3 More Books to Read! Anarchism, Slavery, and Language!

TL;DR

This video discusses three books: "Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes" by Daniel Everett, "Changing Anarchism" (anthology of essays), and "Capitalism and Slavery" by Eric Williams.

Transcript

it's time for another video talking about the last few books I've been reading first up is a book by Daniel Everett called don't sleep there are snakes so Daniel Everett was a Christian missionary and he went to the piraha people in Brazil deep in the Amazon to try and teach them Christianity and at the time he went in 1977 nobody spoke piraha flue... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ The Piraha language is unique and challenging, and learning it posed significant difficulties for Daniel Everett as a missionary.
• 🧡 Anarchism encompasses a wide range of theories and practices, extending beyond the common misconception of chaos.
• 🌍 Slavery was foundational to the economic development of nations, and its profitability influenced political and social attitudes towards abolition.
• 🏛️ The impact of slavery extended beyond labor exploitation, as entire economies and industries were built on its foundations.
• 📔 The book "Capitalism and Slavery" provides historical testimonies that expose the greed and moral blindness that perpetuated slavery.
• ❓ Linguistic diversity and complexity offer valuable insights into human language acquisition and comprehension.
• 🎁 Anarchism should be approached with a basic understanding of its theories and principles to fully appreciate the analyses presented in "Changing Anarchism."

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the significance of Daniel Everett's discovery about the Piraha language?

Everett's discovery that the Piraha language is completely unlike any other language on earth raises questions about linguistic diversity and the complexities of language acquisition and comprehension.

Q: How does "Changing Anarchism" contribute to understanding the breadth of anarchist theory?

"Changing Anarchism" provides a comprehensive view of anarchism by exploring various topics from an anarchist lens, shedding light on the diversity of views within the anarchist movement.

Q: How does "Capitalism and Slavery" challenge common misconceptions about the impact of slavery?

"Capitalism and Slavery" reveals the profound economic impact of slavery, showing how it built entire cities and economies, and challenges the notion that slavery was a minor or isolated aspect of history.

Q: What role did popular resistance and the interests of capital play in ending slavery?

The book highlights that while popular resistance and abolitionists played a crucial role in ending slavery, it was ultimately the decline in profitability that prompted the attention of those with economic interests, leading to its abolition.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• "Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes" explores Daniel Everett's journey as a Christian missionary who learns the incomprehensible language of the Piraha people in the Amazon, ultimately leading him to question his own faith.

• "Changing Anarchism" offers a broad overview of anarchism through essays on various topics such as resistance tactics, environmentalism, theater, sexual liberation, and education. It assumes some prior knowledge of anarchist theory.

• "Capitalism and Slavery" discusses the economic history of slavery in the British Empire and highlights how slavery built entire nation's economies and industries, including finance.