Ecodefense: A Field Guide to Monkeywrenching

by Bill Haywood, Dave Foreman (Contributor), Edward Abbey (Foreword)

Dedicated to Edw. Abbey and inspired by his Monkeywrench Gang , this is a manual on sabotage of establishment property. It carries the standard disclaimer "for entertainment proposes only." It is entertaining. Published by Abbzug Press, Box 5214, Chico, CA 95927. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Genres: Environment, Nonfiction, Politics, Activism, Ecology, Nature, Anarchism

350 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what I was expecting. I'm reading this in hopes I can use it in a paper critiquing environmentalism through a disability studies lens, and there's a lot of ableism in it. Also, kind of bougie? Like, I know it's just recommendations for things that make monkey wrenching easier, but there's a lot of things that could add up, expense-wise. And while I know I wasn't reading this book for the reason most read it, there are a lot of contradictions within it (mountain bikes are bad, but maybe you should have one, suggests the book). My main problem is how they say it is for everyone, but I don't know, that doesn't feel completely genuine. A lot of these tasks rely on being non-disabled (and I understand why) but to suggest that monkey wrenching is accessible for everyone isn't true.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A guide to Monkeywrenching is a confusing, hypocritical but ultimately entertaining book of mostly illegal advice that offers an interesting ideological look into the often overlooked subculture of eco-terrorism/extremism. It's surprising to see that a book like this could be referred to as underground despite its environmental goals being almost universally accepted. How its fallen out of public view is likely down to the peak of eco-extremism having passed and the subsequent outdating of the book. While most of it still holds true to time, you only have to take a look at its section on computer sabotage to realise it was written in the 1980s (floppy disks are common tech).

Still, large portions of the advice remain relevant and entertaining to read. Still illegal too, as most of the activities suggested are blatantly illegal, either in the form of arson, burglary, destruction of property or improper use of firearms. Due to the nature of these specific portions, it's a deeply interesting look into creative methods of causing damage. Just the knowledge you're learning how to do something you shouldn't gives the reader a thrill, something that stays present through most of the book.

While the excitement may taper off into the more mundane sections even these have interesting tips or snippets of information. And if you want to read it for practical purposes, entertainment is irrelevant anyway. One of the most confusing aspects is a problem for both ways of reading, as often the book will provide detailed instructions on doing something it advises you not to. It could be argued this is purely to void any legal responsibly, but with only certain passages using these warnings while others remain overtly and admittedly illegal I doubt it. One example of this can be found fairly early on, where the reader is advised tampering with or destroying powerlines is detrimental to public relations, dangerous to the monkeywrencher and comes with heavy legal repercussions. Despite this, it's more than happy to provide details on destroying them (even noting which tools fit bolts on pylons to unscrew them), and if you're American even advises which bits to shoot for maximum damage.

Overall and despite these flaws, if you're looking for something to read purely for the pleasure of doing so, A Field Guide to Monkeywrenching offers enough intrigue to at least read through its juiciest chapters while skipping it's more boring passages. In a practical sense, not that I endorse it, but I'd take its advice with a grain of salt and turn to another publication. As far as I know, a fourth or fifth edition doesn't exist, which is probably a good thing.

[Kim Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Banned in Australia. This book gives hints on how to sabotage the earth-destroyers. Also some good tales of successes. In recent years Foreman has softened his misanthropist views after extended arguments with anarchist Murray Bookchin.

Read it for free here: http://theanarchistlibrary.org/librar...

[Thomas Funke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brother of roomate: [Holding book] You can get arrested for doing stuff in this book!
Me: [snatching book] And I can kick your arse for rooting through my stuff.

I bought this book out of curiosity as it was referenced by my professor of Ecology as he was a big Earth First nut. I keep this book "just in case" I need the information within.

[Pablo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice comedy book, obviously NOT to take seriously, and surely nobody will follow any piece of advice portrayed here. Of course it is known that our governments and big companies are already doing their best at taking care of the environment so this book comes ONLY as a nice piece of entertainment.

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is no longer in print, and probably could get you on a watch list. That's being said, it is a bold attempt to show people how to break the law without getting caught. Dave Foreman is a very outspoken leader of the eco-terror movement.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE FAMOUS/INFAMOUS FIELD GUIDE

[NOTE: This review is based on the revised 3rd edition.]

Dave Foreman (born 1947) is a US environmentalist and co-founder of the radical environmental movement Earth First! After a 1990 arrest, he left Earth First, to found/work with the Wildlands Project, the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, and the Rewilding Institute. He is also the author of 'Confessions of an Eco-Warrior,' 'Rewilding North America: A Vision For Conservation In The 21St Century,' 'Man Swarm and the Killing of Wildlife,' 'The Lobo Outback Funeral Home,' and coauthor of 'Defending the Earth: A Dialogue Between Murray Bookchin and Dave Foreman.' ("Bill Haywood" is an alias; there were "dozens of individuals" who wrote these essays, which were originally published in the Earth First! Journal.)

Foreman wrote in the first essay, "Monkeywrenching is nonviolent resistance to the destruction of natural diversity and wilderness. It is never directed against human beings or other forms of life." It is not organized; "There should be no central direction or organization to monkeywrenching. Any type of network would invite infiltration, agents provocateurs, and repression." (Pg. 9) Monkeywrenchers "are warriors," who "remember that they are engaged in the most moral of actions: protecting life, defending Earth." (Pg. 11)

In an essay on tree-spiking, the possibility of a logger being injured led the author to recommend against the practice. (Pg. 18) Against the objection that tree-spiking is too late to save the tree from being cut, the author says, "the value of spiking is as a long-term deterrent." (Pg. 19) The editors also removed from this third edition the suggestion to remove mine claim posts. (Pg. 61) They are also more cautious about suggesting burning machinery (Pg. 145), and have deleted the suggestion for mailing business reply mail taped to a brick back to a company (Pg. 183).

One essay suggests that "with the lack of proper enforcement of environmental legislation, vigilante action is increasingly easy to justify." (Pg. 211) But they also note that Foreman was arrested in 1989 by the FBI, and that "carelessness will put you in jail." (Pg. 234) They even strongly advise against membership in "above-ground political organizations," which are "most susceptible to infiltration by undercover officers." (Pg. 303)

This is a very challenging book, that can shake up the ideas of people on all sides of environmental issues.

[Jack Leddington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly what you would expect it to be. This is a field guide on how to do, and get away with, "monkeywrenching", as popularized in Edward Abbey's book "The Monkeywrench Gang". It's an instructional manual on non-violent ecotage, with instructions on how to do, and get away with, mostly-illegal eco-defense industrial sabotage in the name of radical environmentalism. As an environmentalist who is fascinated with the historical world of the 1980s radical environmentalist movement of the American Southwest, this book is surely an interesting read, as a piece of history, and as a book to be studied to better understand our past as environmentalists.

[luacs · Rating 3 out of 5]

i read this a few years ago in a ecoterrorist phase fueled by a werid overreaching spiritualist anger enduced from doing a intense ammount of LSD.

im currently thinking about how hilarious it would be to see some 16 year old trying to hammer a ceramic spike into ostrya virginiana

most definitely an adolescent read, appeals to kids in urben centers who are disillusioned from the land they live on. theres more effective messures to combat deforestation, and oftentimes these kids dont understand the way a forrest is mannaged and are spiking like a jack pine plot or some shit.

[Nick Brademann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natürlich mittlerweile an einigen Stellen veraltet und auch aus einer Perspektive der oberen gebildeten Mittelschicht geschrieben.
Nichts desto trotz ein interessantes Werk der militanten Umweltbewegung. Daran zu Denken, dass viele der Anleitungen wohl so auch umgesetzt wurden, ist zugleich bewundernswert wie beängstigend.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic of banned literature that a friend got out west somewhere. The guy who sold it to him couldn't even have it out on the shelves. We passed it around at school, our own little secret subversion.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun read but the book is outdated by today's standards.

[Lottie Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

im going to blow up a pipeline now xxx

[Donn Lorber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow beginning and it took awhile to get going, the plot ended w a bang .. pretty good read

[Alexa_tauli · Rating 3 out of 5]

awesome guide but so individualist =_=

[Brandon Sustala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do something for the earth

At night

[Matthijs · Rating 4 out of 5]

beetje achterhaald soms maar wel goed om te weten wat er in staat

[Adam Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun book that is certainly not meant to be taken seriously.

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny little 772-page long entertainment piece of literature.

[sawung · Rating 5 out of 5]

buku ini mengajarkan tentang teknik-teknik monkeywrenching. Beberapa teknik dasar bisa dilakukan sendiri beberapa teknik yang lebih lanjut perlu pelatih yang mumpuni

[6655321 · Rating 3 out of 5]

the computers section is *very* dated but certainly there is quite a bit of theoretically interesting information in this book