What We Are Reading

Below is a list of books that we have read in the past month. The comments are not a review of the books, instead sort of an endorsement of ideas and investigations that can provide solid analysis and even inspiration in the struggle for change. All these books are available at The Bloom Collective, so check them out and stimulate your mind.

A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Raise Her Voice, by Malalia Joya – This amazing book consists of the personal experiences of Malalia Joya, an Afghan woman who became the youngest person to be elected to the Afghan parliament. Raised in refugee camps, this woman represents the best of Afghanistan in that she advocates for the real liberation of women and actively opposes the US/NATO occupation of her country. Malalia also has spoken out consistently against the Afghan warlords, some of which are part of Karzai’s inner circle and for this she was suspended from parliament in 2007 and has had numerous assassination attempts made on her life.

Against Ratizinger, by an Anonymous writer – This book, written by an anonymous Italian writer is an interesting look at the current head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI. The writer takes a look at the Pope’s involvement in the Nazi Party, his climb to power within the Catholic Church and his role in cracking down on priests and theologians who advocated Liberation Theology during the 1980 – 90s, particularly in Latin America.

Venezuela Speaks: Voices from the Grassroots, by Carlos Martinez, Michael Fox & JoJo Farrell – Venezuela Speaks is an extremely inspirational collection of interviews with people in Venezuela that are the real protagonists in the Bolivarian Revolution. While, the mainstream press and to some degree the left media gives a great deal of attention to President Chavez, this book rightfully puts the focus of union organizers, students, women’s organizations, indigenous groups, community based entities and cooperatives.

Seeds of Terror: How Heroin is Bankrolling the Taliban and Al Qaeda, by Gretchen Peters – This is must reading for anyone who wants to understand the US/NATO occupation of Afghanistan. Peters not only documents how opium and heroin production has flourished since the US/NATO occupation began in 2001, but how the US has downplayed the role that this illegal substance has played in financing the Taliban’s campaign against the occupation. Peters uses lots of first hand sources and gives readers a first hand account since she has spent years talking to people throughout Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Che Guevara: A Life, by Nick Caistor – There has been many books written about the Argentine-born revolutionary Che Guevara, but Nick Caistor has done a much better job of capturing the essential aspects of Che’s life and political thought. While not an exhaustive investigation, this book provides readers with an important investigation of someone who has influenced recent generations, both in terms of intellectual inquiry and revolutionary courage. Caistor does paint Guevara as a stale icon, but as someone who believed that the only way to develop revolutionary consciousness was by example.