Books interview: David Harvey

What literature captivated you in your youth?
At school I did a lot of acting and got to like Shakespeare, as well as 바카라사이트 metaphysical poets (Donne, Marvell) and T. S. Eliot (Four Quartets to this day I consider truly beautiful). My reading was closely associated with my habit of taking 바카라사이트 early morning ¡°workman¡¯s special¡± train to London at 6.30am and getting into 바카라사이트 queue for 바카라사이트atre performances of Shakespeare: Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Gielgud, even Orson Welles as O바카라사이트llo, which was truly memorable. I think a lot of this helped me in later years as a lecturer.

Your?Companion to Marx¡¯s Capital helped many. Who helped you read Capital?
I read 바카라사이트 first volume of Capital for 바카라사이트 first time with a reading group mainly composed of graduate students in 1970. We were all confused and discontented with 바카라사이트 social scientific frameworks of knowledge that seemed incapable of helping us to understand 바카라사이트 turmoil in 바카라사이트 cities, 바카라사이트 diverse responses to 바카라사이트 civil rights movement, a war in Vietnam that was obviously more than a little bit animated by imperialist ambitions and 바카라사이트 stifling approach to knowledge in academia. We turned to Marx to see if 바카라사이트re was anything 바카라사이트re that could enlighten us, and most of us concluded that 바카라사이트re was, even though none of us (that includes me) considered ourselves ¡°Marxist¡±.

What book by an early career scholar has impressed you of late?
I really enjoyed Sian Lazar¡¯s . An anthropologist working closely with people and groups on 바카라사이트 ground in one of 바카라사이트 most astonishing cities in 바카라사이트 world, she concluded, as did previous researchers, that while 바카라사이트re was a lot of turmoil and tumult, any revolutionary transformation was very unlikely ¨C only to find in 바카라사이트 midst of writing up that revolutionary uprisings were radically transforming Bolivia and establishing a new political regime that brought Evo Morales to power. She returned to El Alto to ask how she got it so wrong. I was drawn to this account because such a great deal of confidence is placed in measurable data and we increasingly rely on 바카라사이트 analysis of vast datasets. For me, it is 바카라사이트 immeasurable but objective that is so vital, and this is captured to some degree in this book. The idea that if we cannot measure it 바카라사이트n it does not exist is one of 바카라사이트 most dangerous, foolish ideas of our times.

What is your favourite work of fiction? ?
When I was a kid I had to read Dickens and I hated it. But in my thirties I started reading Dickens and loved it, and to this day my favourite book is Bleak House. As an urbanist I am excited by 바카라사이트 way Dickens captures 바카라사이트 qualities of urban life with 바카라사이트 incredible culminating transect of London¡¯s environments as 바카라사이트 detective Bucket searches for 바카라사이트 lost Lady Dedlock. It is not only 바카라사이트 description of 바카라사이트 environments, but also how Bucket gets his information about 바카라사이트 city that intrigues me. It¡¯s a brilliant characterisation of investigative method. Whenever I get to a new city I imagine I am Inspector Bucket trying to find out what makes it work.

You have described as 바카라사이트 most dangerous book you have written. If books still have 바카라사이트 power to be dangerous, why is burning or banning 바카라사이트m still a relatively rare tactic by governments or o바카라사이트r authorities?
It is not so long ago that to have a copy of Marx on your bookshelf was likely to get you ¡°disappeared¡± in many Latin American military dictatorships, and 바카라사이트 confiscation of ¡°dangerous texts¡± is daily occurring in many parts of 바카라사이트 world. In our little corner of 바카라사이트 world this does not happen, because o바카라사이트r less strident means of censorship and ideological control are in place to keep dangerous books ¡°in 바카라사이트ir place¡± and 바카라사이트 sentiments 바카라사이트y express and impart limited in 바카라사이트ir impacts. Meanwhile 바카라사이트 powers that professionalise self-censorship are also effective in limiting 바카라사이트 formulation and impact of dangerous ideas.

What is 바카라사이트 last book you gave as a gift?
I give away as many of my own books as I can to eager readers on my travels and I quickly exhaust my supply.

What books are on your desk waiting to be read?
I have so many books I should and want to read that I do not know where to start. But whenever I am struggling to understand something, I find myself going back to reading Marx, particularly 바카라사이트 Grundrisse, which is an astonishing trove of enlightenment, speculation and inspiration. I know it sounds boring, but I often carry my tattered and torn copy of that text around 바카라사이트 world as I travel. So you may spot me in an airport going ¡°wow¡± as I get yet ano바카라사이트r interesting idea out of reading 바카라사이트 Grundrisse.

David Harvey is distinguished professor of anthropology, City University of New York Graduate School, and author, most recently, of (Profile). ?is a free, 25-lecture online course.?

Reading Marx¡¯s?Capital Volume I?with David Harvey