Before I even began to read over The Anarchist Cookbook, I took a moment to read over the table of contents. At first, I simply glanced at it and was getting ready to move on, but I immediately had to make a double-take. Simply reading the insane (and seemingly endless) list in the table of contents was the perfect introduction to what this book has to offer. Chapter One: “Drugs”, Chapter Two: “Electronics, Sabotage, and Surveillance”, Chapter Three: “Natural, Nonlethal, and Lethal Weapons”, and Chapter Four: “Explosives and Booby Traps”, each of these chapters was its own can of worms all on its own. Surprisingly, the FBI said that The Anarchist Cookbook did not cause “forcible resistance to any law of the United States”, so it was protected by the First Amendment. It also could not be regulated since it was released as mass media. Regardless, reading this book felt wrong, especially when you find yourself reading a DIY tutorial on “how to make DMT in the kitchen.”
William Powell wrote The Anarchist Cookbook when he was 19 years old. Whether or not that is shocking is debatable. It was published in 1971 by Lyle Stuart Inc., a publisher notorious for publishing such inflammatory texts. Powell wrote this rebellious handbook as a protest against the government and the Vietnam War, which ended 4 years after the publication of his book. Although Powell did not speak much about his book after it was published, he was able to express his opinion and reflection decades later. In the documentary American Anarchist, filmmaker Charlie Siskel was able to interview Powell right before his death in 2016. In that documentary, Powell revealed his regret of writing the book in the first place, and he revealed that he had not read the book since he first wrote it. He hoped it would eventually go out of print. Furthermore, he was haunted by the fact that his book inspired multiple acts of terrorism. His book was notably linked to a plane hijacking, amongst other things, and the Columbine school shooting and attempted bombing.
Powell begins the book with a compelling foreword, directly addressing the “real people of America.” He claimed that the book was not an act of revolution on its own, but it was meant to be a tool to “stir some stagnant brains into action.” He essentially calls for violence to rebel against the government, because “…people in power…will not non-violently give up that power to the people.” And as promised, The Anarchist Cookbook acted as that handbook for violence and rebellions in all forms. From explosives to drugs to silencers, this book has everything an anarchist needs to know if they want to take violent action.
Coincidentally, we have recently discussed anarchism in my Political Science class, and it was very interesting to note the clear connections with that class and this reading. For example, we discussed how anarchists do not follow the law because they do not believe in its effectiveness and believe it is suppressing the people. Many anarchists, unlike those on the rest of the political spectrum, believe that imprisonment is, in fact, an honor, not a punishment, because they are going against the very institutions they despise. This can be clearly seen in Powell’s introduction, where he writes that he would not have written this book if he were not going to be thrown in jail for writing it. Anarchism is a very complicated ideology that is often misunderstood and misinterpreted. It can be seen on either side of the ideological spectrum, and it can be expressed in many ways. Clearly, Powell’s interpretation is the most popular version of anarchism. His focus on violence grabs attention and incites reactions from people around the world.
19-year-old William Powell believed anger and frustration needed to be expressed through action, but not just any action; it had to be violent action. He believed people needed to take violent action to get the change they wanted. As a true anarchist, he believed no law was worth following except for the laws “he instills in himself.” Now, decades later, his book was arguably successful in getting people to take action, acting as an influence on multiple acts of terrorism.
References
“Books as Contraband: The Strange Case of ‘The Anarchist Cookbook.’” 2018. War on the Rocks. https://warontherocks.com/2018/09/books-as-contraband-the-strange-case-of-the-anarchist-cookbook/.
McEvers, Kelly. 2017. “Documentarian Says ‘Anarchist Cookbook’ Author Was Filled With Remorse.” NPR. https://www.npr.org/2017/04/03/522474967/documentarian-says-anarchist-cookbook-author-was-filled-with-remorse.