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‘A Book in Five Minutes’

‘Ramblinactivist’ Paul Mobbs’ book review blog, examining a significant, ‘old’, or often overlooked book; but one that provides an insightful analysis of current political or ecological debates.


Review posts 21–latest

Title frame for ‘A Book in Five Minutes’, no.21: ‘Anarchy – A Graphic Guide’ (1987) ‘A Book in Five Minutes’, no.21, 17th November 2022:

‘Anarchy – A Graphic Guide’ (1987)

Published thirty-five years ago, this book is simple, comprehensive, diverse, and more importantly, fun! Based on many different sources, it’s one of the best introductions to the history and theory and anarchism because ditches the often dry academic prose of such guides for an involving narrative.

Go to the YouTube video for this post.

An audio podcast of this blog post is available on the page.

Title frame for ‘A Book in Five Minutes’, no.22: ‘The Utopia of Rules’ (2015) ‘A Book in Five Minutes’, no.22, 10th December 2022:

‘The Utopia of Rules’ (2015)

What do Extinction Rebellion and Hollywood superheroes have in common? They both uncritically preserve the bureaucratic status quo by breaking the rules of everyday conduct.

Go to the YouTube video for this post.

An audio podcast of this blog post is available on the page.

Title frame for ‘A Book in Five Minutes’, no.25: ‘What Is Property?’ (1840) ‘A Book in Five Minutes’, no.25, 16th February 2023:

‘What Is Property?’ (1840)

Proudhon, Property, and the Political Panic over ‘The Great Resignation’ – how this classic text prefigures the contemporary debate over work and well-being.

Go to the YouTube video for this post.

An audio podcast of this blog post is available on the page.

Title frame for ‘A Book in Five Minutes’, no.26: ‘Farewell to Growth’ (2007) ‘A Book in Five Minutes’, no.26, Full Pink Moon 2023:

‘Farewell to Growth’ (2007)

Politicians and the media obsess about ‘economic growth’; but what if that ‘glorious thirty years’ of economic expansion from the 1960s has ended? This landmark text of the degrowth movement explores why growth’s ‘end is nigh’, and why this should be welcomed.

Go to the YouTube video for this post.

An audio podcast of this blog post is available on the page.

Title frame for ‘A Book in Five Minutes’, no.28: ‘The Collapse of Complex Societies’ (1988) ‘A Book in Five Minutes’, no.28, Strawberry Moon 2023:

‘The Collapse of Complex Societies’ (1988)

Some books get a ‘reputation’ as a result of what people believe they say rather than on a detailed reading of the text. Just a word in the title – for example, ‘collapse’ – can be enough to invalidate their content without any appreciation of what they actually say.

Go to the YouTube video for this post.

An audio podcast of this blog post is available on the page.

Go to ‘11–20’

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