In this moment of intense crisis, we at Haymarket Books affirm the urgent need both to demand immediate relief for the most vulnerable and to fight for transformative change. We also recognize the importance of naming and understanding the source of this deadly and in many ways preventable situation: capitalism, not our fellow-human beings.

We encourage all who are able to practice solidarity through social distancing. But we cannot allow staying apart to mean that we each face this crisis alone. Now, perhaps more than ever, we must find ways to think, learn, and organize together—across neighborhoods and borders.

Reading together is only one way to stay connected, but it's one we recommend! To help our readers organize (online) discussion groups, we've put together a list of a few of our favorite radical books—each with a freely downloadable study guide.

With reproductive freedom under unprecedented attack, Choice Words, edited by poet Annie Finch, takes back the cultural conversation on abortion. A landmark literary anthology of poems, stories, and essays, Choice Words collects essential voices that renew our courage in the struggle to defend reproductive rights.

Download the study guide here.

“With political eloquence, intellectual rigor, and an unapologetically left analysis, the brilliant scholar-activist Keeanga Taylor has provided a powerful contribution to our collective understanding of the current stage of the Black freedom struggle in the United States, how we arrived at this point, and what battles we need to fight in order to truly achieve liberation. From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation is a must read for everyone who is serious about the ongoing praxis of freedom.”  —Barbara Ransby, author of Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement

Download the study guide here.

A powerful account of the epic clash between corporate greed and militant workers in the American heartland, this rich history details the bitter, deep-rooted conflict between industrial behemoth International Harvester and the uniquely radical Farm Equipment Workers union. Labor historian Toni Gilpin makes clear that class warfare has been, and remains, integral to the American experience, situating the battle between Harvester and the FE in the long history of the US labor movement.

Download the study guide here.

The Chicago Race Riot of 1919, the most intense of the riots that comprised the “Red Summer” of violence across the nation's cities, is an event that has shaped the last century but is widely unknown. In 1919, award-winning poet Eve L. Ewing explores the story of this event, reflecting on race, class, violence, segregation, and the hidden histories that shape our divided urban landscapes.

Download the study guide here.

This beautifully organized and presented edition of The Communist Manifesto is fully annotated, with clear historical references and explication, additional related texts, and a glossary that helps bring the text to life. The authoritative activist guide to history's most important political document.

Download the study guide here.

For further reading, continue to Socialism 101: A Reading List