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emandem123's review
4.0
I think this is an extremely well-researched and well-written case for abolition, and it touches on the nuances of movements and the interconnectedness of liberation in ways that make abolition a future rather than a dream. However, I do think someone without a degree in social movements would have a difficult time deciphering through the academic language. It is definitely a book for academics or those who are already acquainted with social theories.
tommy_boi's review
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Sexual assault
reads_ellen's review
3.0
This is a strong and informed text wherein Maher writes with conviction and draws on a wealth of evidence to support their belief that the police should, and can, be abolished. One of the core arguments that policing is an extension of oppression and imperialism really won me round throughout the course of the book. Where Maher's greater challenge lies is with convincing readers that strong communities make police obsolete and this is where I feel the book is weaker. Maher employs a handful of examples from across the world where communities have united to look after their own people without outside interference, but overall I find Maher's vision of hierarchy-free societies, and how to get there, is more rhetorical than descriptive. I am convinced that policing and the police are more a force for bad than good, however, Maher has left me wondering how building strong communities is firstly possible on a nation-state scale, and secondly, if it is a sufficient antidote to serious crime.