100 Posters/134 Squirrels
A 2010 reissue of Jay Ryan’s underground hit book, with new material added, and essays by Steve Albini, Art Chantry, Greg Kot, and Debra Parr.
Subject: Nonfiction
Abortion & Life
Baumgardner’s groundbreaking new book includes abortion testimonials by Ani DiFranco, Barbara Ehrenreich, Gloria Steinem, and others.
All the Power: Revolution Without Illusion
An “anti-manifesto” from the co-author of Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation’s Capital with a preface by Jennifer Baumgardner, author of Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future.
American Honor Killings: Desire and Rage Among Men
An exposé of an America no one is comfortable talking about: the volatile ground where male violence and sexuality overlap.
Amiri Baraka 3-for-1 Sale!
For a limited time, purchase three of Amiri Baraka’s titles (Tales of the Out & the Gone, Black Music, and Home: Social Essays) together for only $16.95!
Among the Bloodpeople: Politics & Flesh
Concerns with human rights, political oppression, sexuality, race, and Jamaican culture thematically connect these essays.
And Then I Danced: Traveling the Road to LGBT Equality
A dramatic and inspirational memoir from one of the world’s top leaders of the movement for gay and lesbian equality.
Animals and Objects In and Out of Water
The second book from the iconic Chicago underground poster artist, with a foreword by Andrew Bird and an essay by Joe Meno.
The Anti-Capitalism Reader
A refreshingly non-doctrinaire anthology of writings and interviews covering much of the intellectual geography of the new anti-market left.
The Baker’s Son: My Life in Business
An inspirational rags-to-riches memoir by the founder of the most successful Caribbean business ever established in the US.
Black Music
The long-awaited reissue of the sequel to Amiri Baraka’s seminal work, BLUES PEOPLE, and latest selection in the AkashiClassics Renegade Reprint Series. This collection of essays by Amiri Baraka/LeRoi Jones includes a new introduction by the author and Q&A by Calvin Reid.
Born on the Fourth of July
This edition marks the 40th anniversary of the original publication of Kovic’s American antiwar classic and features a new foreword by Bruce Springsteen.
Brooklyn Noir 3: Nothing but the Truth
Brooklyn Noir is back, this time with a true-crime vengeance.
Censorship Now!!
An uproarious new essay collection from Washington, DC’s, infamous cult music hero and satirist.
Censorship Now!! (LIMITED SIGNED HARDCOVER EDITION)
An uproarious new essay collection from Washington, DC’s, infamous cult music hero and satirist.
Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian
In advance of the 2016 Olympics, Akashic launches Dave Zirin’s new sports imprint—Edge of Sports—with a dramatic memoir by Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ervin.
Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career and a Successful Life
A professional playbook offering guidance to women in the contemporary workplace.
Dance of Days: Updated Edition
Updated 2009 edition of this evergreen punk classic—with a new chapter, additional photos, and other original material!
DogTown: The Legend of the Z-Boys
The bigger, newly designed edition of an iconic skateboarding book, including additional never-before-seen Glen E. Friedman photos and a new C.R. Stecyk III postscript.
Limited number of books signed by Glen E. Friedman available! Select “SIGNED BY GLEN E. FRIEDMAN” in the drop-down menu below and add to cart! OR, for a 25% discount off list price, please select “Unsigned.”
Drawing Autism
Autism spectrum disorder is found in one of every eighty-eight children—this gorgeous book offers powerful insight into the disorder.
Elizabeth Nunez Digit
In celebration of the release of Elizabeth Nunez’s new memoir, Not for Everyday Use, our Elizabeth Nunez Digit comprises excerpts from the memoir along with her two Akashic novels: Boundaries and Anna In-Between..
Ending the War in Iraq
Tom Hayden brings a lifetime of experience to the challenge of ending the Iraq War—and preventing future wars.
Fair Play: How LGBT Athletes Are Claiming Their Rightful Place in Sports
Zeigler tells the story of how sports has been radically transformed for LGBT athletes in the past four years.
Falun Gong’s Challenge to China: Spiritual Practice or “Evil Cult”?
This updated paperback edition has information on all of the latest developments with the Chinese government crackdown, including Danny Schechter’s analysis of the alleged public suicides by Falun Gong practitioners in Tiananmen Square in February 2001.
Fame: The Hijacking of Reality
A passionate and critical analysis of the life cycle of Fame, from film producer/director and former worldwide TV star Justine Bateman.
The Five Biggest Lies Bush Told Us About Iraq
The Five Biggest Lies Bush Told Us About Iraq is the comprehensive source on the administration’s campaign of disinformation before, during, and after the second Gulf War.
Five Hours: How My Son’s Brief Life Changed Everything
How a mother whose son died soon after birth came to consider his life a miracle.
Frame of Mind: Punk Photos and Essays from Washington, DC, and Beyond, 1997–2017
A long-overdue female-centric perspective on underground rock music, featuring photos by Tricarico and essays by Joan Jett, Amy Farina, Allison Wolfe, Donita Sparks, and more!
Frederick Douglass in Brooklyn
A fascinating collection of Frederick Douglass’s always-controversial speeches in Brooklyn, New York.
George Washington’s Rules of Civility
National Book Award/Pulitzer Prize finalist Adam Haslett tackles George Washington’s Rules of Civility, which will be printed in its entirety. In addition to an introductory essay, Haslett annotates the text.
Go Fish
The debut collection of Mr. Fish’s searing and hilarious political cartoons, featured in Harper’s, Truthdig, and elsewhere.
The Half That’s Never Been Told: The Real-Life Reggae Adventures of Doctor Dread
A passionate memoir and fearless behind-the-scenes look at the personal lives of the biggest reggae stars in the world.
Hard Art, DC 1979
Pulitzer prize–winning photographer Lucian Perkins captures four electrifying punk shows in Washington, DC, in 1979, with narrative by Alec MacKaye and an essay by Henry Rollins.
Home: Social Essays
A seminal Jones/Baraka literary land mine that launches AkashiClassics: Renegade Reprint Series.
How the Left Lost Teen Spirit
Includes Goldberg’s groundbreaking book Dispatches from the Culture Wars, plus a new author introduction and additional chapters.
Hurricane Street
Kovic’s impassioned, timely memoir about the American Veterans Movement picks up where Born on the Fourth of July leaves off.
I Am a Promise
An inspiring children’s picture book about the indomitable spirit of Jamaican six-time Olympic medal winner Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce.
In Search of the Lost Chord (Paperback Edition)
This paperback edition of Goldberg’s highly acclaimed homage to 1967 includes a new afterword and twenty beautiful and evocative photographs.
In Search of the Lost Chord: 1967 and the Hippie Idea
Fifty years after 1967, Goldberg explores the continued relevance of political and cultural movements from that pivotal year in history.
Israel vs. Utopia
Israeli American journalist Schalit distinguishes between the Israel he knows and the image of it in the minds of Americans.
The Jefferson Bible
Visionary author Percival Everett will take an atheist’s-eye-view of the little-known “Jefferson Bible,” the third president’s response to the King James Bible.
Jerusalem Calling
Schalit critically interrogates everything from Middle Eastern politics to the New Economy, from debates in the independent music scene about “selling out” to the current cultural interventions of Jerry Falwell and his followers.
John Adams’s A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America
Acclaimed novelist and satirist Neal Pollack analyzes and dissects selected early writings by Founding Father John Adams.
Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist
The paperback reissue of the national best-selling memoir from the M*A*S*H star, with a brand-new introduction by Martin Sheen.
Keep Your Eyes Open: The Fugazi Photographs of Glen E. Friedman
A second edition of the definitive photo book of one of the most influential rock bands of the past forty years, including brand-new, exclusive material.
Limited number of books signed by Glen E. Friedman available! Select “SIGNED BY GLEN E. FRIEDMAN” in the drop-down menu below and add to cart! OR, for a 25% discount off list price, please select “Unsigned.”
Lessons in Taxidermy
A riveting tale of sickness and survival from the first female author on the Punk Planet Books imprint that brought you the indie hit Hairstyles of the Damned.
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
The impassioned memoirs from one of America’s leading civil liberties attorneys of the 20th century.
Little Wonder: The Fabulous Story of Lottie Dod, the World’s First Female Sports Superstar
A groundbreaking biography of the world’s first female sports superstar, the pioneering and uncompromising Lottie Dod.
Misstating the State of the Union: Right-Wing Media Distortions About the Clinton and Bush Presidencies
Best-selling author David Brock leads an analysis of right-wing media distortions.
My Life on the Line: How the NFL Damn Near Killed Me and Ended Up Saving My Life
A riveting account of life as a closeted professional athlete from gay NFL player O’Callaghan, against the backdrop of depression, opioid addiction, and the threat of suicide.
**While supplies last, paperback copies ordered here will be SIGNED by Ryan O’Callaghan!
News Dissector: Passions, Pieces, and Polemics – 1960–2000
News Dissector brings together Schechter’s writings on human rights, politics, and the media over a span of four decades of activism and reporting.
Not for Everyday Use
A riveting memoir in which Nunez comes to grips with her mother’s passing and her parents’ ambition for their children.
Now You See the Sky
This memoir—the first release on best-selling author Ann Hood’s Gracie Belle imprint—about the fathomless loss of a beloved child reveals how tragedy can transform us and make us more fully alive.
Of Grunge and Government: Let’s Fix this Broken Democracy!
Founding member of world-famous rock band Nirvana offers a personal and political memoir.
Of Mule and Man
Mike Farrell’s gripping and often hilarious book tour memoir provides a framework for grassroots civic engagement.
Once There Was a Village
Kapralov’s work revolves around his years living and working as an artist in New York’s East Village in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Particulate Matter
In concise and distilled prose, Lemus presents a collection of still lifes, landscapes, and portraits of a challenging year that threatened all she loved most.
The Path to Geneva: The Quest for a Permanent Agreement, 1996 – 2004
A detailed and intimate personal history of the Middle East peace process by one of its founding architects.
Planet Claire: Suite for Cello and Sad-Eyed Lovers
The second installment in Ann Hood’s Gracie Belle imprint challenges the traditional solemnity that characterizes nonfiction books of grief, loss, and sorrow.
Playing President: My Close Encounters with Nixon, Carter, Bush I, Reagan, and Clinton–and How They Did Not Prepare Me for George W. Bush
In Playing President, Robert Scheer offers an unparalleled insight into the presidential mind.
Please Don’t Bomb the Suburbs
Best-selling author/activist William Upski Wimsatt is back with a blueprint for contemporary political organizers.
Pressure Makes Diamonds: Becoming the Woman I Pretended to Be
The powerful memoir of a female African American advertising executive’s unprecedented and unlikely success, which began in the Mad Men era.
Primus, Over the Electric Grapevine: Insight into Primus and the World of Les Claypool
An oral history of the legendary band Primus, with a star-studded cast of interviewees (Tom Waits, Phish front man Trey Anastasio, etc.)
*While supplies last, books ordered through the website will include a bookplate SIGNED by Les Claypool!
The Psychic Soviet
A reissue of Ian F. Svenonius’s cult-classic debut essay collection, including brand-new writing in this expanded edition.
The Ralph Nader and Family Cookbook: Classic Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond
Ralph Nader and his family share recipes inspired by his parents’ commitment to the healthy diet of their homeland of Lebanon.
Regularly priced at $24.95; discounted to $17.47 (30% off retail).
*While supplies last, books ordered through the website will include a bookplate SIGNED by Ralph Nader!
The Ralph Nader and Family Cookbook: Classic Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond (30% Off)
Ralph Nader and his family share recipes inspired by his parents’ commitment to the healthy diet of their homeland of Lebanon.
Regularly priced at $24.95; discounted to $17.47 (30% off retail).
*While supplies last, books ordered through the website will include a bookplate SIGNED by Ralph Nader!
Revolutionary Threads: Rastafari, Social Justice, and Cooperative Economics
An American Rasta’s retelling of episodes in American history with an anti-colonial thrust and a view toward charting a brighter future.
Scars of the Soul Are Why Kids Wear Bandages When They Don’t Have Bruises
An authentic and riveting hip-hop memoir in the Joan Didion tradition from Bronx native Lewis.
A Secret History of Coffee, Coca & Cola
From the illustrator of Go the F*** to Sleep comes a history of coffee, Coca-Cola, caffeine, cocaine, secret formulas, special flavors, special favors, Harry J. Anslinger, and Prohibition.
*While supplies last, books ordered through the website will be SIGNED by Ricardo Cortés.
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows: Turning Our Grief into Action for Peace
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows presents a powerful collection of essays, photos, and heartfelt stories about their deeply personal responses to their very public tragedies.
Soulside: Washington, DC, 1986–1989
A photographic history of the DC-based 1980s punk rock band that recorded for Dischord Records.
Spoke: Images and Stories from the 1980s Washington, DC Punk Scene
An oral and photographic history of the Washington, DC, punk rock scene, including Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Fugazi, and more.
Starve the Vulture: A Memoir
A stirring story of criminality, drug addiction, recovery, and unlikely fame.
Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock ‘n’ Roll Group
Washington, DC–based rock ‘n’ roll antihero Ian F. Svenonius provides an unparalleled and exquisitely provocative how-to guide for rock bands.
This Is the Noise That Keeps Me Awake
International best-selling rock band Garbage presents its own autobiography, a gorgeous, full-color coffee-table book with text and images galore. Note: This page is for the regular edition of This Is the Noise That Keeps Me Awake. For the limited edition preorder with an exclusive 12" vinyl, please follow this link.
This Is the Noise That Keeps Me Awake – limited edition package w/exclusive 12″ vinyl
International best-selling rock band Garbage’s gorgeous new coffee-table book chronicling the span of their twenty-two-year career, This Is the Noise That Keeps Me Awake, is available here as part of a limited edition package, featuring an EXCLUSIVE 12" record and a copy of the book. This limited edition collectible book and record bundle is completely sold out!
Tigerbelle: The Wyomia Tyus Story
A timely memoir about world record–breaking Tyus’s 1964 and 1968 Olympic victories, amid the turbulence of the 1960s, along with contemporary reflections.
Two Times Intro: On the Road with Patti Smith
Two Times Intro is Michael Stipe’s intimate and evocative visual diary of Patti Smith’s return to live performance.
Two Times Intro: On the Road with Patti Smith – Limited-Edition Package
Two Times Intro is Michael Stipe’s intimate and evocative visual diary of Patti Smith’s return to live performance.
**This is the page for the limited-edition package, including a signed print.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct: College Football and the Politics of Rape
A meticulously researched and powerful exposé on the epidemic of cover-up that surrounds sexual assault and college football players.
We Do!: American Leaders Who Believe in Marriage Equality
Cherished former Vermont governor Kunin teams up with Baumgardner to tell the inspiring story of American politicians’ growing acceptance of gay marriage.
We Matter: Athletes and Activism
In interviews and essays, high-profile activist athletes explore the intersection of sports and politics.
We Owe You Nothing, Punk Planet: The Collected Interviews Expanded Edition
Revised and expanded edition of the punk classic (more than 15,000 copies sold), with six new interviews.
What Is Hip-Hop?
A beautifully illustrated children’s history of hip-hop, from a progressive/idealistic perspective.
You Throw Like a Girl: The Blind Spot of Masculinity
Former NFL quarterback McPherson examines the roots of masculinity gone awry and how it promotes violence against women.
Ziggy Marley and Family Cookbook
A cookbook inspired by the food of Ziggy’s upbringing in the household of Bob and Rita Marley.
*While supplies last, books ordered through the Akashic Books website will include a bookplate SIGNED by Ziggy Marley!
Forthcoming Titles
Face: One Square Foot of Skin
Forthcoming: 4/6/21
Writer/director/producer Justine Bateman examines the aggressive ways that society reacts to the aging of women’s faces.
They Better Call Me Sugar: My Journey from the Hood to the Hardwood
Forthcoming: 5/4/21
In unflinchingly honest prose, Sugar Rodgers shares her inspiring story of overcoming tremendous odds to become an all-star in the WNBA.
Now available for preorder. All preorders will ship on or before May 4, 2021.
Do Something for Nothing: Seeing Beneath the Surface of Homelessness through the Simple Act of a Haircut
Forthcoming: 5/18/21
Through the simple act of a haircut, readers are taken on a geographical and emotional journey into the lives of humans experiencing homelessness in different cities across the world.
Now available for preorder. All preorders will ship on or before May 18, 2021.
Unstrung: Rants and Stories of a Noise Guitarist
Forthcoming: 8/3/21
Iconoclastic guitar player Marc Ribot offers up essays and stories in this darkly funny and subversive debut collection.
Now available for preorder. All preorders will ship on or before August 3, 2021.