The Book on Fire Podcast

We return! In our new season we are reading The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber & David Wengrow, a fascinating and controversial book of anthropology and social theory. There's enough groundwork laid in Chapter 1 to make this episode a longer one than we're used to releasing. We hope you find it stimulating. The Dawn of Everything at archive.org NEW: We've started a Discord community in case folks are interested in more discussion around the books and ideas we engage with. Join us! Featured music: "Stars Sewn Into Our Skies" by Big Blood. "That Glow in the Morning" by Sarah Louise. Buy us a coffee :: Email us at thebookonfirepodcast@gmail.com [[ Dave & Janet's Radical Vitalism :: Blog :: Instagram ]]

This bonus discussion celebrates the transformative power of music, featuring artists like Big Blood. A poignant narrative from a child's perspective highlights homelessness, while contrasting despair with the hope of spring. The tumultuous history of native identity against conquest reminds us of our cultural legacies. May Day emerges as a bold declaration of autonomy against societal constraints. Overall, listeners are encouraged to embrace their roots and emotions as a path to empowerment and resilience.

Witch hunting did not end in Europe. In fact it didn't even end. The final chapter of our book. Mentioned: Debt: The First 5,000 Years, by David Graeber The anthropologist Michael Taussig "Conviction: American Panic" podcast Janet's essay about finding and connecting with nature anywhere  ----------------------------------- Music on this episode by Big Blood and I Love You. Buy us a coffee :: Email us at thebookonfirepodcast@gmail.com -*- our Discord community for further discussion -*- [[ Dave & Janet's Radical Vitalism :: Blog :: Instagram :: Website ]]

Why were women especially targeted by the Witch Hunt? The continuation of Chapter 4.   Mentioned: The Witch Cult in Western Europe by Margaret Murray The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers by Ehrenreich and English Stephany Hoffelt's Domestic Medicine blog Diane Purkiss ----------------------------------- Music on this episode by Big Blood and I Love You. Buy us a coffee :: Email us at thebookonfirepodcast@gmail.com -*- our Discord community for further discussion -*- [[ Dave & Janet's Radical Vitalism :: Blog :: Instagram :: Website ]]

Arguably the most important chapter of the book. "The Great Witch-Hunt in Europe" Mentioned: Malleus Maleficarum or The Hammer of the Witches ----------------------------------- Music on this episode by Big Blood and I Love You. Buy us a coffee :: Email us at thebookonfirepodcast@gmail.com -*- our Discord community for further discussion -*- [[ Dave & Janet's Radical Vitalism :: Blog :: Instagram :: Website ]]

Capitalism needed to invent a new kind of person, a new subject to fit into its scheme. Science and rationalist philosophy was happy to provide. Mentioned on the podcast: Harriet Washington Medical Apartheid Richard Dawkins The Selfish Gene Jared Diamond Guns, Germs, and Steel Excellent critique of Diamond's book from the Savage Minds blog  ----------------------------------------------- Music on this episode by Big Blood and I Love You. Buy us a coffee :: Email us at thebookonfirepodcast@gmail.com -*- our Discord community for further discussion -*- [[ Dave & Janet's Radical Vitalism :: Blog :: Instagram :: Website ]]

We return to finish chapter 2. Mentioned on the show: The podcast series "Seeing White" from Scene on Radio Dr. Kim Tallbear on For the Wild podcast   Music on this episode by Big Blood and I Love You. Buy us a coffee :: Email us at thebookonfirepodcast@gmail.com -*- our Discord community for further discussion -*- [[ Dave & Janet's Radical Vitalism :: Blog :: Instagram :: Website ]]

We begin discussing the pivotal second chapter. There was too much to fit into one episode, so this conversation will be continued. Mentioned: Q, the novel, by Luther Blissett The World Turned Upside Down, by Christopher Hill   Music on this episode by Big Blood and I Love You. -*- our Discord community for further discussion -*- Buy us a coffee :: Email us at thebookonfirepodcast@gmail.com [[ Dave & Janet's Radical Vitalism :: Blog :: Instagram :: Website ]]

Life during feudalism, popular revolt, heretical resistance: "All the World Needs Jolt: Social Movements and Political Crisis in Medieval Europe". Further reading: Tragedy of the Commons on Wikipedia "First as Tragedy, then as Fascism", article from The Baffler about the legacy of Garrett Hardin, who popularized the "tragedy" in a 1968 essay. The Revolution of Everyday Life by Raoul Vaneigem (PDF) Music on this episode by Big Blood and I Love You. -*- our Discord community for further discussion -*- Buy us a coffee :: Email us at thebookonfirepodcast@gmail.com [[ Dave & Janet's Radical Vitalism :: Blog :: Instagram :: Website ]]

Caliban and the Witch is much more than a book of history. Today we introduce our new book, get oriented to the subject matter, define some terms, and cover highlights from the preface and the introduction. Order the book from AK Press here. It can also be found free online as a scanned PDF here And possibly as an EPUB ebook here. ---------------- Also mentioned: Witchcraft and the Gay Counterculture by Arthur Evans Music on this episode by Big Blood and I Love You. -*- our Discord community for further discussion -*- Buy us a coffee :: Email us at thebookonfirepodcast@gmail.com [[ Dave & Janet's Radical Vitalism :: Blog :: Instagram :: Website ]]