33 Myths of the System, a critique of the entire world system — its institutions, its techniques, its history, its activities and its ideologies (both capitalist and socialist) — is my most popular book (and now available in Dutch and German).
The first edition was released in 2018, the second edition in 2022 and now I’ve made what I hope is my final update. It’s still listed as ‘second edition’ because I’ve only made a few edits here and there,1 but this is as good a time as any to do a little promotional work and alert anyone who hasn’t read it to its existence…
33 Myths of the System
As civilisation reaches endgame and begins to disintegrate, as the illusions of left and right coalesce into a single, spectacular omnimyth, as every rootless mind begins to experience the stupefying dystopias of Orwell, Huxley, Kafka and Dick, the time has come to understand the whole system, from root to fruit.
Drawing on the entire history of radical thought, while seeking to plumb their common depths, 33 Myths of the System, presents a synthesis of independent criticism, a straightforward exposure of the justifications of the world-system, along with a new way to perceive and understand the unhappy supermind that directs, penetrates and even lives our lives.
33 Myths of the System confronts the fabrications of both capitalism and socialism, both left and right, both theism and atheism. As such it may be, for some, a challenging read. But if you are willing to face not just the world out there, but the anxieties and desires in here which sustain it, 33 Myths of the System — together with its companion Self & Unself — will be a liberating read.
Table of Contents…
Reviews…
So provocative… I love[d it]… hit with originality and force.
John Zerzan, author of Future Primitive, Running on Emptiness and A People’s History of Civilisation. (before I fell out with him over Covid lockdowns)
Pure genius… Full of insights and mind-blowing thought-puzzles.
David Edwards, Media Lens (before I fell out with him over Covid lockdowns)
A powerful book. A great title. A brilliant communicator… Breaks down many of the institutions that we believe in and see as somehow irreproachable and unassailable… fantastic stuff.
Russell Brand (before he totally lost his marbles)
A great deal of logic and truth.
Daniel Pinchbeck, author of Breaking Open the Head (before I fell out with him over his feeble professional-class technophilia)
It’s all so very clear and with just enough sugar to make the medicine go down so it can truly reach. It makes me laugh and it makes me hungry for revolution.
Chantelle Oliver
A revelation. This book is a whirlwind: confronting, critical, and upsetting. Pick it up at your peril; it will offend… visceral and compelling… controversial and provocative.
Jussi Pasanen; read his review here: bit.ly/2S2Sedu
This is a fantastic book.
Damien Gayle (The Guardian)
A radical and insightful book (Ali Hendrick)… Fascinating analysis of the world we live in (Alastair Creelman)… This may be the most painful and depressing book I’ve ever read, but the points it makes are some of the most serious and prescient I have ever come across (Sean Tilley)… one of my favourite books of this year, if not the decade: in terms of books that challenge your thinking and point out the water you’re swimming in, it’s fantastic (Doug Belshaw)… Reading this book is like sawing off a gangrenous arm, agonising but utterly necessary (Dom Turner)… Brilliant!! (Gillian O’Donoghue)… One of the most important, striking and frightening books I have read in some time. (‘Nelson’)… Incisive and provocative; truly anarchic, paradoxical and honest (Liz Darcy Jones)… Shifted my thinking in a wonderful direction (Adam Byrne)… well researched, well written, and fearless (David Bethune)…Genuinely original, very uncommon! (Ewen Nicholson)… I cried all the time I was reading it. It also made me sick. As in actual diarrhoea and nausea (Areli Figueroa)… A rare book. Somehow this most depressing of books feels actually liberating. (‘Philip’)… It changed everything. I no longer see society in 360p; I see it in full 4k HD (Martijn)… Fabulous book. Full of insight. A life-changing read. Brilliantly written. (‘Ant Potter’)… [A] complete eviscerations of modern life the likes of which I’ve never read: A must read for anyone who despises all forms of ‘politics’. (‘Thomas’)… It’s a cracker! (Shirl ‘n‘ Dave Hughes)…
From Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter, emails, etc.
Edgy, fabulist ranting (Robert Nolan)… The sheer volume of what’s plain wrong and absurd here makes it hard to know where the ignorance ends and the dishonesty begins. (Stephen Morrell)… I don’t think I have ever read a book that alienates so many classes of people. (Chris Keating)… Offensive, nihilist twaddle from someone who clearly holds humanity in contempt (‘labrebigalloise’)… Speculative fantasy nonsense (‘alryr’)… Condescending and peevish throughout (‘ARealRedWagon’)… I doubt the author even believes this tripe (‘Powera’)… Wank (‘J.G.’)
From Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter, emails, etc.
Read Some Sample Chapters…
The Myth of Scarcity
The Myth of Culture
The Myth of Education
The Myth of Meaning
The Myth of Authority
Buy a copy of 33 Myths of the System…
The updated version will take a few months to ‘propagate’ into other online retailers, but you can get a copy now from my online bookshop.
If you have the second edition, don’t get this one.