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Steal This Book
A driving force behind the social revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, Hoffman inspired a generation to challenge the status quo. Meant as a practical guide for the aspiring hippie, Steal This Book captures Hoffman's puckish tone and became a cult classic with over 200,000 copies sold. Outrageously illustrated by R. Crumb, it nevertheless conveys a serious message to all would-be revolutionaries: You don't have to take it anymore. "All Power to the Imagination was his credo. Abbie was the best." —Studs Terkel
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
263 people are currently reading
11808 people want to read
About the author
Abbie Hoffman
29 books215 followersAbbott Howard "Abbie" Hoffman was a social and political activist in the United States who co-founded the Youth International Party ("Yippies"). Later he became a fugitive from the law, who lived under an alias following a conviction for dealing cocaine.
Hoffman was arrested and tried for conspiracy and inciting to riot as a result of his role in protests that led to violent confrontations with police during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, along with Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner and Bobby Seale. The group was known collectively as the "Chicago Eight"; when Seale's prosecution was separated from the others, they became known as the Chicago Seven.
Hoffman came to prominence in the 1960s, and continued practicing his activism in the 1970s, and has remained a symbol of the youth rebellion and radical activism of that era. In his 1980 autobiography, Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture, he described himself as an anarchist.
Hoffman was arrested and tried for conspiracy and inciting to riot as a result of his role in protests that led to violent confrontations with police during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, along with Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner and Bobby Seale. The group was known collectively as the "Chicago Eight"; when Seale's prosecution was separated from the others, they became known as the Chicago Seven.
Hoffman came to prominence in the 1960s, and continued practicing his activism in the 1970s, and has remained a symbol of the youth rebellion and radical activism of that era. In his 1980 autobiography, Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture, he described himself as an anarchist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 385 reviews
January 22, 2008
I actually stole this book from a used bookstore in Kerrville, Texas. I got a lot of good yet useless (I tried 'em, they did not work) ideas on anarchy and how to score free stuff. All in all, an enjoyable read. How can I complain? Didn't cost a dime.
March 17, 2011
I read this book (in it's online format) in high school. It amused the hell out of me as a history book, seeing how easy it used to be to steal anything you needed. It taught me to understand anarchy as a philosophy, rather than a symbol that punks saftey-pinned onto their jackets. I thought Abbie Hoffman was Robin Hood.
But later in life, I did some research on Abbie Hoffman. He's basically a sociopath. He didn't exactly come up with the material in the book on his own, so much as he joined up with the Digger movement in San Francisco and turned their means of feeding, clothing and housing people into a how-to manual for freeloaders. By exposing all these gaping security holes in nearly every industry, the industries closed those holes and the Digger movement had to go legit and was less effective because of it. There are still hippies wandering around gentrified Haight with nowhere to crash and nothing to eat because of this, though I believe they've assimilated with the ordinary homeless population. Basically, Abbie Hoffman is a Dick.
I recently discovered a 1971 copy of Steal This Book at a yard sale. When the seller learned that I was familiar with it, she let me have it for free instead of 25 cents she was going to charge. It's nice to see that the Digger Spirit is still alive even though Abbie Hoffman is a Dick. I'm giving this book 4 stars because it is historically and culturally significant and because it's fascinating. It lost a star because Abbie Hoffman is a Dick.
But later in life, I did some research on Abbie Hoffman. He's basically a sociopath. He didn't exactly come up with the material in the book on his own, so much as he joined up with the Digger movement in San Francisco and turned their means of feeding, clothing and housing people into a how-to manual for freeloaders. By exposing all these gaping security holes in nearly every industry, the industries closed those holes and the Digger movement had to go legit and was less effective because of it. There are still hippies wandering around gentrified Haight with nowhere to crash and nothing to eat because of this, though I believe they've assimilated with the ordinary homeless population. Basically, Abbie Hoffman is a Dick.
I recently discovered a 1971 copy of Steal This Book at a yard sale. When the seller learned that I was familiar with it, she let me have it for free instead of 25 cents she was going to charge. It's nice to see that the Digger Spirit is still alive even though Abbie Hoffman is a Dick. I'm giving this book 4 stars because it is historically and culturally significant and because it's fascinating. It lost a star because Abbie Hoffman is a Dick.
August 21, 2011
When I was a teenager, I went into the respectable little bookstore in my respectable little town and asked "Do you have a copy of Steal This Book?" The respectable librarianesque owner looked over the top of her reading-glasses-on-a-chain and dryly replied, "We don't sell those kinds of books here."
"What kind of books?" I asked, with much surprise bouncing through my Colombian gold-addled mind.
Again, she peered down her nose and said, "We don't sell anti-social, anti-establishment books." And she turned and walked away.
Naturally, I HAD to have the book at that point. I did eventually find a copy at a friend's house but didn't have to steal it because he gave it to me (the 70's had their moments). But I definitely would have stolen it from that snooty bitch if I could have!
All that being said, this is now an almost charming history of what hippie "terrorism" looked like in the late 60's. A fun look into the past, if you consider molotov cocktails fun. Of course, if you find this book in a book store, you MUST steal it, but make sure you remove the magnetic anti-theft strip before you reach the front door, and just in case, be sure to wear your Nikes!
"What kind of books?" I asked, with much surprise bouncing through my Colombian gold-addled mind.
Again, she peered down her nose and said, "We don't sell anti-social, anti-establishment books." And she turned and walked away.
Naturally, I HAD to have the book at that point. I did eventually find a copy at a friend's house but didn't have to steal it because he gave it to me (the 70's had their moments). But I definitely would have stolen it from that snooty bitch if I could have!
All that being said, this is now an almost charming history of what hippie "terrorism" looked like in the late 60's. A fun look into the past, if you consider molotov cocktails fun. Of course, if you find this book in a book store, you MUST steal it, but make sure you remove the magnetic anti-theft strip before you reach the front door, and just in case, be sure to wear your Nikes!
November 1, 2020
Had to read this after watching Trial of the Chicago Seven. In the spirit of the title, here’s a link to a free online copy; it’s what Abbie would have wanted: http://tenant.net/Community/steal/ste...
December 5, 2010
No, I didn't. Steal the book, that is. I'd make a lousy anarchist.
File this one in your mental "look-but-don't-read" category. Abbie Hoffman wrote Steal This Book while incarcerated. This fact alone should have served as a warning to anyone planning to try the scams and swindles he encouraged. I read the first 95 pages in earnest, then just skipped through the rest of the book to get a general feel for the ideas he was promoting.
Supporters called this book "an instruction manual for radical social change." Nothing could be further from the truth. What Hoffman really wanted was for society to stay exactly as it was, so he and his reefer-head, freeloading friends could continue taking advantage of the system. He was so harshly critical of America, but it was the industry and honesty of the general population that allowed his cheater techniques to work. He called the U.S. "Pig Empire" and always used the word "pigs" when referring to the police. Says I: Abbie Hoffman was the real SWINE here.
Lying, shoplifting, cheating, and exploding homemade bombs does not improve or change society. There's nothing constructive or productive about being a stoned out leech. Want social change? Run for office. Be a volunteer for a service organization. Try giving instead of taking, creating instead of destroying.
The book has some value as a cultural marker, hence the two stars instead of just one. It's an interesting reminder of the mood and "vibes" among the younger generation in 1970.
For a few good laughs, flip through and see how much things have changed in 40 years. Remember mimeograph machines? Hippie communes? Pay phones? "Keep on truckin'" posters? Pre-computer age anonymity? (I really miss that.) What will be laughable 40 years from now?
File this one in your mental "look-but-don't-read" category. Abbie Hoffman wrote Steal This Book while incarcerated. This fact alone should have served as a warning to anyone planning to try the scams and swindles he encouraged. I read the first 95 pages in earnest, then just skipped through the rest of the book to get a general feel for the ideas he was promoting.
Supporters called this book "an instruction manual for radical social change." Nothing could be further from the truth. What Hoffman really wanted was for society to stay exactly as it was, so he and his reefer-head, freeloading friends could continue taking advantage of the system. He was so harshly critical of America, but it was the industry and honesty of the general population that allowed his cheater techniques to work. He called the U.S. "Pig Empire" and always used the word "pigs" when referring to the police. Says I: Abbie Hoffman was the real SWINE here.
Lying, shoplifting, cheating, and exploding homemade bombs does not improve or change society. There's nothing constructive or productive about being a stoned out leech. Want social change? Run for office. Be a volunteer for a service organization. Try giving instead of taking, creating instead of destroying.
The book has some value as a cultural marker, hence the two stars instead of just one. It's an interesting reminder of the mood and "vibes" among the younger generation in 1970.
For a few good laughs, flip through and see how much things have changed in 40 years. Remember mimeograph machines? Hippie communes? Pay phones? "Keep on truckin'" posters? Pre-computer age anonymity? (I really miss that.) What will be laughable 40 years from now?
March 23, 2014
Perhaps the best title ever for a non-fiction book. This is a self-liberation manual. Full of practical advice. How to use a penny for a nickel in a pay phone, for instance. All of it now an intoxicating trip into the Hippie past. My copy is highlighted. I read it when I could actually use the info. But I don't think I actually used any of it, except the address of the Berkeley Free Clinic. The info wasn't really the point. Hoffman was propagating a state of mind: an attitude toward authority, and toward the adventure of living. Take charge, he was saying. Don't accept what they tell you, or what they hand you. Don't behave the way the want you to. You ask the questions. You decide what matters. Go for it. Except 'Go For It' hadn't been invented yet.
May 23, 2018
This book helped me survive while I was homeless. Some of the information is a little outdated what with all the advancements in technology since the 1970's, but there's still much to learn from reading Steal This Book and it's easy to adapt the info to your current situation.
The main takeaway, I believe, is that Corporate America is out for themselves alone and they will do whatever they can to put profits before actual people. But, as this book explains, there are always ways to beat them at their own game and come out on top.
If you're fed up with Corporate America, if you are poor or marginally housed, if you are a rebel, an activist, or just even curious. . . Don't just Steal This Book, READ IT!
(By the way, when I read it over a decade ago I had taken their advice and stole it from Bound Together on Haight Street in San Francisco. Recently, I went back to that wonderful anarchists bookstore and offered to make a donation to reimburse them for my theft. They asked me to make a donation to their prison literature campaign instead, which I happily obliged!)
The main takeaway, I believe, is that Corporate America is out for themselves alone and they will do whatever they can to put profits before actual people. But, as this book explains, there are always ways to beat them at their own game and come out on top.
If you're fed up with Corporate America, if you are poor or marginally housed, if you are a rebel, an activist, or just even curious. . . Don't just Steal This Book, READ IT!
(By the way, when I read it over a decade ago I had taken their advice and stole it from Bound Together on Haight Street in San Francisco. Recently, I went back to that wonderful anarchists bookstore and offered to make a donation to reimburse them for my theft. They asked me to make a donation to their prison literature campaign instead, which I happily obliged!)
November 3, 2008
Abbie Hoffman's Steal this Book
Wk.28; Bk.28
First off, congratulations to Desmond Morris and his crap book, The Naked Ape because as of November 03, 2008 Abbie Hoffman's Steal this Book is now the absolute worst crap I have read thus far (book wise) in my entire life. I've thought about this proclamation long and hard.
"Surely," I said to myself, "this isn't the worst book that you ever read..."
Then, I thought some more and couldn't deny that all sources pointed toward "yes!"
Let's forget about the fact that this book is completely outdated. No part of this trash is timeless.
"But, Ryan, Hoffman can't help it that his advice doesn't apply to today's time!"
Correct, his advice on how to rip off grocery stores, payphones, and the rest of the "Pig Nation" cannot be applied to today's world because of technological advances; but, what about this fraud's call for revolution? Sure, the times have changed, but idealized revolution doesn't work within the confines of time.
Hoffman was a moron. He's that kid in high school who claims to be able to do anything and is privy to everything. A wonderful title for this jerk is poseur! He'd love Hot Topic. He's full of himself and his book is replete with arrogant, assumptive matteroffact-ness. In the chapter discussing how to basically stowaway on commercial airplanes to get a free ride anywhere, he claims that he and a buddy have a sure fire technique to ride for free but they can't tell anybody because then it would ruin the technique.
"Oh yeah, man, I totally know how to get on an airplane for free but I can't tell you how."
Bullshit.
This is a guy who nonchalantly claims that building a cabin or A-frame house is not only inexpensive but requires "little experience!" Sure, you can just go out on a spread and easily, with no experience mind you, build a log cabin. It's that simple, just build one.
Don't steal from other folks, Hoffman directs, just from pig corporations and the pig empire; then he turns around and tells you how to siphon gas out of a stranger's gas tank.
Hey man, Abbie proclaims, need some cash? Just counterfeit a couple of greenbacks and you're good to go. What's that? You need some food? Oh, man, that's simple. Just steal some, duhhhhh.
Seriously, I know I'm paraphrasing here, but the book pretty much reads as such.
Good lord, no wonder the Hell's Angels loved to beat the crap out of Abbie and the other Chicago Seven. These guys were so full of themselves that they had to distinguish themselves from their peers. They weren’t hippies, no. They were too important to be hippies. They were Yippies.
Yippie? More like Yuppie.
They were a group of over privileged white kids with too much time on their hands who rode on the coattails of the Black Panther Party and the Weather Underground. It boggles my mind how so many people bought into their crap.
God, I don't even really know where to begin with why you A) should not READ this book and B) even bother to steal it. In fact, the book should have been titled Do Not Read This Book, Burn It.
The writing is horrible. Abbie does a wonderful job of trying to claim that the book wasn't taken on by publishers because they feared it would ruin "free speech" for everyone. They didn't publish this book because it was crap. Typos run amuck, the language is sophomoric, and the ideals are empty.
If you want to follow a revolution with substance then direct your attention to actual revolutionaries like Che, Ghandi, or Martin Luther King Jr., who are people who actually stood for something and whose philosophies still affect society today.
He only cares about one thing and that's harassing cops and being a degenerate. He touts revolution but nothing he proposes actually supports genuine change. Trying to beat up cops and destroying patrol cars isn't going to change anything. It's not going to benefit the poor or bring attention to a corrupt system. However, doing those things will get your ass kicked.
Hoffman and the rest of the Yippie culture were nothing but shameful opportunists. All of them were a fad and so was their alleged cause. Revolutions and revolutionaries don’t die.
This guy made me so sick that I had to take a break from political literature. So, I picked up Steve Martin’s memoir that I saw him promoting on The Daily Show.
Steve Martin’s Born Standing Up
Wk.29; Bk.29
February 28, 2017
Steal This Book is a self-righteous manual about theft, vandalism, exploitation of the charitable, and even murder. When I read this book out of curiosity, I found the author's intolerance, hatred, arrogance, and ignorance nauseating. It revolted me that such a self-revealed monster as Abbie Hoffman was ever taken seriously by the counterculture of the United States. Fortunately, many of the techniques described are now obsolete.
Be aware that I am not merely disagreeing with the author's politics. When I read the book, I was appalled by his sociopathy. Business owners are depicted as the enemy. Stealing from them is justified because they are evil capitalists. Police officers are pigs deserving of death. Lying to the compassionate is fine. Painting marijuana graffiti is somehow spreading a revolutionary message.
Note that Hoffman wasn't a kid when he published this swill. He was in his mid thirties. His self-removal from the human race is not something that fills me with regret.
Still, the book has a great title.
Be aware that I am not merely disagreeing with the author's politics. When I read the book, I was appalled by his sociopathy. Business owners are depicted as the enemy. Stealing from them is justified because they are evil capitalists. Police officers are pigs deserving of death. Lying to the compassionate is fine. Painting marijuana graffiti is somehow spreading a revolutionary message.
Note that Hoffman wasn't a kid when he published this swill. He was in his mid thirties. His self-removal from the human race is not something that fills me with regret.
Still, the book has a great title.
June 7, 2007
This book freaking RULES. Why, oh why did the sixties have to end?*
(*because of Kent State, Altamont, Heroin, and to make way for disco, silly!)
(*because of Kent State, Altamont, Heroin, and to make way for disco, silly!)
December 17, 2008
I was an elementary school-aged kid when I first saw this book at a neighbor's house, sitting on the kitchen table. It had such an interesting title that I flipped through it and saw the illustration of the shoplifter in the trench coat. It was a revelation: You don't have to pay for stuff you take from the store! This idea pushed me down a slippery slope of price-tag switching, shoplifting, scams, sabotage, shooting heroin into your eyeballs, and worshipping Satan. Just kidding. It made me into an English teacher: Who else would steal a book like this?
June 28, 2010
The book is out-dated but the philosophy is and always will be applicable.
At times I would smile to myself while fondly thinking of how technology has made things so much easier to steal, but in reading some sections it becomes glaringly obvious how technology has made it so much harder to rip some industries off.
I also learned to always wear a helmet and a gas mask.
And that if I'm getting rapped to yell "I have VD!"
At times I would smile to myself while fondly thinking of how technology has made things so much easier to steal, but in reading some sections it becomes glaringly obvious how technology has made it so much harder to rip some industries off.
I also learned to always wear a helmet and a gas mask.
And that if I'm getting rapped to yell "I have VD!"
October 27, 2014
Sorely out of date due to changes in technology, security, and culture. Still a fascinating time capsule, and Hoffman's heart is in the right place if one's curious about radical politics.
In a lot of ways, our society is more controlling and oppressive than in the '70s. (A number of actions described in the book would get one prosecuted for terrorism today, for instance.) It leaves the reader a lot to think about, even if the techniques herein would no longer be possible.
In a lot of ways, our society is more controlling and oppressive than in the '70s. (A number of actions described in the book would get one prosecuted for terrorism today, for instance.) It leaves the reader a lot to think about, even if the techniques herein would no longer be possible.
April 12, 2020
Anyone complaining is a bourgeois narcissistic loser. Abbie Hoffman changed the world for the positive more than any of these unenlightened monsters could possibly hope to conceive of. Capitalism is slavery and the people here like being slaves. I would imagine most of these negative reviewers are sitting in some McMansion complaining of property taxes while the poor rot in the streets. Death to America!
August 12, 2008
My mom didn't like that I was reading this one because of the ways it taught you how to steal, and the cynical view of the government, but I think it served a purpose at the time. More of a hippie history book than anything.
February 26, 2011
I used to have a copy of this, but, surprise! Someone stole it. Fair enough, I shoplifted it from Annie's Book Swap in the first place. Not only is this a great slice of life of the radical 60s, I learned a lot, from early bulletin boards (there was one in Beverly, MA! My hometown was in this book!), to protecting myself in a riot, to using pressure points to take down an attacker, to making bombs from styrofoam cups, to making free calls from a payphone. As a bonus, Abbie Hoffman comes across as a totally engaging, funny, caring and friendly guy. Good Stuff.
April 26, 2008
I read this in the UC Santa Cruz library, in a special 'rare book area' that i couldn't get out of, with a librarian sitting at a desk behind me watching very closely. I had to submit to a search of my backpack before and after reading.
I hope that Vol. II can give me some pointers on how to steal Vol. I from the UC Santa Cruz library.
I hope that Vol. II can give me some pointers on how to steal Vol. I from the UC Santa Cruz library.
February 17, 2021
Quedé encantado con este libro, mucho tiempo lo busqué (robado, o su equivalente actual que es bajarlo en pdf), y no lo encontraba. Recientemente, tras ver "El juicio de los siete de Chicago" se me despertó nuevamente la inquietud de buscarlo y ahora sí dí con él.
No me detendré en describir su contenido, sólo diré que me fascinó leerlo como lo que es, un manual de rebeldía, de contracultura, pero también quedé muy impresionado con tantas cosas que ahí se describen y que serían francamente imposibles de hacer hoy en día, en nuestro mundo lleno de cámaras, donde todo está registrado y todo movimiento que hagas deja rastro en algún lado. El mismo hecho de poder hacer un manual de este tipo de cosas es propio de su momento histórico, pues hoy en día la información estaría permanentemente desactualizada, pero acá había, dentro de todo, cierta certeza, la certeza de que había más gente "loca", con quien unirse, con quien cerrar filas y combatir, siguiendo métodos probados, aquel sistema que no funcionaba ni funciona. Me dio cierta nostalgia (la nostalgia de lo que nunca se tuvo, de donde nunca se estuvo) al leerlo también como un manual de supervivencia urbana, de cómo sobrevivir en el día a día de la calle.
Creo que es sobre todo un increíble testimonio de una época que ya fue, que seguro no volverá, pero que ojalá siga inspirando el espíritu rebelde en muchos.
No me detendré en describir su contenido, sólo diré que me fascinó leerlo como lo que es, un manual de rebeldía, de contracultura, pero también quedé muy impresionado con tantas cosas que ahí se describen y que serían francamente imposibles de hacer hoy en día, en nuestro mundo lleno de cámaras, donde todo está registrado y todo movimiento que hagas deja rastro en algún lado. El mismo hecho de poder hacer un manual de este tipo de cosas es propio de su momento histórico, pues hoy en día la información estaría permanentemente desactualizada, pero acá había, dentro de todo, cierta certeza, la certeza de que había más gente "loca", con quien unirse, con quien cerrar filas y combatir, siguiendo métodos probados, aquel sistema que no funcionaba ni funciona. Me dio cierta nostalgia (la nostalgia de lo que nunca se tuvo, de donde nunca se estuvo) al leerlo también como un manual de supervivencia urbana, de cómo sobrevivir en el día a día de la calle.
Creo que es sobre todo un increíble testimonio de una época que ya fue, que seguro no volverá, pero que ojalá siga inspirando el espíritu rebelde en muchos.
October 22, 2015
Like an unearthed copy of 'The Occupy Movement Handbook 1.0', this is a primer on getting by without giving in to 'the man'.
(There are major differences; this book is a broad and deep argument that justifies theft of all kinds for the purpose of getting by outside the system, while the current occupy movement is considerably more scrupulous, and possibly quite a bit more world-wise.)
The most interesting things about this book: 1.) Abbie Hoffman's style was always good, and it is both good, and also pragmatic here.
2.) I don't think I've ever read a book which better portrayed how much things in the world have changed. Lots of the how-to tips are for scamming the system to get free things like travel. These are the techniques of a more innocent, or possibly just a simpler, less populated - but definitely not digital - time. Nowadays you cannot steal air travel. some of the grifts for stealing from restaurants may work today, but we feel differently now about such acts in an age of such abundance, and we are more aware of the risks.
One thing that hasn't changed: radicals and revolutionaries, or modern protesters, getting arrested is still a bad time.
All in all, quite satisfying. I'll go 4 stars, but I'd go 4 1/2 if I could.
(There are major differences; this book is a broad and deep argument that justifies theft of all kinds for the purpose of getting by outside the system, while the current occupy movement is considerably more scrupulous, and possibly quite a bit more world-wise.)
The most interesting things about this book: 1.) Abbie Hoffman's style was always good, and it is both good, and also pragmatic here.
2.) I don't think I've ever read a book which better portrayed how much things in the world have changed. Lots of the how-to tips are for scamming the system to get free things like travel. These are the techniques of a more innocent, or possibly just a simpler, less populated - but definitely not digital - time. Nowadays you cannot steal air travel. some of the grifts for stealing from restaurants may work today, but we feel differently now about such acts in an age of such abundance, and we are more aware of the risks.
One thing that hasn't changed: radicals and revolutionaries, or modern protesters, getting arrested is still a bad time.
All in all, quite satisfying. I'll go 4 stars, but I'd go 4 1/2 if I could.
August 27, 2021
Informed so much of my college experience, although overall I'd say not necessarily in a good way. But some of the rebelliousness here probably played a role in my moving overseas in 1978 and setting the course for the rest of my life, so who's to say?
And oh yeah - definitely stole it.
And oh yeah - definitely stole it.
June 16, 2021
As a guide, this book is essentially obsolete but as a philosophy, this is increasingly relevant and surprisingly witty.
November 5, 2020
An old book written by an incredible revolutionary, it helps you realize how much harder it was to be a revolutionary before globalization.
June 27, 2015
'Steal this Book' is a rambling tirade about class envy and hatred of the rich. (I knew this before, but reading it only confirmed it.)
Abbie Hoffman is a consummate hypocrite, writing an entire tome about how rotten capitalism is, while enjoying the benefits of capitalism.
He includes methods for ripping off stores, stowing away on public transportation for free rides, and even how to scam pay phones for free calls.
So --- why did I read it?
Because this book gives you amazing insight into the mind of an extreme left-wing, hate-filled socialist. If you've ever wondered what motivates people like Hillary, this is a real eye-opener. Reading it, you get a real sense of the radical anti-business ideas that were beginning to fester in colleges during the late 60's.
Most of the people who were part of that movement outgrew it --- as they got real jobs, did productive things, and raised families of their own. Sadly, some did NOT outgrow their Marxist roots, and persist to this day in holding on to these backward, and ultimately dangerous, notions of "fairness."
Abbie Hoffman is a consummate hypocrite, writing an entire tome about how rotten capitalism is, while enjoying the benefits of capitalism.
He includes methods for ripping off stores, stowing away on public transportation for free rides, and even how to scam pay phones for free calls.
So --- why did I read it?
Because this book gives you amazing insight into the mind of an extreme left-wing, hate-filled socialist. If you've ever wondered what motivates people like Hillary, this is a real eye-opener. Reading it, you get a real sense of the radical anti-business ideas that were beginning to fester in colleges during the late 60's.
Most of the people who were part of that movement outgrew it --- as they got real jobs, did productive things, and raised families of their own. Sadly, some did NOT outgrow their Marxist roots, and persist to this day in holding on to these backward, and ultimately dangerous, notions of "fairness."
December 7, 2012
When I give it five stars, I should probably add that that is from the viewpoint of an 18-year-old who grew up thinking he'd be drafted to go to Viet Nam and was still P.O.'d that he'd been too young to go to Woodstock. Mainstream America didn't look that good from there! Hoffman was brilliant and hid his mental illness as eccentricity. This book cracked me up and had dozens of tips on how to do things that I was way too square to try but young enough to fantasize about doing--and being a chemistry student at the time, all of Jerry Froines' recipes for trouble made sense. I'd suggest that if you read this, first put yourself in the mindset of a college student during the Viet Nam war. . .and OF COURSE someone stole my copy a long time ago. Dang it!
February 6, 2019
outdated but interesting as fuck! it’s captivating to see how revolutionaries existed in the 60s/70s, you can draw so many dope comparisons. the ideas are still extremely relevant which is slightly depressing to think about but just very intriguing overall. the illustrations and captions are cool as well, the one i can’t stop thinking about is “the only dope worth shooting is richard nixon”.. amazing
April 19, 2007
I got this book because I was curious, but I ended up disappointed. I thought it would be full of cool little underground tips for getting by in society, but its just full of out of date ways to steal; ie, How to defraud the welfare office, make a pipe bomb, steal from a payphone...
Not worth reading.
Not worth reading.
December 21, 2010
I'm re-reading this book, which reeks of early 1970s hippie fuck-The-Man counter-culturalism, in 2010. It's a trip. You're supposed to steal everything you can, of course. Most impressively, he also encourages you to skyjack commercial aircraft, for example with a knife or fake explosives, and fly off to friendly countries. (p. 39) Uh huh.
What, exactly, was this dude smoking?!
What, exactly, was this dude smoking?!
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January 6, 2022Portanto, quem chamava preguiça ao amor,
desista; é próprio de um engenho experimentado o amor.
(...)
espicaçou-me a moleza o amor por uma formosa jovem
e ordenou-me que ganhasse o meu soldo nos seus campos.
Desde então tu me vês sem parança e a travar noturnos combates.
Quem não quiser tornar-se indolente, entregue-se ao amor!
Amores I.9, Ovídio
No trecho acima a palavra latina desidia foi traduzida por preguiça. Essa noção, aos olhos romanos, significava "a opção fácil", catar o fruto mais baixo da árvore. Dedicar-se integralmente à poesia não era másculo nem fazia-se progredir no cursus honorum - a sequência dos ofícios, ou cargos - e por isso era mal visto. Ovídio, invertendo a fórmula, diz "militae species amor est", "o amor era uma espécie de serviço militar", portanto comparado a mais alta forma de serviço cívico. Subjaz a essa inversão o fato de que só um tipo de esforço é válido em um Estado centralizado.
A história da desidia segue a do Estado centralizado pois é sua sombra. Os haréns, perfumes e os vastos jardins orientais são indícios da enorme desidia que acompanhava Estados titânicos. Na primeira grande centralização do ocidente com os francos, a própria dinastia real virou um monumento universal da inação, os merovíngios. Antes da revolução francesa alguns nobres se escusavam da guerra e do serviço, como o Marquês de Sade, a fim de cometer perversões com camponesas. Na era moderna a fuga ao campo era uma reação à competitividade da corte.
Mas nunca houve um fruto tão baixo - já no chão, digamos, e pisado - como ser yippie nos anos 60. "Steal this Book" é um documento do que essa galerinha de calcanhar sujo fazia para carpem os seus diem. Para Hoffman pular a catraca, pegar carona, fazer chinelo a partir de pneu e decorar a casa com mesa de carretel, cadeiras de barril e estante de madeira e bloco de concreto era mais que desidia, era um ato revolucionário.
"Yippie is gestalt theater of the streets. Is a way to acting out fantasies to end repressions" - disse Jerry Rubin, companheiro de Hoffman, autor do livro. É uma frase que resume a segunda parte, "Fight!". "Representar fantasias", contudo, não dão cabo à opressão; meramente dramatiza os limites permitidos do comportamento antissocial. Embora melodia da desidia seja oposta ao canto ritmado em que vivem os operários do Estado e por isso uma forma de resistência; é mesmo assim apenas uma sombra do poder central.
No fundo a ilusão de que esse "teatro gestalt das ruas" é uma forma de guerrilha equivalente a que se lutava nas ditaduras da América do Sul serviu apenas para adiar o incômodo esclarecimento de que aquilo tudo serviu para autopromoção e tornar seus líderes em estrelas midiáticas de alcance nacional.
Mas lembremos de Ovídio, a desidia exige esforço. Um preço, conquanto não computado pelo Estado, ainda é pago. Não falo apenas de apanhar da polícia, ser preso ou - no caso de terroristas como The Weatherman e Symbionese Liberation Army - a morte. O dia a dia pode ser cruel. Quem aguenta passar realmente anos da sua vida comendo o resto de outra pessoa no restaurante, entrar de penetra na festa dos outros, fantasiar-se de clérigo para pedir comida, roubar comida e roupas, roubar gasolina usando um sifão e surfar em ônibus e metrôs? Talvez, mais do que aplicar psicologia de massa, o objetivo dos yippies foi se ver através dos olhos do público, ver a si mesmos engrandecidos, como pessoas significantes no amplo cenário do rumo da história.
Em contrapartida a degeneração da política em espetáculo foi quem realmente tornou viável esse como outros movimentos. Essa mistura de ficção, bravata e realidades políticas opressivas deixa qualquer oposição a lutar contra fantasmas. Uma realidade presente hoje à esquerda e à direita. Apesar de tudo tenho mais simpatia aos hippies que aos "slacktivists", celebridades engajadas e show midiático contemporâneo.
August 20, 2022
Definitely interesting, but horribly out of date on the specifics. Nevertheless, I deel that if there ever is an apocalypse and it's everyone for themselves, this book could be somewhat relevant again. I could really appreciate the core anti-captialistic and anarchistic message though, and Abbie Hoffman is a charismatic writer with a dark sense of humour. I wonder how this book for the current decenium would look like.
August 25, 2024
کتاب ۷ تابستان ۴۰۳.
ویراست ۲۰۲۱اش را بخوانم بعد نظر میدهم.
ویراست ۲۰۲۱اش را بخوانم بعد نظر میدهم.
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