars in the UK, but not a patch on Joanna Blythman's 'Shopped' which I'A decent book that recalls some of the history and analysis of the supermarket wars in the UK, but not a patch on Joanna Blythman's 'Shopped' which I'd recommend reading instead because it's more thoroughly researched and indepth than this one....more
An incredible account of investigative journalism into Britain's use of torture which covers the pre WW2 and Cold War eras, right up until the post 9/An incredible account of investigative journalism into Britain's use of torture which covers the pre WW2 and Cold War eras, right up until the post 9/11 situation we're in now. Whilst the subject itself is heavy going and deeply disturbing, Cobain writes in such an accessible way that you almost feel like you're reading a fictional crime novel when it's actually all recently declassified fact.
In Cruel Britannia you'll find out about Britain's involvement in just about every incident of torture ever recorded (seriously, it seems like we taught others how to do it first). The accounts of torture are recorded from survivors of the secret interrogation camps during WW2 and the Cold War, the Mau Mau Uprising, and from those who were unlucky enough to get wrapped up in the post 9/11 hysteria, the fact is horrifying. Cobain also dedicates a good portion of the book to the infamous 'Five Techniques' of torture and particularly hones in on their usage during the IRA/ Northern Ireland conflict.
As well as the obvious, there's the usual accounts of dirty politics, dodgy laws, smear campaigns against those who tried to whistleblow / speak out about torture, enormous amounts of money being wasted, lots of bureaucracy and more cover ups than I thought could be possible. ...more
From the blurb, I was expecting Herd to be another shallow, capitalist-minded rave about influencing consumers a[Read for PR & Business Ethics module]
From the blurb, I was expecting Herd to be another shallow, capitalist-minded rave about influencing consumers and getting them to buy, buy, buy. Instead, it delves much deeper into the human psyche and looks at the natural patterns within society that bring people together, how they interact with one another, but most importantly, why we do what we do. Earls begins by introducing a couple of key points that make people the way they are; for example how Culture promotes Intelligence, the genetic closeness of humans and apes, the ways in which babies copy those around them which shapes their development, how depression affects us etc.
Further on in the book, he develops on these points and elaborates on them in subsequent chapters, linking them to how this basic knowledge of human nature can shape the way marketers and PR people can use it for their businesses. Whilst this is obviously the aim of the game, I would also recommend it to those who work with charities, NGOs, grassroots groups, as way in which they can help promote their causes to the public arena. In turn, activists may find some of the human interaction tips useful when they're planning gatherings of people etc.
Whilst I like the friendly, chatty nature of this book, it does get a bit repetitive at times, so it's one to pick up and read in parts.
An interesting book about censorship and free speech, which has a strong emphasis on British libel laws and the subsequent problems that people face wAn interesting book about censorship and free speech, which has a strong emphasis on British libel laws and the subsequent problems that people face when they go up against them.
Cohen uses some well known examples to clarify his points such as the backlash that Salman Rushdie experienced when he published The Satanic Verses, and how bankers were allowed to bring about the 2008 recession crisis because many whistleblowers were suppressed through the courts to keep their mouths shut.
There's also a good section on the pros and cons of free speech on the internet, and a brief advice section for citizens detailing what action they can take to become freer. ...more
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