BAsics, from the talks and writings of Bob Avakian

Selected Bibliography

For the complete talks and writings from which this book is drawn, go to:

Audio/Visual Materials by Bob Avakian

Revolution: Why It's Necessary, Why It's Possible, What It's All About, a film of a talk by Bob Avakian. Talk given in 2003. Selected clips are on YouTube. Also available as DVD set from RCP Publications.

7 Talks (audio) 2006:

1. Why We're in the Situation We're in Today...And What to Do About It: A Thoroughly Rotten System and the Need for Revolution

2. Communism and Jeffersonian Democracy

3. Communism: A Whole New World and the Emancipation of All Humanity--Not "The Last Shall Be First, and The First Shall Be Last"

4. The NBA: Marketing the Minstrel Show and Serving the Big Gangsters

5. Communism and Religion: Getting Up and Getting Free--Making Revolution to Change the Real World, Not Relying on "Things Unseen"

6. Conservatism, Christian Fundamentalism, Liberalism and Paternalism...Bill Cosby and Bill Clinton... Not All "Right" But All Wrong!

7. "Balance" Is the Wrong Criterion--and a Cover for a Witch-hunt--What We Need Is the Search for the Truth: Education, Real Academic Freedom, Critical Thinking and Dissent

Question and Answer Session, with Concluding Remarks

Books, Articles, and Other Written Works by Bob Avakian

Advancing the World Revolutionary Movement: Questions of Strategic Orientation, Revolution magazine, RCP Publications, Spring 1984. Also available at revcom.us.

"Art and Artistic Creation--Solid Core with a Lot of Elasticity," Observations on Art and Culture, Science and Philosophy
(Insight Press, 2005).

Away With All Gods! Unchaining the Mind and Radically Changing the World (Insight Press, 2008).

"The Basis, the Goals, and the Methods of the Communist Revolution." From a talk given in 2005. Revolution, May 2006-January 2007. Also available at revcom.us.

Birds Cannot Give Birth to Crocodiles, But Humanity Can Soar Beyond the Horizon. From a talk given in 2010.
Part 1: "Revolution and the State," Revolution, 2010-2011.
Part 2: "Building the Movement for Revolution," Revolution, 2011.
Also available at revcom.us.

"Bob Avakian in a Discussion with Comrades on Epistemology: On Knowing and Changing the World," Revolutionary Worker #1262, December 19, 2004. Also available at revcom.us. Also in Observations on Art and Culture, Science and Philosophy (Insight Press, 2005).

Bringing Forward Another Way. From a talk given in 2006. Revolution, March-September 2007. Also available at revcom.us and as a pamphlet from RCP Publications.

Bullets, From the Writings, Speeches, & Interviews of Bob Avakian, Chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA (RCP Publications, 1985).

"The 'City Game'--And the City, No Game," Revolutionary Worker #201, April 15, 1983. Also in Reflections, Sketches & Provocations: Essays and Commentary, 1981-1987 (RCP Publications, 1990).

The Coming Civil War and Repolarization for Revolution in the Present Era, Revolution, March-September 2005. Also available as a pamphlet (RCP Publications, 2005) and at revcom.us.

Communism and Jeffersonian Democracy (RCP Publications, 2008). Also available at revcom.us.

Communists Are Rebels: A Letter from RCP Chairman Bob Avakian to His Parents on Philosophy, Religion, Morals, and Continuous Revolution (Revolutionary Communist Youth, April 1980).

Conquer the World? The International Proletariat Must and Will. Revolution magazine No. 50, December 1981. Also available at revcom.us.

"'Crises in Physics,' Crises in Philosophy and Politics," Revolution #161, April 12, 2009. Also available at revcom.us. Also in Demarcations: A Journal of Communist Theory and Polemic, Issue Number 1, Summer-Fall 2009. Available at demarcations-journal.org.

"The Deadly Illusion of the Swinging Pendulum," Revolution #20, October 20, 2005. Also available at revcom.us.

Democracy: Can't We Do Better Than That? (Banner Press, 1986).

Dictatorship and Democracy, and the Socialist Transition to Communism. From a talk given in 2004. Revolutionary Worker, August 2004-January 2005. Also available at revcom.us.

"The End of a Stage--The Beginning of a New Stage," Revolution magazine, RCP Publications, Fall 1990.

"A Final Note: Principles in Carrying Forward the Revolution Under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat and Preventing Revisionism and
the Rise to Power of the (New) Bourgeoisie," Revolution magazine, RCP Publications, Fall 1990.

For a Harvest of Dragons: On the "Crisis of Marxism" and the Power of Marxism--Now More Than Ever (RCP Publications, 1983).

From Ike to Mao and Beyond: My Journey from Mainstream America to Revolutionary Communist, A Memoir by Bob Avakian (Insight Press, 2005). Audio of Bob Avakian reading selections from this memoir. Excerpts also available at revcom.us.

Getting Over the Two Great Humps: Further Thoughts on Conquering the World. Excerpts in Revolutionary Worker, October 1997-January 1998 (under the series title "Getting Over the Hump") and October 2003-January 2004 (under the title "On Proletarian Democracy and Proletarian Dictatorship--A Radically Different View of Leading Society"). Also available at revcom.us.

Grasp Revolution, Promote Production: Questions of Outlook and Method, Some Points on the New Situation. From a talk given in 2002. Excerpts in Revolutionary Worker, November 2002-March 2003. Also available at revcom.us.

A Horrible End, or An End to the Horror? (RCP Publications, 1984).

"In the Wake of the Election, a Basic Point of Orientation: To the Masses...With Revolution," Revolution #149, November 30, 2008. Also available at revcom.us

"'A Leap of Faith' and a Leap to Rational Knowledge: Two Very Different Kinds of Leaps, Two Radically Different Worldviews and Methods," Revolution #10, July 31, 2005. Also available at revcom.us.

Making Revolution and Emancipating Humanity
Part 1: "Beyond the Narrow Horizon of Bourgeois Right"
Part 2: "Everything We're Doing Is About Revolution"
Revolution, October 2007-February 2008. Also available at revcom.us, and also included in Revolution and Communism: A Foundation and Strategic Orientation, a Revolution pamphlet, 2008.

Marxism and the Call of the Future: Conversations on Ethics, History, and Politics (with Bill Martin, Open Court Publishing, 2005).

"Materialism and Romanticism: Can We Do Without Myth?" Observations on Art and Culture, Science and Philosophy
(Insight Press, 2005).

"Methods and Principles," Observations on Art and Culture, Science and Philosophy (Insight Press, 2005).

"'A New Generation of Revolutionary Leaders': Bob Avakian on the Essence of Communist Leadership, and Bringing Forward New Leaders," Revolution #201, May 16, 2010, transcribed from the talk Revolution: Why It's Necessary, Why It's Possible, What It's All About. Also available at revcom.us.

Observations on Art and Culture, Science and Philosophy (Insight Press, 2005).

"On Communism, Leadership, Stalin, and the Experience of Socialist Society," excerpts transcribed from a radio interview, Revolution #168, June 21, 2009. Also available at revcom.us.

"The Oppression of Black People & The Revolutionary Struggle To End All Oppression," a series of excerpts from writings and talks by Bob Avakian published in Revolution during Black History Month, February 2007. Also available at revcom.us.

Out Into the World--As a Vanguard of the Future. From a talk given in 2008. Revolution, February-April 2009. Also available at revcom.us.

Phony Communism Is Dead...Long Live Real Communism! (RCP Publications, 1992; Second Edition with Appendix Democracy: More Than Ever We Can and Must Do Better Than That, 2004).

Preaching From a Pulpit of Bones, We Need Morality, But Not Traditional Morality (Banner Press, 1999).

"Putting Forward Our Line in a Bold, Moving, Compelling Way," published in two parts in Revolutionary Worker: Part 1, #1177, December 1, 2002; Part 2, #1178, December 8, 2002. Also available at revcom.us.

Reaching for the Heights and Flying Without a Safety Net. From a talk given in 2002. Revolutionary Worker, April-August 2003. Also available at revcom.us.

Reflections, Sketches & Provocations: Essays and Commentary, 1981-1987 (RCP Publications, 1990).

"Reform or Revolution: Questions of Orientation, Questions of Morality," Revolution #32, January 29, 2006. Also available at revcom.us.

"The Revolutionary Potential of the Masses and the Responsibility of the Vanguard," Revolutionary Worker #1270, March 13, 2005. Also available at revcom.us.

"The Role of Dissent in a Vibrant Society," Observations on Art and Culture, Science and Philosophy (Insight Press, 2005).

Ruminations and Wranglings: On the Importance of Marxist Materialism, Communism as a Science, Meaningful Revolutionary Work, and a Life with Meaning. From a talk given in 2009. Revolution, May-September 2009. Also available at revcom.us.

"Slavery: Yesterday and Today," Revolution #78, February 11, 2007. Also available at revcom.us.

"Some Observations on the Culture Wars: Textbooks, Movies, Sham Shakespearean Tragedies and Crude Lies," Revolution #198, April 11, 2010. Also available at revcom.us.

"Some Principles for Building a Movement for Revolution," Revolution #202, May 17, 2010. Also available at revcom.us.

"Statement by Bob Avakian, Chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party, on the Occasion of the Death of Willie 'Mobile' Shaw," Revolution #27, December 18, 2005. Also available at revcom.us.

Strategic Questions, excerpts published in Revolutionary Worker, 1996-1997 and 2002. Also available at revcom.us.

"There Is No 'Permanent Necessity' for Things To Be This Way: A Radically Different and Better World Can Be Brought Into Being Through Revolution," Revolution #198, April 11, 2010. Also available at revcom.us.

"Three Alternative Worlds," Revolution #77, January 28, 2007. Also available at revcom.us. Also in Observations on Art and Culture, Science and Philosophy (Insight Press, 2005).

Unresolved Contradictions, Driving Forces for Revolution
     Part I: "Once More on the Coming Civil War... and Repolarization for Revolution"
     Part II: "(Some Observations on) The International Movement"
     Part III: "The New Synthesis and the Woman Question: The Emancipation of Women and the Communist Revolution--Further Leaps and Radical Ruptures"
Revolution, November 2009-April 2010. Entire talk available at revcom.us.

"Views on Socialism and Communism: A Radically New Kind of State, A Radically Different and Far Greater Vision of Freedom." From a talk given in 2005. Revolution, March-April 2006. Also available at revcom.us.

"We Can't Know Everything--So We Should Be Good at Learning," Revolutionary Worker #1181, December 29, 2002 (part of a series of excerpts from the talk Grasp Revolution, Promote Production: Questions of Outlook and Method, Some Points on the New Situation). Also available at revcom.us. Also in Observations on Art and Culture, Science and Philosophy (Insight Press, 2005).

Other Key Works Published by the
Revolutionary Communist Party, USA

Communism: The Beginning of a New Stage, A Manifesto from the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, September 2008 (RCP Publications, 2009). Also available at revcom.us.

Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America (Draft Proposal) (RCP Publications, 2010). Also available at revcom.us.

Constitution of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA
(RCP Publications, 2008). Also available at revcom.us.

1995 Leadership Resolutions on Leaders and Leadership:
Part I: The Party Exists for No Other Reason than to Serve the Masses, to Make Revolution
Part II: Some Points on the Question of Revolutionary Leadership and Individual Leaders
Revolutionary Worker #825, October 1, 1995. Also available at revcom.us.

"On the Strategy for Revolution," Revolution #226, March 6, 2011. Also available at revcom.us.

Revolution, national weekly English/Spanish bilingual newspaper of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA (previously published as Revolutionary Worker from 1979-2005). RCP Publications. Available at revcom.us.

Revolution and Communism: A Foundation and Strategic Orientation.
A Revolution pamphlet (reprints from Revolution newspaper),
May 1, 2008. Includes:
     Making Revolution and Emancipating Humanity, by Bob Avakian
          Part 1: "Beyond the Narrow Horizon of Bourgeois Right"
          Part 2: "Everything We're Doing Is About Revolution"
     "On the Possibility of Revolution," Letter from a Reader and Response, originally published Revolution #102, September 23, 2007
     Appendix: "Some Crucial Points of Revolutionary Orientation in Opposition to Infantile Posturing and Distortions of Revolution"

Some Other Important Works Referred to in this Book

Demarcations: A Journal of Communist Theory and Polemic, Issue Number 1, Summer-Fall 2009. demarcations-journal.org.

Frederick Engels, Anti-Dühring, 1878 (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1976).

V. I. Lenin, What Is To Be Done?, 1902 (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1973).

Mao Tsetung, "On Practice," 1937, in Selected Works, Volume 1 (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1975).

Karl Marx, The Class Struggles in France, 1848-50, in Marx-Engels Selected Works, Volume 1, 1895.

Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party, 1848 (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1977).

RCP Writing Group, On the Position on Homosexuality in the New Draft Programme, prepared in 2001 by a specially constituted writing group assembled by the RCP, USA. Also available at revcom.us.

Ardea Skybreak, The Science of Evolution and the Myth of Creationism—Knowing What's Real and Why It Matters (Insight Press, 2006).