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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Book On Punk I've Read - 10 Stars, May 24, 2000
This review is from: The Philosophy of Punk: More Than Noise (Paperback)
The Philosophy Of Punk is an awesome look at the undergroundscene, philosophies, history, political and social happenings of thepunk movement. Craig shatters what the mass media portrays as punk and gives you the truth. No one can do it all but Craig does a pretty damn fine job. There are also some great pictures to boot. I can't say how good this book is. The Lithuanian authorities stopped the printers from distributing it in their country saying it was "a vile, rebellious, offensive document" so you know it is a good one. :-) Here are the chapter headings (after forward and intro) to give you a small glimpse: *Why Punk: Background Comparisons With Previous Art Movements; Some Defining Characteristics of Punk. *Media Misrepresentation: How Television, Glossy Magazines, And Mindless Media Have Done Their Best To Defang The Beast. *Skinheads And Racism: Who They Are, Where They're From And What Do They Have To Do With Punk Anyway. *Intra Movement Communication: Fanzines-Communication From The Xerox Machine To The Underground. *Anarchism: An Alternative To Existing Systems. What It Is And Why It Is Embraced By Punks All Over The World. The Failure Of "Bought And Paid For" Politicians Has Ensured A Counterculture Receptive To The Idea That We Would Be Better Off Without These Vampires. *Gender Issues: Sexism, Feminism and Open Homosexuality. *Environmentalism And Ecological Concerns: The Ideas And Techniques Of Earth First, ALF and Others Have Found A Comfortable Home In The Punk Scene. *Straight Edge: A Movement That Went From Being A Minor Threat To A Conservative Conformist No Threat. *DIY I couldn't believe it when I saw this book being sold on Amazon.com. Take advantage and get it. AK Press puts out some really good books and this one is truly a gem. I bought one for myself then I bought one for both my parents, and some friends and relatives. Share it with those who matter. I got to see Craig talk at the Anarchist Book Fair 2000 in San Francisco. He's a really cool guy with lots of funny stories. If you want to know what he looks like then look at the back cover of the book. He's the far right guy in the foreground. Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. A true sign of an awesome book. Happy reading!
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Flimsy, November 5, 2003
This review is from: The Philosophy of Punk: More Than Noise (Paperback)
I certainly appreciate the intentions of this book, and wish that everything in it were true. However, the punk "movement" (if it can be called such a thing) is not nearly as disciplined or organized as this book makes it appear. As someone who believes in at least many of the platitudes displayed in _Philosophy of Punk_, I have to say that, though I wish it were different, the punk scene often does not live up to the image the O'Hara creates for it. The book is wildly enthusiastic, hardly ever questioning the scene's commitment to a leftist utopian vision. O'Hara seems to have either missed or omitted the fact that punk can have a distinctive reactionary element as well, that it is often dominated by males, that it can be quite hostile to homosexuals and that many individuals involved with it are downright ignorant. That's not to say that punk rock hasn't done great things for me personally or that it isn't a generally positive force in the world, but O'Hara clearly overestimates the movement's importance and clarity. Additionally, the book lacks any real academic credentials. O'Hara cites a handful of the more well known zines in order to underline some of his points, but has no real scientific tools to measure the feelings or beliefs of the punk scene, other than his highly personal (and thus, biased) experience in the scene himself. In large part because of this, the book lacks a real sense of introspection and seems to harbor no doubts about the righteousness of the scene. In my opinion, self-criticism is very punk, and it's complete absence makes the book hardly anything more than propaganda.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Amateurish and Starry-Eyed, November 4, 2001
This review is from: The Philosophy of Punk: More Than Noise (Paperback)
This book was originally the author's college thesis. I can't imagine any reputable university accepting it, as it's written on a high school level. It purports to be an overview of the punk "scene," but is in fact a rather near-sighted idealist description of the author's hometown vegan peace-punk scene. The politics described within are indeed admirable, and I sincerely hope the junior high mall punks who read this book take them to heart. However, as a true depiction of what punk IS (versus what he thinks it should BE), it fails.
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