Russian feminist collective and punk rock group Pussy Riot gained global notoriety nearly a decade ago, when they staged a guerrilla performance inside Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. With colorful ski masks, explicit lyrics, public nudity and viral videos, their high-profile demonstrations became iconic of the anti-Putin movement, and lent support to feminist and anti-capitalist protests worldwide.
When the group’s extensive 2020 North American tour was canceled by Covid, frontwoman Nadya Tolokonnikova put together an essential quarantine reading list for i-D. Covering topics of AI, depression, sex, and revolution, find her book recommendations below.
Future, AI & Nano
Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by
Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom (also rec’d by Elon Musk & Sam Harris)
The Future of Humanity by Michio Kaku
The Future of the Mind by Michio Kaku
The Age of Spiritual Machines by Ray Kurzweil (also rec’d by St. Vincent)
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari
Our Final Invention by James Barrat
The Deep Learning Revolution by Terrence J. Sejnowski
Depression
The Upward Spiral by Alex Korb
Lost Connections by Johann Hari
The Depression Cure by Stephen S. Ilardi
Sex
Sex At Dawn by Christopher Ryan, Cacilda Jethá
Designer Relationships by March A. Michaels, Patricia Johnson
The Ethical Slut by Janet W. Hardy, Dossie Easton
Untrue: Why Nearly Everything We Believe About Women, Lust, And Infidelity Is Wrong by Wednesday Martin
Capitalism & Revolution
How Will Capitalism End? by Wolfgang Streeck
What About Me? The Struggle For Identity In A Market-based Society by Paul Verhaeghe
Wages Of Rebellion by Chris Hedges
Capitalism: A Ghost Story by Arundhati Roy
Rules for Radicals by Saul D. Alinsky (also rec’d by Rage Against the Machine)
Global Inequality: A New Approach For The Age of Globalization by Branko Milanovic
Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty (also rec’d by AOC)
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn (also rec’d by Rage Against the Machine)
Life Hacks
All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks (also rec’d by Emma Watson)
The Hunger Fix by Pam Peeke
The Song Machine: Inside The Hit Factory by John Seabrook
Atomic Habits by James Clear
(via i-D)