Basic Essential Reading
Don't listen to us, We are a load of stupid heads.

Below is a list of some of the books and magazines that we have found valuable in getting our heads around various issues.
Obviously it's not exhaustive and it's got gaping holes, but some people may find it usefull.

Architecture

The End of Architecture - Documents and Manifesto's, Ed P.Noever, Prestel, 1983 - A series of essays by architects including Zaha Hadid and other cronies, they all met up to discuss how architecture should move on, this is what they think.
The Foucault Reader, Ed P.Rabinov, Penguin, 1991 - Short writings about a wide range of Foucaults thoughts and an introduction to state control and the geneology of oppressive architecture.
Occupying Architecture, Ed J.Hill, Routledge, 1998 - A very interesting read and something we hope more architects would read, hopefully they will as Jonathan Hill teaches some of the buggers. Unfortunately has a rather dissapointing ending with a proposal for yet another poncey architectural design.
The Power of Architecture, Architectural Design, 1998 - A good book, in particular the part about terrorism and architecture.
Signs, Symbols and Architecture, Ed G.Broadbent & R.Buchister, Wiley, 1980 - Umberto Eco's essay is the best one from this book, looking at how we read and recognise architectural signs etc.

Art / Activism

Art in Theory 1900 - 1990 Ed C.Harrison & P.Wood, Blackwell, 1992 - Every art students theoretical bible, this brings together writings on more things than you can shake a stick at.
Escape Attempts - The theory and Practice of resistance to everyday life, S.Cohen & L.Taylor, Routledge, 1992
Lipstick Traces, Greil Marcus, Secker & Warburg, 1983 - A look at subversive culture throughout the twentieth century, Sex Pistols, Dada, Surrealism, Situationists, Rock n roll.
The Situationist City, Simon Sadler, MIT Press, 1998 - An account of the situationists architectural critiques and proposals.
The Society of the Spectacle, Guy Debord, Black And Red, 1983 - The 1968 manifesto of discontent, sound bites of debords theory, quite heavy going but worth the struggle.

Globalisation

No Logo, Naomi Klein, 2000 - The original anti global capitalism bible, If you haven't already read this, you should have. But don't just read this, it's a call to arms, it will piss you off, but where do you go then.
The Silent Takeover, Noreena Hertz, Random House, 2001 - The English No Logo, a european look at global capitalism, concentrating on how democracy is changing for the worse and government is backing out and handing over control.
The No-Nonsense guide to Globalisation, Wayne Ellwood, Verso, 2001 - A fairly comprehensive guide to the state of play with an economical approach as opposed to supporting environmental or social issues. Also includes several economic suggestions as to specific things that would change the way things are.
Anti-Capitalism, Eds E.Bircham & J.Charlton, Bookmarks, 2001 - A wide ranging book bringing together groups such as Globalise Resistance, freinds of the earth, ATTAC, Jubilee Plus, Oxfam and more. The book has some holes and other parts perhaps a bit weighted, it is by no means a definition or manifesto as the title seems to suggest, but thank god for that.
The New Rulers Of The World, John Pilger, Verso, 2002 - Written by one of the best investigative journalists around this give a good insight and historical background to a number of issues, from sweatshops in Indonesia, to American foreign policy agendas and state terrorism. Post September 11 this gives a valuable look at where our world is heading, and opposes the Noreena Hertz view that governments are backing out, rather as pilger puts it they are just giving up their social responsibilites.