weekly editor’s pick

Che by John Lee Anderson (Revised Edition) – 1997, 2010

This book is the definitive biography on the legendary life of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara. Anderson’s in depth account of Che’s notable life, from his middle-class Argentine upbringing to the halls of vigor in Castro’s government, provides an incredibly detailed insight into his mental, emotional, and of course, political grievances within Cuba and the rest of Latin America.

Revolutionary Suicide by Huey P. Newton – 1973

Tracing the birth of a revolutionary, Huey P. Newton’s famous and oft-quoted autobiography is as much a manifesto as a portrait of the inner circle of America’s Black Panther Party. From Newton’s role in the Black Panthers to his solitary confinement in the Alameda County Jail, Revolutionary Suicide is unrepentant and thought-provoking in its portrayal of inspired radicalism.

The Wretched of the Earth by Franz Fanon – 1961

Fanon provides a psychoanalysis of the dehumanizing effects of colonization upon the individual and the nation, and discusses the broader social, cultural, and political implications of establishing a social movement for the decolonisation of a person and of a people.

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde – 1984

This book is a collection of essential essays and speeches written by Audre Lorde, a writer who focuses on the particulars of her identity: Black woman, lesbian, poet, activist, cancer survivor, mother, and feminist.

State and Revolution by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin – 1917 (1934 Edition)

This book describes the role of the State in society, the necessity of proletarian revolution, and the theoretic inadequacies of social democracy in achieving revolution. It describes the inherent nature of the State as a tool for class oppression, a creation born of one social class’s desire to control all other social classes. Whether a dictatorship or a democracy, the State remains in the control of the ruling class.

The Devil’s Chessboard by David Talbot – 2015

An explosive, headline-making portrait of Allen Dulles, the man who transformed the CIA into the most powerful—and destructive—colossus in Washington.

Capital Volumes 1 & 2 by Karl Marx – 1867, 1885 (2013 Edition)

A book that needs no introduction. It serves as the main pillar of socialism and communism, influencing Lenin, Stalin, and others. Analyzes and critiques the fundamentals of capitalism down to the very last detail. A theoretical and economic masterpiece that has stood the test of time for centuries, and for a rather good reason.

Sula by Toni Morrison – 1973

From the acclaimed Nobel Prize winner: Two girls who grow up to become women. Two friends who become something worse than enemies. This brilliantly imagined novel brings us the story of Nel Wright and Sula Peace, who meet as children in the small town of Medallion, Ohio.

Tar Baby by Toni Morrison – 1981

Ravishingly beautiful and emotionally incendiary, Tar Baby is Toni Morrison’s reinvention of the love story. Jadine Childs is a black fashion model with a white patron, a white boyfriend, and a coat made out of ninety perfect sealskins. Son is a black fugitive who embodies everything she loathes and desires. As Morrison follows their affair, which plays out from the Caribbean to Manhattan and the deep South, she charts all the nuances of obligation and betrayal between blacks and whites, masters and servants, and men and women.

The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto “Che” Guevara – 1992 (Compiled & Published Post Death)

This book is Che Guevara’s diary of his journey to discover the continent of Latin America while still a medical student, setting out in 1952 on a vintage Norton motorcycle together with his friend Alberto Granado, a biochemist. It captures, arguably as much as any book ever written, the exuberance and joy of one person’s youthful belief in the possibilities of humankind tending towards justice, peace and happiness.