At last! AFAQ volume 1 is on its way!

Good news. I learned at the London anarchist bookfair that volume 1 of An Anarchist FAQ ships this week! This is straight from AK Press, so assuming that it does not meet any icebergs or ends up in Germany (long story), then I should be officially launching it in December in Glasgow!

Good news. I learned at the London anarchist bookfair that volume 1 of An Anarchist FAQ ships this week! This is straight from AK Press, so assuming that it does not meet any icebergs or ends up in Germany (long story), then I should be officially launching it in December in Glasgow!

Which means that North American comrades will see it first… I’m hoping for positive reviews in the main (although I expect terrible ones from certain quarters within the movement, assuming it is not ignored). I’m not looking forward to spotting any typos that have managed to escape the revision and review process!

The latest revision has been finished on time (section H, on Marxism) and the new release (13.0) will be out on November 11th. A new mirror will be put on this site (with an offical AFAQ blog, too!).

In other news, in the process of preparing for my talk at the bookfair on Kropotkin’s Mutual Aid I noticed some typos in the article as well as certain areas which needed improvement. I’ve revised it now, with the major changes being in the section on “Mutual Aid and Anarchism”. This is, basically, a reorganisation of the last 4 paragraphs and new material on the Russian and Spanish revolution as well as the Argentine revolt against neo-liberalism (it suddenly dawned on me that this was the most recent equivalent to Kropotkin’s discussion of the Commune in the Middle Ages). Also, I’ve improved the section on definitions to make the different kinds of symbiosis clear as well as noting different kinds of mutualism (symbiotic and non-symbiotic). I also made clear way, as an economist, Malthus was so keen to stress over-production (namely, to defend the aristocracy from attacks by Smith and Ricardo).

I’ve also added a paragraph to my critique of an attempt by an “anarcho”-capitalist to steal the term syndicalism. I’ve added a quote from Rothbard opposing, in post-Stalinist Eastern Europe, giving workers their workplaces as co-operatives. I had quoted this before, but I forgot it when revising the article for publication on this site.

Hope people think that changes are for the better!

I should also mention that the new Black Flag is out now. I’m on the editorial collective and its Britains oldest (and best!) anarchist magazine (yes, Freedom is older but its a newspaper!). We managed to be bi-annual this year, as planned. If you are interested in contributing material or getting involved plus contact us: blackflagmag[at]yahoo.co.uk

It is available via AK Press, or in Freedom Bookshop and Housmans in London.