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Everything for Everyone
- An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052-2072
- De: M.E. O’Brien, Eman Abdelhadi
- Narrado por: Charli Burrow, Soneela Nankani
- Duración: 7 h y 54 m
- Versión completa
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General4.5 out of 5 stars 8
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Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 8
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Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 8
By the middle of the twenty-first century, war, famine, economic collapse, and climate catastrophe had toppled the world's governments. In the 2050s, the insurrections reached the nerve center of global capitalism—New York City. This book, a collection of interviews with the people who made the revolution, was published to mark the twentieth anniversary of the New York Commune, a radically new social order forged in the ashes of capitalist collapse.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A MUST Read!
- De Unsatisfied en 01-23-25
- Everything for Everyone
- An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052-2072
- De: M.E. O’Brien, Eman Abdelhadi
- Narrado por: Charli Burrow, Soneela Nankani
A MUST Read!
Revisado: 01-23-25
"Everything for Everyone" is an extraordinary glimpse into a world transformed—one that feels both radically imaginative and deeply human. This speculative fiction novel imagines a future where capitalism has collapsed, and communal, egalitarian societies have taken its place. Through its oral histories, it offers a vision of life after capitalism, where care, equity, and collaboration replace systems of oppression and exploitation.
Every page left me thinking, I want to go to there. But it also left me wondering—can we get there without the war, upheaval, and destruction? Could we, in 2025, begin to learn and build now, rather than looking back from 2052, piecing together after the collapse? This book doesn’t just imagine a better world—it challenges us to ask why we’re waiting to create it.
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Abolition
- Politics, Practices, Promises, Vol. 1
- De: Angela Y. Davis
- Narrado por: Angela Y. Davis
- Duración: 12 h y 14 m
- Versión completa
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General5 out of 5 stars 5
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Narración:5 out of 5 stars 5
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Historia5 out of 5 stars 5
For over fifty years, Angela Y. Davis has been at the forefront of collective movements for abolition and feminism and the fight against state violence and oppression. Abolition: Politics, Practices, Promises, the first of two important new volumes, brings together an essential collection of Davis’s essays, and speeches over the years, showing how her thinking has sharpened and evolved even as she has remained uncompromising in her commitment to collective liberation.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Laying a Foundation, Missing the Future
- De Unsatisfied en 01-10-25
- Abolition
- Politics, Practices, Promises, Vol. 1
- De: Angela Y. Davis
- Narrado por: Angela Y. Davis
Laying a Foundation, Missing the Future
Revisado: 01-10-25
I’ve always admired Angela Davis. Her work has been revolutionary in shaping the fight for abolition, and she’s been a guiding light for those of us striving to imagine a world beyond prisons and systemic oppression. That’s why I was so eager to dive into Abolition Vol. 1: Politics, Practices, and Promises. I thought it would be groundbreaking—something that would push the movement forward in bold, new ways. But instead, I was left feeling disappointed and, honestly, let down.
The book felt like a repetition of what we already know—historic injustices, frameworks, and traumas that have been discussed extensively in abolitionist spaces. These are important conversations, but they aren’t new. With a title like Abolition Vol. 1, I expected something revolutionary—practical solutions, fresh insights, or even a daring reimagining of what abolition could look like in today’s world. Instead, much of the book relied on outdated data from the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s, and the big takeaways felt frustratingly limited.
One suggestion was to look at prison models in the Netherlands, like open and half-open facilities. Another was to appeal to human rights as a way to foster empathy in America. But these ideas felt tone-deaf given the realities of 2024, especially with the war on Gaza and the ongoing struggle for Palestinian liberation. Davis herself has written powerfully about the links between the prison-industrial complex, the military-industrial complex, and global racial oppression in the past. But here, those connections felt muted or ignored altogether.
Even the writing felt uncharacteristically flat. Words like “recapitulate” were used so often that it was hard not to notice, making the book feel stretched, like it was trying to hit a word count rather than deliver something impactful.
I don’t expect Angela Davis—or anyone, really—to have all the answers. But with a title like Abolition Vol. 1: Politics, Practices, and Promises, I hoped for something more. Something visionary. Something that felt like a roadmap to the future, rather than a recap of the past.
I still deeply respect Angela Davis and all that she’s contributed to this movement. She’s a giant in abolitionist thought, and her work has inspired countless people, including me. But this book didn’t meet the moment. It felt like a missed opportunity at a time when we desperately need bold, revolutionary ideas to guide us forward.
I hope future volumes in this series will provide the innovative, actionable ideas that this volume lacked. Angela Davis has always challenged us to imagine better futures, and I believe she still has the capacity to push us toward that vision in transformative ways.
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Caste
- The Origins of Our Discontents
- De: Isabel Wilkerson
- Narrado por: Robin Miles
- Duración: 15 h y 10 m
- Versión completa
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General5 out of 5 stars 20,854
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Narración:5 out of 5 stars 18,124
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Historia5 out of 5 stars 17,990
In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings. Beautifully written, original, and revealing, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is an eye-opening story of people and history, and a reexamination of what lies under the surface of ordinary lives and of American life today.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant, articulate, highly listenable.
- De GM en 08-05-20
- Caste
- The Origins of Our Discontents
- De: Isabel Wilkerson
- Narrado por: Robin Miles
Caste and the American Conscience: Why Wilkerson’s Masterpiece is Essential for the Election Year
Revisado: 08-09-24
Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is an essential read as we seek to create a more just and equitable society. This book transcends mere historical analysis, offering a profound exploration of the invisible, yet all-encompassing, caste system that continues to shape American society. Wilkerson argues that the United States operates under a caste system that goes beyond race drawing comparisons between the caste systems of India and Nazi Germany highlighting how deeply ingrained social hierarchies impact individuals and society.
Wilkerson structures her argument around what she identifies as the "Eight Pillars of Caste," the foundational principles that uphold caste systems across different societies. These pillars—Divine Will and the Laws of Nature, Heritability, Endogamy and Control of Marriage and Mating, Purity vs. Pollution, Occupational Hierarchy, Dehumanization and Stigma, Terror as Enforcement, and Inherent Superiority vs. Inherent Inferiority—are not just relics of the past but remain deeply embedded in the American psyche and institutions. Understanding these pillars is crucial for recognizing how caste manifests in everything from politics to daily interactions.
One of the most striking aspects of Wilkerson’s work is her ability to connect the seemingly distant past with the present, making it clear that the legacy of caste is not just a relic of history, but a current and urgent issue. She writes, "We look to the night sky and see the planets and stars, the distant lights as specks of salt, single grains of sand, and are reminded of how small we are, how insignificant our worries of the moment, how brief our time on this planet, and we wish to be part of something bigger than ourselves, to magnify our significance, to matter somehow as more than the dust we are." This passage is a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of life and the moral imperative to use our time to create a just and equitable world.
Wilkerson further delves into the devastating impact of caste systems, not only in terms of human suffering but in the loss of potential and creativity. She asks, "Where would we be as a species had the millions of targets of these caste systems been permitted to live out their dreams or live at all? Where would the planet be had the punitive beneficiaries been freed of the illusions that imprisoned them, too?" These questions challenge us to imagine a world where the arbitrary divisions of caste do not stifle human potential, urging us to consider the possibilities that could emerge if we dismantle these structures.
Another particularly moving story in the book involves a plumber who comes to repair a broken pipe in Wilkerson’s home. Despite their different backgrounds and the unspoken caste distinctions that often keep people apart, they connect on a human level. Wilkerson uses this encounter to illustrate a powerful truth: “Each time a person reaches across caste and makes a connection, it helps to break the back of caste.”
This story underscores one of the most important messages of the book—that empathy and personal connection can be potent tools in challenging the entrenched hierarchies that divide us. It is a reminder that while policies and systemic changes are crucial, the dismantling of caste also begins with the small, everyday actions of individuals. The choices we make, the leaders we elect, and the values we uphold will shape our collective future. As we navigate the complexities of our democracy, Wilkerson’s insights are invaluable in understanding the deep-rooted divisions that influence not only our social fabric but also our political landscape. The everyday decisions we make to connect with others, to understand experiences different from our own, and to reject the divisions that caste imposes.
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What's Prison For?
- Punishment and Rehabilitation in the Age of Mass Incarceration (Columbia Global Reports)
- De: Bill Keller
- Narrado por: Landon Woodson
- Duración: 3 h y 56 m
- Versión completa
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General4.5 out of 5 stars 12
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Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 11
What's Prison For? examines the “incarceration” part of mass incarceration. Our prisons remain a shameful waste of lives and money, feeding a pathological cycle of poverty, community dysfunction, crime and hopelessness. What is the alternative? This book makes the case for better rehabilitation and examines attempts to assure that people return from prison better equipped than when they arrived for the challenges life presents.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A must read! Review of "What's Prison For?" by Bill Keller
- De Unsatisfied en 07-15-24
- What's Prison For?
- Punishment and Rehabilitation in the Age of Mass Incarceration (Columbia Global Reports)
- De: Bill Keller
- Narrado por: Landon Woodson
A must read! Review of "What's Prison For?" by Bill Keller
Revisado: 07-15-24
"What's Prison For?" by Bill Keller is a compelling and eye-opening exploration of the American carceral system. Published in 2022, this book captivated me from start to finish, as I devoured it in one sitting.
Keller’s analysis is a stark reminder of the dire state of mass incarceration in the United States. Nothing new for us in the know: he begins by illuminating how our incarceration rate vastly exceeds that of other nations, including Russia, Iran, and Mexico, with a disproportionately high number of Black and Brown individuals behind bars. His statistics are sobering: our incarceration rate per 100,000 population is roughly twice that of Russia's and Iran's, four times that of Mexico's, five times that of England's, six times that of Canada's, nine times that of Germany's, and seventeen times that of Japan's.
One of the most powerful aspects of the book is Keller’s portrayal of the human side of the prison system. He shares insights from those who have taught and learned in prisons, highlighting both the gratifying and disheartening aspects of this work. Vivian Nixon, who has been both a student and a teacher behind bars, describes the students as "thirsty, hungry" for knowledge, underscoring the tragic waste of human potential in our current system.
Keller also delves into the emotional toll on prison reformers and volunteers, who often grapple with feelings of futility. Despite this, many continue their work, driven by the belief that even small changes can have a profound impact on individuals' lives. He compares these reformers to pacifists driving ambulances in war zones—staunchly against the war, yet committed to mitigating its harms.
One particularly poignant section describes how success in prison reform is measured in "human increments." This includes released prisoners who have a fighting chance because they learned to control their temper, earned a college degree, or maintained family ties through liberal visitation policies. Keller emphasizes that real change comes from personal connections, with formerly incarcerated individuals often attributing their success to someone who showed them a new possibility for their lives—a drug counselor, parenting teacher, or college professor.
In "What's Prison For?," Keller honors those who work tirelessly to make a difference in an often inhumane system. Despite the systemic disappointments and frustrations, their efforts bring significant change to the lives of individual human beings. This book is a testament to their dedication and a call to action for readers to rethink the purpose and impact of imprisonment in our society.
Overall, Bill Keller’s "What's Prison For?" is a deeply impactful read that challenges our perceptions and inspires a reevaluation of our justice system. It is a must-read for anyone interested in prison reform and social justice.
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