Annoucements

Raj Patel's newest book, Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle for the World's Food System, addresses a perverse fact: of the roughly 6.5 billion humans alive today 800 million are starving and 1 billion are overweight. To find out how we got to this point and what we can do about it, Patel launched a comprehensive investigation into the global food network. It took him from the colossal supermarkets of California to India's wrecked paddy-fields and Africa's bankrupt coffee farms, while along the way he ate genetically engineered soybeans and dodged flying objects on the protester-packed streets of South Korea. Patel documents not only the systemic roots of a global food crisis, but also great cause for hope -- international social movements working to create a more democratic, sustainable, and joyful food system.

This is a solidarity appeal: workers from the UE union Local 1110 have occupied their factory and are refusing to leave. The cause? Bank of America is refusing to extend normal credit to the factory, and so management told them they're shutting down. Well, it looks like the workers have a different idea.

Read about the story here.

What can you do?

Petition at Jobs with Justice

You can donate to their solidarity fund. Make checks payable to the UE Local 1110 Solidarity Fund, and mail to: 37 S. Ashland, Chicago, IL 60607. Messages of support can be sent to leahfried@gmail.com.

"Best Books to Change the World: MonkeyWrench
MonkeyWrench Books has a brain-watering selection of materials – from Howard Zinn's lesser-known narratives of history to the Rhizome Collective's how-to for urban permaculture – including everything anyone needs in order to bone up on politics, social theory, and alternative lifestyles. The volunteers who run this nonprofit DIY info shop are committed to educating, motivating, and uniting the public. Whether you are interested in joining the revolution or just learning about one, this is a great place to start. In addition to books and zines, MonkeyWrench hosts film screenings, book talks, activist lectures, and gatherings."

We've just received a big shipment of Toolbox for Sustainable City Living by Scott Kellogg and Stacy Pettigrew of the Rhizome Collective. Folks have been asking about these for weeks, and the wait is finally over. It's an incredible book, intensely practical and one of the best guides to personal direct green action I've ever seen. Here's my review, but come and read it for yourself.

Thanks to the intrepid recording and uploading of some swell MonkeyWrench Books supporters, there is now an archive of some of the recent book presentations and talks at the store. The first two recordings to be uploaded are Bob Jensen's June 5th talk titled, Mistaken Identities: Nation/Race/Gender and Robin Hahnel's discussion of Participatory Economics in Venezuela from March 28th.
Keep your eyes peeled for more recordings like these in the future.