One of the most common questions I hear is people asking for nice books that provide a basic idea of what Anarchism actually is and what it stands for. I finally have a book by someone who's written it recently, and is still alive, so this is the one I'm going to recommend. "Anarchism and Its Asp... ...more

Introductions to anarchism are always going to be hard work. Anarchism is a pretty heterogeneous entity, with a lot of scope for emphasis on organisational forms, strategies and tactics. That’s why calls for recommending a beginners text are always likely to go way beyond the bounds of aesthetica... ...more

This book does a great job of introducing the ideas from which anarchism stems. It is passionate, clear and down to earth. It gets you excited and, most importantly, provides lots of footnotes to go deeper into any of the specific subjects it deals with. A great unassuming guide to the newbies an... ...more

This is now the book I suggest to people if they are interested in beginning to learn about anarchism. It is concise, easy to read, and gives a good introduction and starting point with lots of direction to follow to continue to learn about anarchism. Read it! ...more

I liked the book. It covered a lot of territory, almost too much territory. I'm not sure who it was meant for. Seemed like an intro, but flew by so fast I'm not sure a newbie would process it all. ...more

I'm liking it so far. This and The Kingdom of God is Within you by Leo Tolstoy are giving me an idea for my doctoral thesis, whenever I finally go back to college. ...more

Great modern introduction to anarchism. Light in read, but not trivial. ...more

If you're looking for a brief but pithy introduction to modern anarchism, this is your book.

If you're looking for a book to give to someone that will be an intelligent and moving but accessible explanation of anarchism, this is your book.

I won't try to summarize anarchism but instead mention a fe... ...more

Just got done with this. I've been reading it over the past 2 weeks in conjunction with Roy's Field Notes on Democracy. Both point to the flaws of parliamentary democracy and both are incredibly inspirational. Both demand people wake up and take a look around; both require us to not only demand l... ...more

This book is such a great resource! It's certainly for folks already with some knowledge of anarchism and/or leftist politics. It certainly gave me much better context, history, and appreciation for anarchist impetus and influence. I would have liked a little more structure. The book is a quick r... ...more