Resources for Radicals. 5th ed.

Joseph Jones is a reference librarian in the Koerner Library at the
University of British Columbia.

This “annotated bibliography for those involved in movements for
social change” provides over a thousand entries in nine sections. The
two sections for books and periodicals account for about four-fifths of
the entries.

Compiler Brian Burch declares himself “a Christian anarchist” in
his annotation on a book by Jacques Ellul, and this orientation
manifests itself throughout in selection and description. Bits of
autobiography pop up in other commentary: activism starting in 1969, a
son delivered by a midwife in 1984, residence in co-operative housing,
prison experience as chaplain and inmate, a graduate of Queen’s.

Entries are listed alphabetically by author, and a general title index
concludes the volume. Even this minimal access to contents fails to lead
to collections of writing by Dorothy Day, Che Guevara, Emma Goldman,
etc., that are listed under the names of the collections’ editors.
Users seeking material on a particular topic like biotechnology will
find it only through browsing.

Inclusion of a title seems to depend on whether it has crossed the
compiler’s path and been of personal interest. Given Burch’s
long-standing involvement in activism, his listing has value. However,
this approach does not make for predictability or balance. For example,
Anderson’s general history of the 1960s is present, but those of
Gitlin, Halstead, Kostash, and Zaroulis are not.

Most annotations range from four to ten lines in length. Brief
descriptions often include evaluations like “one of the best.” Often
works are distinguished as “liberal” or “radical,” and the
compiler remarks once “I’m not a liberal after all.” The politics
seem eclectically left, with entries for writers such as Engels,
Kropotkin, Trotsky, and Mao.

The publisher is a Toronto organization, and a generous amount of
Canadian material gets listed. This fifth edition is the eighth edition
or revision in five years. The Cerlox-bound format lends itself to small
print runs and frequent updating. Publication on the Internet might be
more appropriate.

Anarchism and bibliography coexist uneasily in this volume. The
personal tone suits the content and purpose. The lack of organization
makes the work very difficult to use. Frequent errors in spelling and
grammar communicate carelessness more than freedom.