Evasion

every harsh criticism of this book is valid. and i loved reading it. henry miller was a piece of shit, but i read his stuff too.

I finished reading the book, and I actually thoroughly enjoyed it. I think for the most part people here are misunderstanding the tongue in cheek exaggerations in the piece. This book is not intended as a new 'bible' for all of your lives. It's simply the narrative account of the author's adventures living in this particular manner. For some reason everyone seems to read every book, turn every page, lift every rug looking for a new Jesus, come to save their mundane lives.
I simply read the book looking for an entertaining tale, received it... Enjoyed it. mind you, there is some truth in what people have said about his self righteousness and his naivete on certain issues...
The book's tone is entirely hedonistic in nature, and has to be taken as such. While he may advocate ( tongue in cheek, obviously ) everyone taking up homelessness... ( I believe at a few points in the book he actually laughs at this himself and recognizes the irony in his own joke ) and revel in the glory of petty crime, the entire idea of the book is not to give you another messiah to follow to the letter, it's just to show you:
a) What you CAN do if you WANT to, and
b) The interesting life one person has led.
All in all, it was a good book, but there is just no need to take it so seriously. I really enjoyed it cover to cover, and if you have the common sense to read between the lines I'd recommend it to you. Otherwise, don't bother.
It's simply a personal account of how one young man found his own liberation from the grind of daily life. Nothing more.

A well written and interesting account of a very off key way of life, but for my view way too insulting and contradictory in general. The writer seems to neglect the idea that without all those people who work and such, he would have to take to growing his own food and build his own shelter to survive. He also mentions how he will NEVER pay for food, yet does so on quite a few occasions.

Ultimately this is a great guide to become a total ponce.
I respect the dudes choice, and it is a very true account of our throwaway society. But coming from a very poor upbringing myself - all I can say is that poverty is not a luxury... and life is much easier to live when you care for no one but yourself.
Lee

Every day I see more people putting down these priviledged-white-kid-turns-hobo ideas and hopefully crimethinc will be a thing of the past in american anarchism. It's now invading this shit hole (central america) and guess by whom - priviledged kids with no sense of reality. While I don't deny the usefulness in bringing new anarchists into the scene, the chosen word was "struggle" because it's not a walk in the park. Kids living on the streets putting themselves at the mercy of cops, gangs and drugs does not give them any power, nor does it give any more to the people who have to go to work to sustain their family. Over here in central america, there is no food in dumpsters. And the little there is, it's for people who actually need it. These people need a way out of that life, not a way in. Having said all that, I think it's also great how crimethinc gave us an insight on hoboist/americansquatter lifestyle, and no doubt it's a minority to try to /help/. Also, for a good article criticizing crimethinc here's http://www.anarkismo.net/newswire.php?story_id=3664

I saw "Mac" when he did the Dangerous Media book tour. A nice enough guy, but a little pretentious. As for Crimethinc, he made it a point that he just had Crimethinc publish it. One of Crimethinc's Ex-Worker Bulletins later explicitly denounced the idea that Crimethinc was just about hopping trains, dumpster diving, houselessness and hardcore/punk.

this book can be liberating to anyone tied to the tired notion that we must all go to school, get a job, get married, get a house, have some kids; these sort of people often see no way out. this book can be liberating to people who have always been "alternative" in the subcultures that they associate with, but fail to see that styles of dress and music alone does not deem one "alternative"; they are still fitting into the mold that has been set for them, and perpetuating the oppression, ignorance, and apathy of the institutions they once sought to rebel against long ago.

but for people who have been of the radical or anarchist persuasion for some time, this book has some holes in it. one, it does not address the violent or oppressive nature of poverty and does not accurately portray its effects on those who experience it every day, especially those who do not CHOOSE the life they live (an important distinction). sometimes the author scoffs at those who live the "street life" for falling into vices that he clearly does not share, but to simply dismiss another persons experience because you live a privileged life of choices that another does not have, i find that irresponsible and selfish.

ALL THAT BEING SAID, this book is in fact an enjoyable read, a good account of one persons experience. i don't think crimethinc put this out intending it to be a blueprint for all anarchists, or representative of the opinions and beliefs of all behind its release and distribution. i think they put it out as a way to get true alternative ideas out, to show that people are thinking outside of the box all the time, everywhere, and experiencing life in ways that typical middle-class western types would never dare to dream of.

the book is worth picking up. draw your own conclusions about it.

Don't over think it. Its about a guy who loves how he lives and your reading his book so he will make it sound like he loves it cause he has passion so maybe thats why CrimithInc published it. Cause here we have a guy who is doing exactly what he wants and is loving it.

This book seemed more insulting than liberating.

The author (who is presumably a heterosexual middle-class white male) seems to glorify the hardships of living in poverty and being opressed.

But I guess poverty IS glorious when you can just get your mom to wire you money from the suburbs when things get too bad; or when you aren't forced into working and can travel whenever you please.

If you want to do it, fine. Just don't be so naive and self-righteous to think we all have that luxury. Sure I could drop everything and travel. But at what expense? My grandma and neices' survival? No way. They depend on me to survive, and if we ever hope to build a community, we need to start supporting one another.

great book, ive read it over and over again, definetally worth buying

This is a great book. Possibly, one of the best. I think most people don't like it just because Mac is straight edge. But that's a plus for me =] XXX

Haha, i agree with all these comments to an extent. I mean, the guy who wrote it lives in his own world, and is somewhat apathetic (in the non-traditional sense), but it is well written and fun to read. It feels almost propaghandic at times, but eh, anything well written should.

I have spent a lot of time roughing it, and let me tell you this book made me want to buy a condo and take up accounting. Check out how he trashes anyone who's not straight-edge, usually for doing the same shit that he does. All the isms apply in spades, particularly NARCISSISM. "Modern literary masterpiece" - come ON, guys!!

Worth reading. But I sincerely believe that the author's message could have been just as easily articulated without the insanely frequent use of exclamation marks.

I actually found the book to be very masculinist. The author's attitude towards folks working in the capitalist world grossed me out. He arrogantly dismissed everyone who didn't live as he did in that boring macho punk rock manner that I thought CrimethInc knew better than to publish. Some of us have kids dude, or sick family members, or obstacles to our ability to hop trains and shoplift...

I couldn't put this book down. Though it occasionally takes an asshole-ish tone, it's an entertaining and clever read. Makes you think (and crave bagels like mad).

This book shows how to live outside the "norm" without a job, without a house, just whatever you carry on your back, the perfect homeless survival guide, and a wake up call to anyone sick of their life.

This is a pretty damn good book, with one major flaw - you don't know where Mack draws the line between reality and fiction. (I'm sure there's one there somewhere!)

This is a good book. Written by a good guy. Cool huh?

If you're white, have no sense of your privilege, and want to mock poverty, then this is the book for you!

Anyone know whats wrong with his site? One night it said something about a distro i think, but that's the only time its been there for a month or two.

This book is written by an arrogant, egotistical jerk. But is sure is fun to read!

Evasion opened up a whole new world to me. It broke down all the walls around me. I read it on my too short lunch break everyday and thought about it as the hours at my desk ticked by. It gave me hope. I will never see dumpsters the same way again.

Should my mom read this book? Perhaps my grandma or a cop?

this book opened my young mid-west eyes 5 years ago. It was my first love and a gateway to a new a better way of life. I owe you one, Mack Attack.XXX

My friend Rick Control was living a life he despized; drinking, working, smoking, studding his vest. He wasn't happy. We argued. I recomended EVASION as a positive way to change his outlook on life. I hope it has but I dont think so cuz I saw his band last weekend and they sucked a race horse's dick. and so does he and this book.

This was the best book I have ever read. I may be corny and stupid to say but this book definitely changed my life, for the better. Buy, steal, or whatever. If you don't read this then you're missing out most definitely. A must read for everyone.