2025 Reading List

"How to Say Babylon" by Safiya Sinclair completed on Jan 4, 2025

A powerful memoir about growing up in a strict Rastafarian household in Jamaica, where the author's father sought to protect his daughters from "Babylon"—the corrupting influences of the Western world. Sinclair chronicles her struggle to break free from her father's oppressive control while finding her voice as a poet, exploring themes of religion, patriarchy, and the legacy of colonialism.

"Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software" by Nadia Eghbal completed on Jan 16, 2025

An inside look at modern open source software development and how it has evolved from collaborative communities to individual maintainers who write code consumed by millions. Eghbal examines the hidden labor and attention management challenges facing developers who maintain the digital infrastructure we all depend on, arguing that understanding who produces code is as important as what they produce.

"The Wikipedia Revolution" by Andrew Lih completed on Jan 26, 2025

A behind-the-scenes look at how Wikipedia became one of the world's largest sources of information, exploring the collaborative processes and community dynamics that make the online encyclopedia possible. Lih examines both the successes and challenges of this unprecedented experiment in crowdsourced knowledge creation.

"Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution" by Steven Levy completed on Feb 2, 2025

A classic chronicle of the hacker culture that transformed computing, tracing the evolution from MIT's early computer enthusiasts to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. Levy profiles the visionaries who believed that access to computers should be free and unlimited, and how their hacker ethic shaped the digital revolution.

"The Nvidia Way" by Tae Kim completed on Feb 9, 2025

An exploration of how Nvidia transformed from a graphics card company into a powerhouse of artificial intelligence and parallel computing. The book covers the development of CUDA technology and GPU-accelerated computing that revolutionized machine learning and scientific computation.

"The Future of Money" by Eswar Prasad completed on Mar 3, 2025

An analysis of how digital currencies, including cryptocurrencies and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), are reshaping the global financial system. Prasad examines the role of the state in monetary policy and the potential implications of decentralized digital money for economic sovereignty and financial stability.

"Crypto: How the Code Rebels Beat the Government Saving Privacy in the Digital Age" by Steven Levy completed on Mar 10, 2025

The story of the cryptography wars and how mathematicians and programmers fought against government restrictions on encryption technology. Levy chronicles key developments like the Diffie-Hellman algorithm and Pretty Good Privacy, exploring how cryptography was once classified as a weapon and the battle for digital privacy rights.

"Afropessimism" by Frank B. Wilderson III completed on Mar 29, 2025

A theoretical framework that examines the unique position of Black people within systems of domination, arguing that anti-Blackness is foundational to the modern world. Wilderson challenges traditional approaches to understanding racism and oppression, proposing that Black suffering is structural rather than contingent.

"Too Like the Lightning" by Ada Palmer completed on Apr 1, 2025

The first book in Palmer's Terra Ignota series, set in a 25th-century utopian society where nations have been replaced by voluntary associations. This science fiction novel explores themes of gender, religion, and political philosophy through the eyes of an unreliable narrator in a world transformed by technological advancement.

"Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed" by Sarah Wynn-Williams completed on Apr 9, 2025

A memoir by Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former director of public policy at Facebook (renamed Meta), published on March 11, 2025. The book is a critical account of Facebook's internal culture and decision-making practices during Wynn-Williams' time there. The book is highly critical of Facebook's responses to global sociopolitical events, including its role in the Rohingya genocide and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's alleged efforts to censor on behalf of the Chinese government. Additionally, Wynn-Williams accuses several Facebook executives, including Sheryl Sandberg and Joel Kaplan, of engaging in harmful behavior in the workplace, including sexual harassment.

"We Will Shoot Back: Armed Resistance in the Mississippi Freedom Movement" by Akinyele Umoja completed on Apr 14, 2025

A groundbreaking examination of the armed self-defense tradition within the Civil Rights Movement, challenging the narrative of nonviolent resistance as the only strategy. Umoja documents how Black communities in Mississippi organized to protect themselves and civil rights workers from white supremacist violence.

"How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States" by Daniel Immerwahr completed on May 4, 2025

A revelatory history of America's overseas territories and military bases, showing how the United States became a global empire while maintaining the myth of being just a continental nation. Immerwahr explores how standards processes and aviation technology changed warfare and American imperial reach.

"Fight, Magic, Items: The History of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and the Rise of Japanese RPGs in the West" by Aidan Moher completed on May 8, 2025

A comprehensive look at how Japanese role-playing games conquered the Western gaming market, focusing on the cultural exchange and adaptation that made series like Final Fantasy global phenomena. The book traces the evolution of JRPGs from their early days to their lasting influence on gaming culture.

"The Serviceberry" by Robin Wall Kimmerer completed on May 10, 2025

A meditation on the relationship between humans and the natural world, blending indigenous wisdom with botanical knowledge. Kimmerer explores how plants like the serviceberry can teach us about reciprocity, gratitude, and sustainable living in harmony with nature.

"Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia" by David Graeber completed on May 17, 2025

An exploration of the democratic practices of 18th-century pirates in Madagascar and their influence on Enlightenment political thought. Graeber argues that pirate societies were more egalitarian and innovative than previously understood, challenging conventional narratives about the origins of democratic ideals.

"Dark Matters: On the Surveillance of Blackness" by Simone Browne completed on May 17, 2025

An examination of how surveillance technologies have been used to monitor and control Black bodies throughout history, from lantern laws to modern biometric systems. Browne traces the connections between historical practices of racial surveillance and contemporary digital monitoring, revealing how HP cameras and other technologies perpetuate racist assumptions.

"Seeing Like a State" by James C. Scott completed on May 20, 2025

A critique of high-modernist schemes to improve the human condition, showing how centralized states require legibility to function effectively. Scott argues that local, practical knowledge (metis) is often superior to grand planning schemes, drawing parallels between state control and how AI models require simplified, standardized data.

"The Nation on No Map" by William C. Anderson completed on May 29, 2025

An exploration of Black anarchism and stateless liberation, though I personally feel it becomes repetitive and lacks actionable steps. Anderson argues for anarchist alternatives to state-based solutions but falls short of clearly defining what Black anarchism would look like in practice.

"Days of Rage: America's Radical Underground, the FBI, and the Forgotten Age of Revolutionary Violence" by Bryan Burrough completed on Jun 11, 2025

A comprehensive account of the domestic terrorism wave that swept America in the 1970s, examining groups like the Weather Underground and the Symbionese Liberation Army. The book details the FBI's response and the forgotten era when bombings were commonplace in American cities.

"Soledad Brother" by George Jackson completed on Jun 19, 2025

A collection of prison letters from the Black Panther leader and activist who became a symbol of revolutionary resistance. Jackson's writings from Soledad Prison offer insights into his political development and the conditions of incarcerated Black men in America's prison system.

"How to Go Mad Without Losing Your Mind: Madness and Black Radical Creativity" by La Marr Jurelle Bruce completed on Jun 24, 2025

An exploration of how Black artists and thinkers have channeled experiences of madness and social alienation into creative resistance. Bruce examines the intersection of mental health, racism, and artistic expression in the work of Black radical creators.

"How Europe Underdeveloped Africa" by Walter Rodney completed on Jun 30, 2025

A seminal analysis of how European colonialism systematically extracted wealth from Africa while preventing African development. Rodney demonstrates how colonialism created economic dependency, forced Africans to work without gaining skills or ownership, and argues that fascism emerged as a child of capitalism's contradictions.

"Imagined Communities" by Benedict Anderson completed on Jul 3, 2025

A foundational text in nationalism studies that explores how nations are socially constructed through shared narratives and symbols. Anderson examines how print capitalism and shared languages created the possibility for people to imagine themselves as part of larger national communities.

"Black Skin, White Masks" by Frantz Fanon completed on Jul 5, 2025

A psychiatric and philosophical analysis of the psychological effects of racism and colonization on Black people. Fanon explores how internalized racism affects the psyche and identity formation, examining the complex relationship between oppressor and oppressed consciousness.

"Guerrilla Warfare" by Che Guevara completed on Jul 6, 2025

A manual on revolutionary tactics and strategy based on Guevara's experience in the Cuban Revolution. The book outlines the principles of guerrilla warfare and the conditions necessary for successful popular insurrection against established governments.

"Empire of AI" by Karen Hao completed on Jul 15, 2025

An investigation into how artificial intelligence is reshaping global power structures and the tech industry's influence on society. Hao examines the geopolitics of AI development and its implications for democracy, labor, and international relations.

"Network State" by Balaji Srinivasan completed on Jul 16, 2025

A controversial vision for how digital communities could evolve into new forms of governance, proposing that online networks could eventually become physical states. I strongly disagree with the premise and rate it negatively for its techno-utopian assumptions.

"Grassroots Economics" by Will Ruddick completed on Jul 16, 2025

An exploration of community currencies and local economic systems as alternatives to traditional monetary systems. Ruddick examines how grassroots economic initiatives can empower communities and create more equitable distribution of resources.

"Ecology of Freedom" by Murray Bookchin completed on Jul 21, 2025

A comprehensive critique of domination and hierarchy that connects ecological destruction to social oppression. Bookchin argues for social ecology as an alternative to both capitalism and traditional socialism, emphasizing the need to address both environmental and social justice issues simultaneously.

"Capital in the Twenty-First Century" by Thomas Piketty completed on Jul 25, 2025

A groundbreaking economic analysis demonstrating how capital grows faster than labor, leading to increasing inequality over time. Piketty uses historical data to show how wealth concentration threatens democratic societies and proposes policies to address growing economic disparities.

"Anarchism and the Black Revolution" by Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin completed on Jul 30, 2025

An argument for anarchism as the most effective framework for Black liberation. I personally see problematic language in later sections (he calls people "mentally defective"). Ervin advocates for replacing police with armed community patrols, presenting anarchism as superior to both capitalism and state socialism for achieving Black freedom.

"The Hacker and the State: Cyber Attacks and the New Normal of Geopolitics" by Ben Buchanan completed on Jul 30, 2025

An analysis of how cyber warfare has become a tool of statecraft and international relations. Buchanan examines how nations use hacking for espionage, signaling threats, and creating latent capabilities for future conflicts in the digital age.

"The Groundings with my Brothers" by Walter Rodney completed on Jul 31, 2025

A collection of speeches and writings by the Guyanese revolutionary intellectual, focusing on Black Power and pan-African consciousness. Rodney connects the struggles of African people globally and argues for revolutionary change through grassroots organizing and education.

"The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution" by C.L.R. James completed on Aug 7, 2025

A historical account of the Haitian Revolution and its leader Toussaint Louverture, showing how enslaved people successfully overthrew their oppressors. James demonstrates how this revolution was both inspired by and surpassed the French Revolution in its radical implications for human freedom.

"Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses" by Robin Wall Kimmerer completed on Aug 14, 2025

A poetic exploration of the overlooked world of mosses, combining scientific knowledge with indigenous wisdom about the natural world. Kimmerer reveals how these small plants play crucial ecological roles while offering lessons about resilience, adaptation, and interconnectedness.

"The Wretched of the Earth" by Frantz Fanon completed on Aug 15, 2025

A foundational text of decolonization theory that analyzes the psychology and violence of colonial liberation struggles. Fanon argues that the lumpenproletariat serves as the revolutionary force, emphasizing how revolutionary work transforms both individuals and society in the struggle for human dignity.

"Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition" by Cedric Robinson completed on Aug 19, 2025

A groundbreaking critique of traditional Marxism that introduces the concept of racial capitalism and traces a distinct Black radical tradition. Robinson argues that Western Marxism cannot adequately address racial oppression and demonstrates how Black resistance movements developed independently of European socialist thought, influenced by African traditions and the unique experience of racial domination.

"Necropolitics" by Achille Mbembe completed on Aug 21, 2025

An extension of Foucault's concept of biopower that examines how sovereign power operates through the right to kill rather than just to discipline. Mbembe explores how modern warfare technologies like 3D-printed weapons create new forms of violence and death-making in contemporary conflicts.

"Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology" by Neil Postman completed on Aug 25, 2025

A critique of how technological progress has become an end in itself, arguing that we have surrendered cultural values to technological efficiency. Postman draws on critical theory of technology to examine the dialectical relationship between technology and society in contemporary culture.

"The Friendly Orange Glow: The Untold Story of the PLATO System and the Dawn of Cyberculture" by Brian Dear completed on Aug 28, 2025

A comprehensive history of the PLATO computer system, one of the first networked computer systems that pioneered many concepts of modern computing. Dear chronicles how PLATO created the foundation for online communities, gaming, and educational technology decades before the internet.

"Goddess of Anarchy: The Life and Times of Lucy Parsons, American Radical" by Jacqueline Jones completed on Aug 30, 2025

A biography of the pioneering labor organizer and anarchist who fought for workers' rights in late 19th and early 20th century America. Jones explores Parsons' evolution from secrecy about her methods to her philosophy that "the best thought of today may become the useless vagary of tomorrow."

"The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America" by Gerald Horne completed on Sep 3, 2025

A reframing of American independence as a counter-revolution aimed at preserving slavery against British abolitionist threats. Horne argues that the American Revolution was motivated not just by taxation and representation, but by colonists' desire to maintain their slave-based economy.

"Mutual Aid: A Factor in Evolution" by Peter Kropotkin completed on Sep 6, 2025

A scientific argument against Social Darwinism that demonstrates how cooperation and mutual aid are as important as competition in natural selection. Kropotkin draws on extensive biological observations to show that species survival depends on collaborative rather than purely competitive behaviors.

"The Conquest of Bread" by Peter Kropotkin completed on Sep 8, 2025

A foundational anarchist text that outlines how a free society could organize production and distribution without state or capitalist control. Kropotkin argues for voluntary cooperation and decentralized organization as alternatives to both capitalism and state socialism.

"An Appeal to the Young" by Peter Kropotkin completed on Sep 8, 2025

A passionate call to action directed at young people to reject the privileges of their class and join the revolutionary struggle for social justice. Kropotkin encourages youth to use their education and energy to fight against oppression and inequality.

"Law and Authority" by Peter Kropotkin completed on Sep 10, 2025

A critique of legal systems and state authority, arguing that law serves to protect the interests of the ruling class rather than achieve justice. Kropotkin advocates for natural law and voluntary association as alternatives to imposed legal structures.

"Anarchism and Other Essays" by Emma Goldman completed on Sep 12, 2025

A collection of essays by the legendary anarchist and feminist exploring topics from political philosophy to women's liberation. Goldman argues for individual freedom and direct action while critiquing both capitalism and state socialism as forms of oppression.

"My Further Disillusionment in Russia" by Emma Goldman completed on Sep 13, 2025

Goldman's account of her disenchantment with the Bolshevik Revolution after witnessing the authoritarian turn of the Soviet state. She critiques how revolutionary ideals were betrayed by the concentration of power in the Communist Party bureaucracy.

"Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists during the Great Depression" by Robin D. G. Kelley completed on Sep 16, 2025

A groundbreaking study of Black communist organizing in the American South during the 1930s, showing how theory and practice intersected in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Kelley documents how Alabama communists adapted Marxist ideas to local conditions and Black liberation struggles.

"Blue Rage, Black Redemption" by Stanley "Tookie" Williams completed on Sep 17, 2025

The autobiography of the Crips co-founder who became an anti-gang activist while on death row, tracing his transformation from gang leader to advocate for peace. Williams chronicles the origins of the "Cribs" and his later efforts to negotiate peace between rival gangs.

"One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This" by Omar El Akkad completed on Sep 18, 2025

This book is a reckoning with what it means to live in the west, and what it means to live in a world run by a small group of countries—America, the UK, France and Germany. It will be The Fire Next Time for a generation that understands we're undergoing a shift in the so-called 'rules-based order,' a generation that understands the west can no longer be trusted to police and guide the world, or its own cities and campuses. It draws on intimate details of Omar's own story as an emigrant who grew up believing in the western project, who was catapulted into journalism by the rupture of 9/11.

"American Fascists" by Chris Hedges completed on Sep 24, 2025

An investigative examination of the Christian Right in America and its authoritarian tendencies. Hedges, drawing on his experience as a war correspondent and seminary student, explores how fundamentalist movements use the language of faith to advance a political agenda that undermines democratic institutions and civil liberties.

"Assata" by Assata Shakur completed on Sep 30, 2025

The autobiography of Assata Shakur, former Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army member, chronicling her political awakening, activism, imprisonment, and eventual escape to Cuba. Shakur's powerful narrative details her experiences with police brutality, her trial, and her continued commitment to Black liberation from exile.

"Cryptography" by Panos Louridas completed on Oct 5, 2025

A comprehensive introduction to cryptographic principles and their practical applications in the modern digital world. Louridas explains fundamental concepts from classical ciphers to contemporary encryption methods, making complex mathematical ideas accessible while exploring how cryptography underpins secure communication and digital privacy.

Currently Reading

"Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook" by Lori Emerson

"Antimemetics: Why Some Ideas Resist Spreading" by Nadia Asparouhova

"Crypto Anarchy, Cyberstates, and Pirate Utopias" by Peter Ludlow

"Serious Cryptography: A Practical Introduction to Modern Encryption" by Jean-Philippe Aumasson

"Governable Spaces: Democratic Design for Online Life" by Nathan Schneider

"Bit by Bit: Social Research in the Digital Age" by Matthew J. Salganik

"Black Flags: The Rise of Isis" by Joby Warrick

"Transforming Technology: A Critical Theory Revisited" by Andrew Feenberg

"Neuromancer" by William Gibson

"Autonomy Is in Our Hearts: Zapatista Autonomous Government Through the Lens of the Tsotsil Language" by Dylan Eldredge Fitzwater