Revolution Books/Libros Revolucion

If you’re looking for a Bob Avakian book, this is the place to go. They also have Bob Avakian DVDs and copies of pamphlets and newspapers about Bob Avakian. If you have any questions about Bob Avakian, the staff knows a fair amount about him, and they hold gatherings regularly at the store, at which Bob Avakian is discussed. They also sell shirts featuring Bob Avakian’s picture. And posters featuring Bob Avakian’s picture.
I so wish L.A. had a genuine leftist bookstore where books by, say, Marcuse and Judith Butler, were sold, along other writers of consequence. A real selection of leftist theorists would be nice. Revolution Books, however, mainly specializes in Bob Avakian books. And Avakian is an exceedingly minor figure in the history of political thought.
The most interesting aspect of this store is the question of how it pays the rent. I wonder…

Found two wonderful books and had a great conversation with the woman working here.
This book store has a community center feel.

My experience with Revolution Books was strange. I appreciate the aim of this place but the damn emphasis on some dude I have never heard of before, apparently a leader and speaker for the ‘Revolutionary Communist Party’ named Bob Avakian, is too ‘dear leader’ for me. I assume he must fund this bookstore/​info shop, which offers a scant (mildly put) selection of critical books; it is not an Adorno or Jameson kind of bookstore.
I walk in, having passed this place on my bike hundreds of times, and am greeted and go towards the right, which includes maybe five bookcases of shelves. Very empty. Although I’m impressed that they dedicate about one of these shelves to Spanish speakers in a patronizing ‘good for them’ white person kind of way, there was nothing I found interesting. They have a lot of Margaret Atwood books and have a critical Handmaid’s Tail reading group, which made my partner extremely excited to hear about.
One of the two wimmin (I’m trying to sound earnest) who were standing in front, asked me if I heard about this film screening they apparently sponsored the other night. I said I didn’t. She said ‘oh, you must listen to Bob Avakian speak!’ Um, okay. She guided me to a DVD player with headphones connected to it. It was sitting isolated in the middle of the room. She asked me which section of this Bob Avakian speech collection I would like to listen to. I chose #3, which I can’t remember what it was about now but apparently that DVD was lost. Um, okay. So I chose #5.
I nearly died inside as they were standing there watching me as I watched this DVD film of him speak. I don’t remember anything he said but he certainly was a fluid sounding speaker and I’m certain he made good points. But I was still in the fog of having come back from the Hollywood Farmers Market and not totally ready to take anything in. And they were fucking looking at me as I watched this.
I took the headphones off. They then, still facing me, stood next to each other and asked me about what I thought of the film. I think they wanted me to say something about how outraged I am about the state of affairs of this country. I didn’t want them to probe me so I mustered up something about having never heard of Bob Avakian. ‘Interesting’ was interjected somewhere in my comments. I signed up for their mailing list and gave them a dollar for their newsletter and left.
Apparently when you sign up for a list, they sign you up on MULTIPLE lists. I was signed up for a magazine and their general email, which they only send you two or three emails a day for. Oh, and if you give them your number, they WILL call you! If you find phone calls from strangers intrusive, do not leave your number! I repeat: do NOT leave your number! But if you love personal phone calls from numbers you are not familiar with, then please by all means leave your number here!
About two weeks later, I received a personal call from them. I didn’t answer it and they left a voicemail about a revolution BBQ. Hello Chris. We are holding an event, donation is such and such. Bring your friends. Two weeks after that, I get another call from them: Hello Chris. We hope you are appalled as we are about the ATROCITY (impressive emphasis) of Trevon Martin’s court ruling. Please call us back if you agree.
Oh, I agree. But I am not calling back.

this place is full of anti-​american radical communist sympathizers. funny to see the nationals in this shop… black marxist, 3 chinese commies… latino brown shirts and some dirty smelly kids with skateboards… hollywood is garbage and so are the foreigners that have usurped and turned it into a shit hole. america come see what the youth does when the commies brain wash them…

Revolution Books is great! I bought the book «Wall and Piece» by Banksy there.

these kids are serious! If you go in there be aware that they really want to get you involved with the community.
The closest thing we have to an Info shop in LA.
great selection and variety.

The Revolutionary Communist Party is led by the in-​exile Bob Avakian, whose Maoist leanings are interesting and somewhat inspiring. The RCP runs a network of bookstores and infoshops, and if you’re at all interested in Communism, labor, or sideline anarchist thinking and doing, the locations are need to gos.
The LA shop, in downtown LA, is heavily angled toward the Latino population that makes nearby Broadway its main drag. There are sections of books in Spanish and a hefty Latino focus.
They use about half of the shop’s real estate well as a retail location. You can buy political books, RCP-​related books, and copies of the house organ — Revolution — for relatively cheap. I picked up a 1980s anthology of Avakian’s writing for about $ 6.
The shop is also an organizing and recruiting center. When I checked out, the young Latino working there — there were two young men surfing the Net on the shop computer when I stopped by – asked whether I was acquainted with the party, interested in Avakian’s work, and well versed in his most recent talks on Jeffersonian democracy. I think it was Jeffersonian.
I expressed some knowledge but ducked voicing any engagement beyond it being interesting in order to avoid a deeper conversation — I didn’thave much time — but if you’re at all interested in pursuing the Maoism of now, this is the place for you. Otherwise, it’s a useful lefty political book stop.
Drop some dime here. They can use all the support they can get!