Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
fast-paced
i feel like a collection of personal letters from one of the most notable american revolutionaries of the 20th century is a book that cannot be rated. the letters paint a heartbreaking and illuminating picture of jackson's development as a person and revolutionary, as well as the horrifying conditions inherent in the american criminal legal and prison systems. definitely impactful, definitely challenging, definitely will raise your blood pressure.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
soledad brother showcases jackson’s growth and provides context for his worldview. a must read for anyone who wants to understand the argument for an american revolution
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
This was a lot of politics and information about the horrid conditions of prison life from the point of view of a man stuck in it due to his revolutionary goals.
“Politics is violence”
I can’t rate this because it’s his letters from prison. They are incredibly detailed and show his emotion and affections over time. Very interesting read but dense. Like I read it for a school project.
“Politics is violence”
I can’t rate this because it’s his letters from prison. They are incredibly detailed and show his emotion and affections over time. Very interesting read but dense. Like I read it for a school project.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
From the original introduction by Jean Genet about the book:
“What follows must be read as a manifesto, as a tract, as a call to rebellion, since it is that first of all.”
In terms of a review, not much can be said about a book like this. This is a collection of letters written by George Jackson while he was incarcerated to a number of different people including family, friends, activists, and attorneys. I was introduced to Jackson while reading about the Attica Prison uprising of 1971, and felt I had to read his work after learning how important he was to other political prisoners (and incarcerated persons in general).
This is a dense collection of writing. At times I felt like I was back in my Social Theory class, and indeed his work fits right in alongside that of other sociologists. I was somewhat surprised that he wasn’t ever mentioned in any of my Soc classes, but then again, he WAS a black revolutionary, and we know how touchy Americans are about that stuff…
Jackson was brilliant, almost too brilliant for his own good. I felt badly for his parents on the receiving end of some of his more frustrated letters, though I related to his insistence that they understand his argument(s). His demand for liberation was, in some ways, his love language. His views were largely ahead of their time, and I regret to say that if he were still alive, he would be utterly disgusted by the lack of progress made since the 60s & 70s.
Many take umbrage with his antifeminist views (which he does eventually soften somewhat) but to be completely honest, I wasn’t reading this book for feminist theory and neither should you. That’s not the point of this work, and if that’s all you took from it, you missed the bigger picture.
.
.
.
“Pigs come here to feed on the garbage heap for two reasons really, the first half because they can do no other work, frustrated men soon to develop sadistic mannerisms; and the second half, sadists out front, suffering under the restraints placed upon them by an equally sadistic-vindictive society. The sadist knows that to practice his religion upon the society at large will bring down upon his head their sadistic reaction. Killing is great fun, but not at the risk of getting killed.
But the restraints come off when they walk through the compound gates. Their whole posture goes through a total metamorphosis. Inflict pain, satisfy the power complex, and get a check.
How can the sick administer to the sick.”
This is a dense collection of writing. At times I felt like I was back in my Social Theory class, and indeed his work fits right in alongside that of other sociologists. I was somewhat surprised that he wasn’t ever mentioned in any of my Soc classes, but then again, he WAS a black revolutionary, and we know how touchy Americans are about that stuff…
Jackson was brilliant, almost too brilliant for his own good. I felt badly for his parents on the receiving end of some of his more frustrated letters, though I related to his insistence that they understand his argument(s). His demand for liberation was, in some ways, his love language. His views were largely ahead of their time, and I regret to say that if he were still alive, he would be utterly disgusted by the lack of progress made since the 60s & 70s.
Many take umbrage with his antifeminist views (which he does eventually soften somewhat) but to be completely honest, I wasn’t reading this book for feminist theory and neither should you. That’s not the point of this work, and if that’s all you took from it, you missed the bigger picture.
.
.
.
“Pigs come here to feed on the garbage heap for two reasons really, the first half because they can do no other work, frustrated men soon to develop sadistic mannerisms; and the second half, sadists out front, suffering under the restraints placed upon them by an equally sadistic-vindictive society. The sadist knows that to practice his religion upon the society at large will bring down upon his head their sadistic reaction. Killing is great fun, but not at the risk of getting killed.
But the restraints come off when they walk through the compound gates. Their whole posture goes through a total metamorphosis. Inflict pain, satisfy the power complex, and get a check.
How can the sick administer to the sick.”
Simultaneously a gut wrenching account of resilience and essential text of theory. The changes in Jackson’s rhetoric reflect his personal growth as a man and as a revolutionary. It’s a privilege to have access to such intimate moments, because it teaches us that revolution is burdened by the same thing that causes it: humanity.