Thoughts on production, alienation, and ideology

Category: Books (Page 6 of 21)

These are posts about books from the blog Base and Superstructure. Occasionally I’ll read a book worth talking about, and write some thoughts on it. These cover a wide range of topics from the blog.

Burgis on Canceling Comedians

Podcaster, author, and philosopher Ben Burgis recently published a short series of essays called Canceling Comedians While The World Burns. In this body of work, Burgis positions himself as a critic of certain tendencies on the left. But he critiques these tendencies from a strategic, (genuinely) sympathetic, and constructive perspective.

I think that’s a good idea. In fact, I try to do it myself from time to time. And not just because I’m also a philosopher and we like that sort of thing. Though I am also a philosopher, and we do like that sort of thing. Rather, because it’s a practical, useful skill for the left. We should think more deeply about strategy. And we should think about how our choices and public presentation affect how and whether we recruit new members, appeal to target audiences, and achieve results.

Burgis writes Canceling Comedians While The World Burns with these things in mind, and I’ll keep them in mind in discussing his book.

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May Reading List (2023)

While I’m not sure I can compete with the sci-fi and radical politics of last month’s reading list, I do have some interesting things on tap for this month! After reading the quadruple bio of classic sci-fi authors, I decided to return to Heinlein.

Read on to see what I’ve mixed in with classic Heinlein.

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April Reading List (2023)

Now that we’re into an actual spring, rather than that wave of snow we got in March, let’s take a look at some spring reading!

This month’s list features everything from comedy to sci-fi and radical politics. I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you’ve been reading lately!

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Bullshit Tasks, Not Bullshit Jobs

I focus a great deal on the corporate world in this blog, notably on the special brand of ennui that cuts through that world. Given my focus in past posts on the need to organize workers in white collar industries, you might think I recommend the David Graeber book Bullshit Jobs whenever I get the chance. After all, it’s the best known popular critique of leadership and fluff in corporate land. It especially aims at pointless and/or socially negative elements, such as HR leaders, PR types, and lobbyists.

But you’d be wrong.

As I’ve mentioned before, Graeber’s best work is The Utopia of Rules. Recently, Matteo Tiratelli published an article in Catalyst that goes a long way toward explaining why. He effectively criticizes Graeber’s notion of ‘bullshit jobs‘ and points toward a better alternative.

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March Reading List (2023)

I took a look at this month’s reading list and saw right away that it’s all about politics. I guess that’s not such a surprise for a political blog! But it’s actually not the case in most months. So, this month hits at the core issues we discuss here at the blog.

Read on, enjoy, and let me know what you’ve been reading lately!

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