Rad Magpie Book Club #2 - Sept 2020
Welcome back to Rad Magpie’s book club! This is the second installment of our new ongoing series where we let you know what we’re up to, research-wise! Check out the first edition from late August here.
We’ve been doing a lot of exploration and refocusing lately! Take a look at what the exec team is reading these days:
Megan: Caliban and the Witch by Sylvia Federici
Disclaimer - this book uses inaccessible language so I'm doing a slightly deeper overview than our last book club (cannot praise Ibram Kendi enough for writing about such important concepts in such an accessible and easy-to-comprehend way)
This book is educational and devastating, but ultimately eye-opening. Federici walks her readers through a part of history that is often glossed over and seldom taught for real — witch trials. These trials can be distilled as rampant murder as a means of control and subordination. Since they were fear-based, and since any woman could be a witch, communities would quickly turn against their own without a second thought. Witch trials were so effective, and went so un-challenged, that they fundamentally changed how women, LGBTQ+, and POC were treated by people in power for the rest of our shared history. Social systems cemented in the witch trials changed everything about how affected peoples interact(ed)- not just in the home, but in the community, and in the colonial domination of native land. Social systems used during this time taught people in power how to turn loved ones against one another en masse. Financial systems used during the trials established capitalist society as it stands today. Many pieces of this f*cked up history continue to echo into the present. It’s not like it was just this giant social-political-religious shift that we get to happily leave in the past — it is our foundation.
“Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it”
― Sara Shepard, Wanted
Is a quote that comes to mind after reading this book. I consider this knowledge to be a tool against the harmful patterns that it outlines — particularly the knowledge that those in power are willing and able to weaponize fear and death as a means of control & acquisition of wealth. It swiftly dismantled this idea that I had internalized which states that ‘those in power seek balance and justice.’ This is a historically incorrect notion, and I am relieved and saddened to be free of it.
How it relates to our work: As an individual who holds power I have greater insight into this web of historical systems of oppression as well as an ability to identify how the tools of that system are still used today so that I can stop unknowingly supporting their use. I can see how history repeats itself in subtle ways, and I have a renewed appreciation for everyone at Rad Magpie and all other folks who work against these harmful historical patterns.
Caliban and the Witch is written academically, which makes it less accessible for me and many others, which is a damn shame! I read this book with a supportive group of friends (shoutout Amila, Kitty, Ana, and Brittany) which made the reading easier to digest & provided social relief from some really heavy topics. Through discussing the reading with one another we were able to get more out of the book than if we had tried to read it alone, so I’m really grateful to have had people to read it with. I encourage everyone to read this book with some supportive friends to learn about this violent and topical part of history that is seldom discussed beyond being called a “great mystery”.
Maggie: Marx at the Arcade by Jamie Woodcock
This book was recommended to the Rad Magpie team by one of our Rad Studio cohort members, and I’m so glad it was. It presents a comprehensive history of the games industry through a Marxist lens and is packed with research on theory and gaming culture alike. Divided into two sections, the production of games and the consumption of games, this book explores the complex social systems that both produce gaming content and feed off of it.
One of my favorite things about this book is its use of case studies and examples to describe notable concepts — rather than alluding to the idea of “games selectively omitting history,” author Jamie Woodcock points to Civilization specifically, which is a series I have played and can relate to. For this reason I also would highly recommend this book to any aspiring dev that might not have taken a Game History class. Many of the most groundbreaking (for better or worse) games in history are mentioned by name in this text, and Woodcock explains their significance on both a gamedev and socioeconomic level.
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was its use of references. Not only did that make it feel more credible, but I left with a nice list of other sources to read and pursue. While I can’t say I loved every bit of this book, I think it is an excellent jumping-off point. From the way the theory elements are put in layperson’s terms to the web of connections made to other works, I think this book is a great introduction to critique of the games industry and games as a medium in general.
Zynab: Taking Charge of Adult ADHD by Russell A. Barkley
The past year in my life has been a discovery and subsequent battle with ADHD. I coped well at first, but come 2020, the pandemic gained speed and I found myself with significantly more factors working against me and my ADHD on the path to functioning well. Now, I’m taking this opportunity to read and learn as much as I can about ADHD in order to work towards overall wellness.
Taking Charge of Adult ADHD is a primer for what an adult with ADHD may experience prior to their diagnosis, especially with intervention later in life, and what to expect in the process of diagnosis. This book helped me in the process of understanding what actions/feelings I can attribute to ADHD and how particular strategies may be able to help support me.
The text is also laid out well for those who may have trouble focusing while reading. Similar to a textbook, there are little side-notes and separate sections that go into further detail or re-emphasize a point. Unlike a textbook, though, the chapters are also incredibly short and separated well. While I’ve gone my whole life adjusting to how I read regular books, it was refreshing and comforting to read a book that was intentionally laid out to best suit its audience.
Within some sections, there are also spaces to write about how your functioning is impacted. At first, I didn’t really engage with the book in that way, but at some point I decided to just go for it. That decision to let go was incredibly rewarding. Allowing myself to process and think about how my own personal experience reflected what I read helped me process more about myself and how I function than I would have otherwise, if I had just read the book and moved along. It helped give me time and space for critical thinking and get more out of the content.
Barkley has written other similar books covering the topic of ADHD including Taking Charge of ADHD, which is intended for parents of children diagnosed with ADHD. To my understanding, the content differs mainly in who the text is speaking to. Both books come highly recommended in the ADHD community.