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Elements of Refusal | 
 enlarge | Author: John Zerzan
Publisher: CAL Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $9.35
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Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 501518
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2nd
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 308
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.8
ISBN: 1890532010
Dewey Decimal Number: 808
EAN: 9781890532017
ASIN: 1890532010
Publication Date: January 1, 1999
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Shipping: International shipping available
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Product Description
A new edition of Zerzan's first collection of essays, exploring alienation, and the resistance it has engendered.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Zerzan Explains the Elements of Alienation October 13, 2008
Elements of Refusal is a collection of articles and essays published in off-beat anarchist publications from the 1970's and '80s. The original edition was published in 1988. It is divided into three parts. Part one is deep and scholarly essays about the alienating effects on natural humanity of the concepts of time, language, mathematics, art, and agriculture. And be advised; These essays are scholarly and if you don't have a good foundation in philosophy,(or an interest in gaining one), you may have trouble with them. I found them interesting and valuable but others might not. So you are warned.
Part two is made up of eleven essays on such topics as the private life of Karl Marx, the origins and causes of World War I, Luddism, and the problems of the labor movement in America, as well as other topics. It's a diverse assortment but if you get bogged down or bored, you can safely skip over a chapter without missing the thrust of the book.
Part Three is an assortment of essays about the labor movement as it pertains to the American auto industry as it existed in the 1970's and early '80s. I didn't find it to be of much interest but others might, and as always with this author the opinions and facts are well supported with documentation.
So what I've decided is that this is really three books compiled into one with three chapters. Zerzan came to public notice due to his association with Unabomber terrorist and anti-modernity activist Theodore Kaczynski and yet Zerzan makes no mention of their relationship or correspondence in the book, which I found both disappointing and surprising.
If you are interested in a philosophical deconstruction of modernity then this is the book for you. If not, be advised.
 Important Perspective May 7, 2008
If you agree with his ideas or not, he proves a well written, well sourced, well researched perspective on civilization.
Especially notable are the initial resistance to many "realities" we live with everyday. Its interesting to look though history as we have change and assimilated various "improvements" and social "advances".
Obviously we live in a world very ingrained in certain accepted "norms" and john zerzan challenges all of that. his writings are most important as to not question the answers and challenge the way we look at life and civilization we just might loose ourselves in our "progrss"
Just opinions and different perspectives. I hope others don't hesitate to pick this up and give it an honest open minded read.
 One truth you will not face? January 21, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
When one looks at the multitude of problems in civilized
life, can one face the possibility that it is civilization
itself that is the problem? More specifically, industrial
civilization.
The author of "Elements of Refusal", John Zerzan, the leading
proponent of the anarcho_primivitist faction of anarchism, a man
who I have personally corresponded with, attempts to face this
issue, square on, without intimidation.
How deep would you look to find the source of your alienation
from nature and each other, and how bold would you be to face
any possibility, and most important, what changes would you make?
This author truly has a unique perspective on what we call civilization.
Do read "Elements of Refusal", by John Zerzan.
How deep does the rabbit hole go? August 18, 2006
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I've been using this book in a college course on "liberation theology" for several terms. Since the essential goal of liberation theology is to discover the roots of our enslavement and do something about it, Zerzan's book is essential for anyone seeking to go deeper than the manifestations of economic and social injustice that abound today. Zerzan argues cogently and with passion that most social diagnosticians are still naming symptoms rather than the disease itself. With much courage, Zerzan gets to the root of our ills.
Few students I've taught have ever asked the questions Zerzan asks, nor considered any of the evidence he offers. This can be daunting, intimidating, even frightening. But with guidance, reading Zerzan can lead to stimulating discussions that extend far beyond the bounds of the classroom.
Resist Civilization! Go feral! March 23, 2006
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Elements of Refusal is regarded by many as the bible of anarcho-primativism, a spiritual call to dismantle domination and return to wilderness. In these technocratic, totalitarian times, Zerzan's profound critique of industrialism, capitalism, work and the machine itself is utterly life-changing and urgent. It will inspire you to quit your job, turn off the tv and run naked through the woods. This book will help you learn to measure your life not in minutes, but in moments, moments of deep connection, sensuality and adventure. (Time, after all, was invented by capitalists as an instrument of socal control.) So tear up your time card and jump into the river. Fall into the arms of lovers or dance with the birds and wind. Remember what the Situationists once said, "Beneath the paving stones, the beach".
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