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Anarchy Alive!: Anti-Authoritarian Politics From Practice to Theory
Anarchist politics are at the heart of today’s most vibrant and radical social movements. From squatted social centres and community gardens to acts of sabotage and raucous summit blockades, anarchist groups and networks are spreading an ethos of direct action, non-hierarchical organizing and self-liberation that has redefined revolutionary struggle for the 21st century.
Anarchy Alive! is a fascinating, in-depth look at the practice and theory of contemporary anarchism. Uri Gordon draws on his activist experience and on interviews, discussions and a vast selection of recent literature to explore the activities, cultures and agendas shaping today’s explosive anti-authoritarian revival. Anarchy Alive! also addresses some of the most tense debates in the contemporary movement, using a theory based on practice to provocatively reshape anarchist discussions of leadership, violence, technology and nationalism.
This is the ideal book for anyone looking for a fresh, informed and critical engagement with anarchism, as a mature and dynamic political force in the age of globalisation.
Anarchy Alive! is a fascinating, in-depth look at the practice and theory of contemporary anarchism. Uri Gordon draws on his activist experience and on interviews, discussions and a vast selection of recent literature to explore the activities, cultures and agendas shaping today’s explosive anti-authoritarian revival. Anarchy Alive! also addresses some of the most tense debates in the contemporary movement, using a theory based on practice to provocatively reshape anarchist discussions of leadership, violence, technology and nationalism.
This is the ideal book for anyone looking for a fresh, informed and critical engagement with anarchism, as a mature and dynamic political force in the age of globalisation.
192 pages, Paperback
First published November 20, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 30, 2013
I would have given four stars to this title, but I decided instead to substract that fourth star out because of the academic tone present throughout the book and which came as totally unexpected given its title and cover (after all, they always say "don't judge a book by the cover", don't they?).
This academic ("anarchademic"?) tone I'm talking about made me re-read quite a few of the passages three time to fully grasp their meaning beyond their conceptual abstractions. Of course, this isn't something negative by itself. It's just that I thought the mood of this book would be different.
Having gotten this "complaint" out of the way, I must say that I did earn quite a few insights and new perspectives about the whole anarchist subject, which has made me respect it much more as a political philosophy, one I can relate to. However, living where I live, Venezuela, this kind of political thinking is way beyond our possibilities right now. Anarchism here would be extremely dangerous, we're just not ready for it, we're like a society with the mind of a child becoming a teenager, without a clear understanding of responsibility. Anyway, this doesn't mean we cannot aim toward the goal of a stateless society and grow in the process.
By the way, one last thing: violence is violence is violence. The author goes to great lengths to conceptualize violence. What for? Another reason I didn't give it the four starred treatment.
This academic ("anarchademic"?) tone I'm talking about made me re-read quite a few of the passages three time to fully grasp their meaning beyond their conceptual abstractions. Of course, this isn't something negative by itself. It's just that I thought the mood of this book would be different.
Having gotten this "complaint" out of the way, I must say that I did earn quite a few insights and new perspectives about the whole anarchist subject, which has made me respect it much more as a political philosophy, one I can relate to. However, living where I live, Venezuela, this kind of political thinking is way beyond our possibilities right now. Anarchism here would be extremely dangerous, we're just not ready for it, we're like a society with the mind of a child becoming a teenager, without a clear understanding of responsibility. Anyway, this doesn't mean we cannot aim toward the goal of a stateless society and grow in the process.
By the way, one last thing: violence is violence is violence. The author goes to great lengths to conceptualize violence. What for? Another reason I didn't give it the four starred treatment.
June 18, 2013
The academic tone in this is so bothersome. To be honest, the first chapter seemed like it could have come out of some police intelligence briefing, describing all the particular nuances of anarchist association. The chapter on violence was unnecessary, as if attempting to define violence means anything anymore. The chapter on the Israel-Palestine conflict was okay, and I appreciated the jab at Wayne Price, but to suggest that a Palestinian state is somehow the solution to the conflict is just strange to me.
Gordon has experience within contemporary anarchist scenes, but so many of his major sources consist of classical anarchists and semi-obscure zines, and his analysis remains within the 90s and early 2000s. Things have come a long way since 2007, but even then, it seems like there could have been more of a focus on writers who became influential post-2001.
Gordon has experience within contemporary anarchist scenes, but so many of his major sources consist of classical anarchists and semi-obscure zines, and his analysis remains within the 90s and early 2000s. Things have come a long way since 2007, but even then, it seems like there could have been more of a focus on writers who became influential post-2001.
April 13, 2024
Very informative introduction to the modern anarchist movement and the theory that goes along with it. Although some of the arguments and examples are dated since they were written with the express purpose of being recognizable and current and I believe this book would stand to be improved through a reworking taking into account the movements throughout the late 2010's and 2020's this doesn't discount the important conversations had within this book, must read for anyone who wants to introduce themselves to anarchism or any intellectual in general
November 25, 2008
This is a lovely little book that does a fantastic job of giving an in depth overview and then exploration of many of the important concepts and debates within contemporary anarchism, particularly within the networks of the antiglobalization movement. And more than that Gordon does not treat philosophy or political theory as something that is external to these debates and that he brings into the debate to clarify and add conceptual rigor to them. Rather, Gordon starts from the theory and concepts produced within movements, working through and from them, thus elaborating and embodying a form of militant philosophical practice that is quite refreshing. While some of the chapters might read like old hat to those who have been enmeshed with such debates for the past few years, they are written with a good degree of clarity so that their importance will be clear regardless one's involvement in movement organizing. Gordon also makes a number of quite intriguing and perhaps controversial claims, such as that since non-hierarchical decision making networks typically lack enforcement mechanisms for decision then they cannot really be considered forms of democracy in a formal sense. Agree or not, it is this kind of drawing from movement debates, and working from them, and pushing them in new directions, that is one of the most important tasks in any process of political recomposition. And this is why Gordon's book is definitely worth a read.
September 29, 2009
This is an easy read and a great overview of power, violence, and technology issues from the perspective of contemporary anarchist thought and action.
November 13, 2018
I really liked the introductory sections regarding anarchism. I thought it was clear and concise, dividing the topics and explaining those divisions. I also really enjoyed the section on the definition of violence, and thought it was very clear-headed. I was less enamoured with the section on technology, as I thought it wasn't as clearly explained and there were more generalisations. The section on nationalism I also enjoyed, although at times it felt a bit straw-manish. Although if those are truly the arguments that the author encountered, then you can only deal with what's in front of you. Overall, I thought it performed its stated role admirably. I'll be reading it again.
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March 7, 2023Review from the March 2008 issue of the Socialist Standard:
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April 3, 2009
Nothing groundbreaking, but this book offered a fresh take on a lot of anarchist discussions that seem to be taking place around me all the time. It's been a while since I've read anything that came from a sort of anti-globalization/activist position, but Gordon's insight and argumentation style about a lot of dilemmas facing the anarchist milieu made this book worth reading. He also manages to bring together a wide diversity of perspectives in a elegant way -- one minute he's quoting Starhawk, the next Bonnano or some insurectionary A. zine, the next discusing Bolo Bolo and Ursala K. Leguin and after that linking it up to academic literature. Definitely an incredible breadth made this an engaging read.
December 12, 2012
A fascinating look at recent anarchist activism used to theorize about practical tactics. The chapter on violence was especially interesting -- as was the practical take on anti-occupation activism in Palestine/Israel.
June 3, 2010
thoughtful, clear, practical
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews