The word "feminism" has never been so ubiquitous, but it's in danger of being reduced to a new way to make women buy things. In this fantastic book (which is only partially about sex), Kristen Ghodsee makes a powerful case for the power of universal social programmes like childcare, healthcare, and parental leave to grant women economic, social, and political independence.
This new book by the founder of Jacobin magazine is a fantastic introduction to democratic socialism, the hottest new craze that's sweeping the nation! In his typically readable and engaging style, Bhaskar imagines a plausible socialist future, outlines the successes and failures of socialism in the Twentieth Century, and shows how the instability of liberal capitalism presents an opportunity for the resurgence of democratic socialist politics.
Want to convince your relatives that universal healthcare, free high quality education, and a robust social safety net are a good thing without them thinking you're a pinko commie? Hand them this.
One of the best non-fiction books of the year. In alternating chapters that focus on past and present, Bauer elegantly lays out the brutal history of for-profit prisons in America, and writes about his experience both as a former prisoner and working as a guard in the private prison industry. This is an essential read for anyone interested in criminal justice or law enforcement.
If watching the Daily Show in 2018 feels like pelting rocks against the bloodstained blade of an IDF bulldozer, Chapo is here with a dose of the hard stuff.
This is a chilling, deeply researched history of the white power movement and post-Vietnam paramilitary culture. Kathleen Belew clearly illustrates how our failure to understand white power as a broad social movement has prevented us from combating it; from seeing events like the Oklahoma city bombing and the Charleston church shooting for what they really are – acts of domestic terrorism inspired and supported by a well established and increasingly militarized racist movement.
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz is not only a brilliant historian (she wrote “An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States”), but was also an avid gun enthusiast and belonged to an armed underground group. Who better to write a book arguing that the second amendment and white supremacy are inextricably bound, and that the mainstream gun debate is just a dichotomy between two red herrings? This book is going to make people on both sides of the gun debate uncomfortable, and it is a necessary discomfort.
I thought this was a concise, accessible read. If you already own a dog-eared copy of "Are Prisons Obsolete?" or have a pen pal through Black and Pink, then this book will be preaching to the choir. However, if you have no idea what those things are but do think that there must be a better way of handling social problems than just sending the police in, this book is a great place to start.
The Russian Revolution is one of the defining events of modern history, and sci-fi author China Miéville has turned its tumultuous, hopeful, and ultimately tragic build-up into a thrilling and fascinating page-turner.
A heartbreaking look at the struggle of undocumented migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexican border. Drawing on stories she heard as a volunteer interpreter, Luiselli reveals the suffering and exploitation at the heart of an arbitrarily cruel border policy.
