Carol Edwards has been in charge of the Feminist Studies section at the
City of Books for a number of years. She also makes purchasing decisions for
a variety of other store sections: Crime/Criminology, American Studies, Philosophy,
and Law. A self described "social science junkie," she actually
finds this stuff enjoyable Sunday morning couch reading. What do you expect
from someone considering a graduate degree in Labor Economics?
Social
Science
Pretty
in Punk: Girls' Resistance in a Boys' Subculture by Lauraine
Leblanc
 Lauraine
Leblanc has done a bang up job; Pretty in Punk is one of the most interesting
youth ethnographies to date. Finally, in the wake of many books about girls'
self-esteem, here's a publication that describes how some girls resist societal
pressures and circumvent many of the problems other girls face in adolescence.
Adults who deal with girls will find the content informative and will perhaps
be persuaded to let go of some of their misgivings and concerns about the
punk "lifestyle" (for lack of a better word). Young women who have or have
had inclinations to resist femininity and beauty standards will appreciate
this serious approach to understanding punk's contribution to women's agency,
confidence, self-knowledge and self-esteem. All it takes is a glance at a
rack of so-called women's magazines to know how necessary this book is. Hopefully,
there will be many more like it in the future.
Biography
Queen
Silver: The Godless Girl by Wendy
McElroy
A gifted lecturer to hundreds on subjects such as Darwinian
evolution and Einstein's theory
of relativity at the age of 8? Creator of leaflets, booklets, and what
is best described as her own 'zine dedicated to socialism, labor, and free
thought at age 12? Successfully acting as her mother's defense in a court
case that riveted Los Angeles in November 1925 at age 14? How could such a
fascinating figure in history be so generally unknown today? Well, thanks
to Wendy McElroy, Queen Silver's place in history is secured in my favorite
book I read this year: Queen Silver: The Godless Girl.
Now, Ms. Silver's fabulous story as well as many of her own writings (including
"Evolution From Monkey to Bryan," a tract circulated widely at the Scopes
Monkey Trial) are available to the public. You won't find a happier coincidence
of scholarly research and a great tale of a radical life. I vigorously recommend
this thoroughly engrossing book.
Activism
WTO? IMF? If you've had trouble grasping why so many people are up in arms
about the current nature of global trade, here are a couple of recommendations:
Sharing the Wealth: Workers and the World Economy by Ethan B. Kapstein
 Sharing
the Wealth is an excellent introduction to the contemporary state of international
trade. Kapstein contextulizes the debate by providing both commentary on economic
policy since World War II and brief surveys of relevant economic and political
theories that are easy for the average reader to understand. Moving from Adam
Smith and John
Maynard Keynes to more recent literature he examines the relationship
between income inequality and and the general performance of an economy. Similarly,
Kapstein progresses from concepts of utilitarianism to more recent conceptions
of social justice (e.g., John
Rawls). The author's conclusions are strikingly similar to many who have
participated in protests of the WTO: namely that trade agreements must be
linked to issues of human rights and core labor standards. He offers many
valuable insights on how such linkage can be ensured with prescriptions for
a variety of government policies, corporate codes of conduct, and ways that
groups and associations can play vital roles. Regardless of one's political
views, Kapstein provides a compelling argument that is a great addition to
literature on the subject.
The
WTO: Five Years of Reasons to Resist Corporate Globalization by Lori
Wallach and Michelle Sforza
For a more specific, fact-filled understanding of the WTO, consider this
brief but insightful investigation (with an Introduction by Ralph
Nader, Green Party candidate for the 2000 Presidential race), which makes
a good case for a less secretive, less corporation-centered way of handling
global trade. This pamphlet, part of Seven Stories Press's Open Media Pamphlet
Series discusses the environmental issues more thoroughly than Kapstein's
work, and lays bare the processes used by the WTO that ultimately can overrule
the laws of supposedly sovereign nations. The aim of this book, as well as
Kapstein's, is not protectionism or the end of global trade. Rather, both
indicate a desire for decisions about trade to be made in more democratic
ways, addressing concerns about the environment, health and safety, poverty
compounded by debt, and human and labor rights.
The
Open Media Pamphlet Series
For readers of The WTO who want to make a difference, Nader suggests:
"Step One: Read this pamphlet and pass it on." I would like to recommend a
Step Two: Read other books in the Open Media Pamphlet Series. These
books are all relatively inexpensive and chock full of useful information
for folks interested in activism and social theory. With the participation
of such renowned authors as Noam
Chomsky, Robert
W. McChesney and David
C. Korten, this impressive series is intellectual yet approachable. The
series includes:
 Perhaps
most handy, though, is The
Progressive Guide to Alternative Media and Activism. Divided into alphabetical
listings of National Alternative Publications, Regional Publications, Organizations,
and Activist Groups, The Progressive Guide provides addresses, phone
and fax numbers, web and e-mail addresses, and brief descriptions for these
organizations. It allows one to both find groups of like-minded individuals
as well as gain access to the press through alternative organizations. Meant
to foster the free flow of ideas and subvert the homogeneity of the dominant
media, this reference guide aims to put the "movement" back into
the Progressive Movement.
Cyberunion:
Empowering Labor Through Computer Technology by Arthur
B. Shostak
Lastly, for union activists, there is a new book that addresses a topic of
crucial importance to the labor movement: the Internet as an organizing tool.
Cyberunion: Empowering Labor Through Computer Technology is both a
sociological analysis of current activism on the Internet (that also includes
brief essays by union members and activists that are inspiring and informative),
and a how-to guide for those who wish to learn. Given that the Internet is
such a powerful tool for information dispersal and retrieval and for communication
between groups and individuals near and far, it's no wonder that the author
is so enthusiastic about the possibilities for activism in general and the
labor movement in particular. Shostak details how labor is slowly reinventing
itself through the use of technology and why he believes it must do so on
a greater scale in order to survive in the future. His style and his recommended
techniques are easy to comprehend. This is, very simply, a must-read for serious
union activists that want to see the movement thrive.
Political
Philosophy
The
Search for Freedom by Whitney
Pope
 What
state of affairs must exist so that freedom may exist and thrive? Whitney
Pope examines this query with the use of a variety of case studies. Historically,
he analyzes Tocqueville's
ideas on Jacksonian democracy and the French Revolution. Pope asserts that
Tocqueville's theory of freedom is as relevant today as it was in his time
and proceeds to demonstrate its power of analysis. In contemporary times,
he looks at an American trade union, a Japanese company, and the Swedish welfare
state. The common strain through all these cases is the need to balance power.
Thus, the theory of freedom seeks to identify groups and structures that neither
allow opposing authority to become tyrannical nor become oligarchic themselves.
By examining the variables of freedom versus tyranny, community versus egoism,
centralization versus decentralization, and power derived from authority versus
force, Pope elucidates the ways in which the arrangement of our organizations
determines our degree of freedom.
Justice
is Conflict by Stuart
Hampshire
Stuart Hampshire does not want to hear, "I don't like conflict." In Justice
is Conflict, he takes issue with the common assumption (from Plato up
to contemporary liberal theory) that harmony is the goal in all matters of
justice. He asserts that in matters that are theoretical and related to conceptions
of the good (such as issues of distributive justice), there will always be
conflict. Such conflict should not be viewed as an evil but as a necessity.
Institutionalized argument is required lest government, democratic or otherwise,
becomes tyrannical. Hampshire stresses the need to recognize the usefulness
and desirability of debate in deciding moral matters, as the alternative is
a reliance on rationality, which does not provide a powerful bond between
people when passions are strong on both sides. Argument, on the other hand,
has the potential to provide results which both sides can respect (ideally
ensuring the power of authority rather than force). In the wake of this understanding,
Hampshire emphasizes the continued relevance of socialism in arguments of
distributive justice. This work is brief but compelling. He touches on a myriad
of philosophers along the way, and in the end, one does indeed respect his
argument.
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