Food for Thought Books

We carry textbooks for University of Massachusetts, Amherst College, and Hampshire College classes. Click on a link below for more information.

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• Class Listing - Spring 2010 semester

Farewell, Howard Zinn... you shall be missed.

Revolutionary change does not come as one cataclysmic moment (beware of such moments!) but as an endless succession of surprises, moving zigzag toward a more decent society. We don't have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world. Even when we don't "win," there is fun and fulfillment in the fact that we have been involved, with other good people, in something worthwhile. We need hope.

An optimist isn't necessarily a blithe, slightly sappy whistler in the dark of our time. To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places - and there are so many - where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory. ... read more

Howard Zinn, 1922-2010

See more pictures on our fabulous Flickr page.

Scraps of Life: Arpilleras by Iris Palma

click on any image to see a larger one on our flickr page

Arpilleras are handcrafted three dimensional appliqué textiles made with needle, thread and scraps of cloth. A folk art tradition with origins in the Chilean coastal town of Isla Negra, arpilleras became a form of political protest and social transformation during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) when women gathered clandestinely to create arpilleras that depicted the political and economic violence they faced under military rule. Since the transition to democracy, women have continued to make arpilleras that reflect the on-going political and economic struggles they face and speak to their visions of a justice society.

Microcosm Publishing is one of our favorite independent small press projects. They specialize in publishing, distributing and promoting zines, smallpress books, pamphlets, stickers, buttons, patches, t-shirts, posters, videos, and more. Much of what they carry looks to teach self empowerment to disenfranchised people and to nurture their creative side.

Here's some of our favorite titles from them just below. Stop by soon to see even more!

The ever-awesome Get Up Get Down crew from Youth Action Coalition created this amazing mural on our sidewall the spring & summer of 2007. We are honored to have been chosen to host such a compelling piece of art for the whole community to see & share. Thank you Get Up Get Down!  

click to see full view

• YAC gallery of the mural's creation & unveiling
• FFT Flickr gallery of the mural