nb_leftist's reviews
370 reviews

The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

2.0

Totalitarian psuedo-historical garbage.

The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air: Three Godly Discourses by Søren Kierkegaard

challenging hopeful reflective medium-paced

3.75

It was beautiful. I can’t say I agree with most of the things in here, I tend to agree with Stephen West’s reading in his episode in the text in Philosophize This, but I am glad I read it. The more Christian stuff I read, I simultaneously begin to realize why someone might be drawn to the Christian faith and also why cults/fanatic religious sentiments are so common.

I think overall, in a very individual sense, learning what Kierkegaard suggests could be helpful, but I think context is important, complete obedience to “god” can be easily manipulated and can easily lead to a person refusing to grow, refusing to change regardless of what context might exist.

In conclusion, this can be read so many different ways. 

Psychopolitics: Neoliberalism and New Technologies of Power by Byung-Chul Han

challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Psychopolitics is a perfect description of the shortcoming of Foucault’s bio politics and directly names the methods of power which propel neoliberalism and advanced industrial capitalism. Interestingly, Han’s work is aligned with the work of Herbert Marcuse in One-Dimensional Man  even though Marcuse preceded the appearance of Big Data by many years. I love this and Han is someone I will be paying close attention to for the foreseeable future.

Industrialization and the Transformation of American Life: A Brief Introduction: A Brief Introduction by Jonathan Rees

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

I don’t know why I picked this book up. I’ve been interested in the evolution of the concept of work and I think that might’ve been it(?) Regardless, I think this was a good intro text to industrialization and, especially after reading the first but of the Marx-Engels Reader, I know it will help me understand the material context around a lot of Marx’s writings and stuff from around that time. I didn’t expect to find it as interesting as I did. I’d recommend it to anyone who thinks they’d be interested in it.

Beyond Policing by Hilary A. Moore

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

2.25

I think it’s a good introduction to the topic and it gave me, an estadounidense, a solid amount of info and background. I do think it is disappointingly non-anarchist focusing on joining and starting “orgs” rather than starting by working with the people in your community.

Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1 by Chris Claremont

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I love you the xmen so much. My favorite panels were the ones depicting a certain character’s death at the end of #100, beautiful color choices.

On the Jewish Question by Karl Marx

informative reflective slow-paced

1.25

Read this as a part of a compilation of works, specifically: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/85d448fc-8c72-474d-81f4-e15e4263cd2d

Part 1 was strange, you can definitely see where his later ideas come from. Part 2 was just straight up antisemitism.

X: Straight Edge and Radical Sobriety by Gabriel Kuhn

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

It is a very-well-put-together reflection on straightedge, interviewing people from around the globe about their experiences with sobriety and straightedge. Out of all of them, the piece “All Nighter” hit the hardest; I, too, am afraid of what I might become were I to try alcohol or any other substances. My family tree is made up of almost all addicts and I don’t want to be another. I’m glad I went straightedge even though there are times where things seem so dark that I begin to return to self-harm.

Batman: Year One by Frank Miller

adventurous dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I loved this. I’m glad it wasn’t my first batman read, but the art was great and the story felt like a good origin story.

Mighty Marvel Masterworks: the X-Men Vol. 2: Where Walks the Juggernaut by Stan Lee

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Oh how I hate Stan Lee. I cannot believe the sheer amount of words he tries to pack into a page of comics. I know that was the style in the golden age but I feel like this is some of the most long winded stuff that I’ve read. I love the X Men but this is rough. I cannot wait for the Claremont stuff.