Often in the Right Place: The Education of an Anarchist
by John Zerzan
These are the memoirs of John Zerzan, a radical thinker who has been reflecting, writing, and building a major body of essays for several decades—the central focus of which is a critique of civilization. Since his earliest essays, written in the 1970s, he has questioned technology and domestication relentlessly. His influence on green-anarchy and anarcho-primitivist philosophy has been fundamental in guiding the anarchist debate toward a critique of industrialism and technological society. This has made him a prominent figure in the anti-civilization debate. Indeed, reading Zerzan allows us to understand why the civilizational project is self-destructive and not viable even in the medium term. It is precisely from his anthropological readings that he concludes that the turning point that brought an end to the world where human beings lived a full life in communion with nature was the emergence of domestication. His thought, however, is not pessimistic. Faced with the civilizational project of annihilating life, Zerzan proposes a future primitive. Zerzan's work has developed along these lines over the last few decades, but his essays also reflect on the many sources of alienation that cause humanity's current isolation and profound existential crisis.
John Zerzan may be more famous for his friends and foes than for his radically groundbreaking ideas about the human condition. Yet it's Zerzan's revolutionary ideas that caused notice from people like infamous Merry Prankster and Beat Neal Cassady, writer Fredy Perlman, Slavo Zizek (whom Zerzan describes as a 'detestable commie, ' and yes, even Theodore Kaczynski (whose bombs-in-the-mail approach Zerzan denounced.)
In The Education of an Anarchist, Zerzan relates the events, teachers, and experiences that shaped his philosophy. He turns his sharp analysis inward to explain the origins and evolution of his anarcho-primitivist beliefs that have inspired activists worldwide. From Catholic schools (including a monastic Benedictine high school) to Acid Tests to Stanford University to Anti-Authoritarian Anonymous to every corner of the globe, readers will meet the people who shaped and influenced Zerzan's singular life.
In this book, Zerzan's argument on the reasonable use of targeted property destruction against that which oppresses us takes on new meaning as he mixes the political and personal ideologies that converge and become even more precise and newly compelling. Includes personal photographs and rare event posters documenting Zerzan's life and work.
A few of Zerzan's previous books include Future Primitive and Other Essays (Feral House,1994), Running on Emptiness (Feral House, 2002), Against Civilization: Readings and Reflections ( Feral House, 2005) and Twilight of the Machines (Feral House, 2008), Why Hope (Feral House, 2015), When We Are Human (Feral House, 2021), A People's History of Civilization (Feral House, 2018).
Publisher: El Sur es America, 2026
Comments
woah! hot stuff!
anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/06/2026 - 15:25
woah! hot stuff!
okay computer
anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/06/2026 - 16:05
In reply to woah! hot stuff! by anonymous (not verified)
in typical Zerzan fashion (a podcast without a podcast link) there isn't even a link to purchase the book from...
Okay computer open up preferred search engine and search John Zerzan and booktitle. Okay computer scroll down to find book publisher. Okay computer scroll down publisher website to find John Zerzan book. Okay computer open up John Zerzan link and get book information. Okay computer thank you for Amazon link:
https://a.co/d/0hIzOArA
Anarchist publisher must be ruff, fucking JZ publishing on Amazon.
BARF.
OKAY COMPUTER....FUCK OFF…
anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/06/2026 - 16:12
In reply to okay computer by anonymous (not verified)
OKAY COMPUTER....FUCK OFF. Yeah, your life is so "ruff" you have to take 2 seconds to tell your computer to find a link.... wha wha wha.
i am sure there is way more substantial things to criticize in this book then your stupid comments.
ok, Amazon, fair.
It's someone else…
God King Tue, 05/12/2026 - 23:59
In reply to okay computer by anonymous (not verified)
It's someone else republishing Mr. Zerzan's memoir "The Education of an Anarchist: A Memoir" that was publish by Feral House in 2024. I think it should be self-explanatory that an article posted by "anonymous (not verified)" that some rando posted this, not John Zerzan. You are uninvited to my birthday party.
No. The Feral House one…
anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/13/2026 - 07:51
In reply to It's someone else… by God King
No. The Feral House one NEVER came out. This IS the REAL memoir, so get your facts right before you post. Email Zerzan or check his radio show if you need proof. "Self-explanatory" doesn't work if your ignorant. Nobody want to come to your birthday party anyway, we already pinned the tail on the ass.
Can't I already connect with…
anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/06/2026 - 17:03
Can't I already connect with this on primitivism.org?
Forgotten wannabe cult…
anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/07/2026 - 05:15
Forgotten wannabe cult leader attempts to remind people he isn't dead yet.
John Zerzan has not advanced anarchist thinking for almost 2 decades. For the past couple decades he dedicated his time to trashing his allies and splitting hairs for the sake of a bourgeois ideology. So what if only trust fund hippie drop outs can afford the lifestyle, inevitably creating some primitive skills or crafts business to justify the effort, or else just flushing everything into the toilet and moving on like everyone else.
John Zerzan would've been far more interesting had he taken a critical examination of his own positions when Black Seed was challenging him instead of attacking the critic. Even the Bellamy interview where Bellamy backed down over and over to appease John didn't satisfy him. John Zerzan and by extension his branch of anarcho-primitivism, which includes his sycophant Kevin Tucker, did nothing but engage in personal attacks to cover for the holes in thinking Black Seed exposed.
Since this period, I stopped listening to Anarchy Radio and moved on. The only time I remember John is when he is brought up in a "remember this guy, he wrote shit in the 70s" kind of way. John Zerzan needs to apologize to anarchists for wasting our time with his nonsense, especially for his personal attacks on Aragorn after he passed. Aragorn did nothing by speak of John Zerzan as a friend does about another friend he has disagreements with. John Zerzan saw Aragorn as an enemy. Fuck this loser.
When throwing out a handful…
JZ (not verified) Thu, 05/07/2026 - 15:11
In reply to Forgotten wannabe cult… by anonymous (not verified)
When throwing out a handful of lies and innuendo it is always
best to do it anonymously.
Intriguing...
anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/07/2026 - 19:02
In reply to Forgotten wannabe cult… by anonymous (not verified)
"John Zerzan and by extension his branch of anarcho-primitivism, which includes his sycophant Kevin Tucker, did nothing but engage in personal attacks to cover for the holes in thinking Black Seed exposed."
Haha wat?
This is old stories from the years around 2020, but there was quite literally a "gang gang" ('member?) who were regularly engaged in trolling and throwing their bile at JZ on his show. Why such an axe to grind... if not some ridiculous popularity contest between Black Seed people and JZ? I know how KT has been an embarassment, but that doesn't take away the fact the dynamics were completely the opposite of what you describe.
Simple answer is Kevin…
anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/08/2026 - 02:39
In reply to Intriguing... by anonymous (not verified)
Simple answer is Kevin Tucker called in on Anarchy Radio and trashed the first issue of Black Seed, which Zerzan had contributed to. This made Zerzan reverse his largely positive initial feelings on the project, deciding that Black Seed was his enemy, and not the extension of Green Anarchy magazine that he thought it was. After this, no amount of engagement would change John, and he spent most of the months before Aragorn's sudden death attacking egoists, nihilists, and other allies to anarcho-primitivist thinking, and he continued to do so for months after. Even immediately after Aragorn's death, John spoke on his show on how Aragorn wasn't his friend. Kevin Tucker did the same and I'd argue that Kevin is mostly responsible, with his borderline personality disorder, in sewing division, especially with his polemics against egoists. John was just siding with who he thought was his friend, that is Kevin, when really Kevin was playing John because Kevin wanted to be edgelord in chief. So I'm basically saying that John is weak of mind and of will, and he turned on his friends for the sake of his petty ideology. His legacy is fearing people actually find him relevant, like Lanza, and act in his ideas.
"sowing division" your…
anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/08/2026 - 12:30
In reply to Simple answer is Kevin… by anonymous (not verified)
"sowing division"
--your friendly neighborhood copy editor
Uhhh..believe it or not...
CalvinSmith Fri, 05/08/2026 - 08:53
In reply to Intriguing... by anonymous (not verified)
Primmies are not above. His version of anti-civ smuggles in loads of delusional assumptions under the pre-text of being rebellious.
But it seems that people continue to praise JZ, which isn't that bad, but its annoying to those of us who've learned to be more habitually skeptical.
Good book
ArtxmisGrahamThoreau Thu, 05/07/2026 - 15:09
Just finished my first read. Enjoyable read, especially if you don't know JZ's life. I knew some major details that are present here, but got filled in on details. It is nice to see his development ideologically and personally. You can resonate with much here, such as the loss of loved ones; substance abuse; hopelessness and directionlessness. However, it also helps center his current paradigm of hope and seeing possibility. That said, the formatting is a bit wonky-- seems like Amazon self-publishing, where the photos are lower quality & the text is far larger than needed. If you are on the fence about green anarchy, I don't believe this would be of interest. While ideology and its developments are here, its arguments aren't centered.
one of jz's bitches chimes…
anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/12/2026 - 08:25
In reply to Good book by ArtxmisGrahamThoreau
one of jz's bitches chimes in!
one of the worst parts of zerzan's legacy is the half-wits propped up by him. for instance, kevin tucker would have never been heard from outside insignificant punk circles if john had not sensed a "true believer" in him. zerzan values loyalty to his ideas over critical thinkers who challenge him in substantial ways.
JZ haters gonna hate
ArtxmisGrahamThoreau Tue, 05/12/2026 - 16:55
In reply to one of jz's bitches chimes… by anonymous (not verified)
"Propped up by him?" In what way am I, or my projects propped up by JZ? The Uncivilized Podcast (RIP!) existed before JZ and there is no evidence substantial support came because he liked it. Neither can PIU be explained as a front for JZ's primitivism. JZ and I have disagreed and argued, so this idea that he only values loyalty and avoids challenges to his ideas is seemingly some internalized dislike you feel the need to vent out.
No. I don't hate Zerzan. I…
anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/13/2026 - 07:59
In reply to JZ haters gonna hate by ArtxmisGrahamThoreau
No. I don't hate Zerzan. I think he was highly important at times and seems like a nice person one on one. There are plenty of reasons to be critical other than "hate". That is just defensive posturing on your part. I have never read or listened to these things you opportunistically promote here, but I have heard you on his show, and you seem very full of yourself and smooch John's tush endlessly, which seems to go both ways. The few challenges I have heard are mild and eventually accommodating. You seem like someone who needs to have their name plastered all over the place, now ANEWS included. Have a grand time in the phony playground of internet anarchyland. (Now I soon expect you to post an even more defensive response and probably whine about it on Zerzan's next show)
You feel better now?
ArtxmisGrahamThoreau Wed, 05/13/2026 - 14:11
In reply to No. I don't hate Zerzan. I… by anonymous (not verified)
You feel better now?
only a little.
anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/13/2026 - 15:39
In reply to You feel better now? by ArtxmisGrahamThoreau
only a little.
I had a friend who sold sea…
GO3 Thu, 05/07/2026 - 15:47
I had a friend who sold sea anemones,
The last time I saw him he was weaving baskets,
I asked him why he changed,
He said with fronds like these who needs anemones.
Thx for the laugh!
anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/08/2026 - 01:34
In reply to I had a friend who sold sea… by GO3
Thx for the laugh!
I never got a car or a…
GO3 Sat, 05/09/2026 - 12:08
In reply to Thx for the laugh! by anonymous (not verified)
I never got a car or a license until I was 30. I could summer in Seattle and winter in the Bay but I wouldn't be a car dude. I would only have a board and a backpack.
Good boi
anonymous (not verified) Sat, 05/09/2026 - 20:50
In reply to I never got a car or a… by GO3
On my part, I drive a car to Work, 5-6 days a week, and go to ancom church service at the local hipster microbrewery or bakery. I would only have a platform and a rolling suitcase when traveling across NA and sometimes to BCN and NL.
Did you ever listen to JZs…
GO3 Wed, 05/13/2026 - 17:12
In reply to Good boi by anonymous (not verified)
Did you ever listen to JZs show? I used to but sometimes I would fall asleep.
Back in the Reagan eighties…
anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/07/2026 - 20:04
Back in the Reagan eighties we had a moderately stupid primitivist/hippie-ish/anarchist subculture conference, car camping in the parking lot of a lake in the Oregon Cascades. At one point JZ and another savant were enthusing that on Day One of The Revolution the two of them would immediately destroy all electrical power generation capacity. They were non-plussed when it got pointed out to them that all the no doubt heavily armed functional adults on the scene might keep this from happening. It also sounded mighty funky coming after a number of days car camping in a parking lot.
Far from being more radical than thou, a perspective based on the assumption that everything and anything that isn't completely perfect should be gutted isn't terribly radical or insightful. It's a very United States of America one-dimensional cop out.
Does the great primitivist still think that everything began to go south for homo sapiens with the emergence of language and tool use? I remember a piece Zerzan wrote in the long ago magazine AJODA complaining that the actor Colm Meaney wasn't up to snuff when acting in the 'Star Trek' TV show with the bald Captain Kirk. If you categorically reject language and tool use, who gives a hoot about the performance of an actor on 'Star Trek'?
If you categorically reject…
anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/08/2026 - 15:10
In reply to Back in the Reagan eighties… by anonymous (not verified)
If you categorically reject language and tool use, who gives a hoot about the performance of an actor on 'Star Trek'?
i am far from being a jz defender, but what the fuck is this? people can't watch a show for entertainment? maybe you didn't make your point very well?
"people can't watch a show for entertainment?
CalvinSmith Fri, 05/08/2026 - 17:09
In reply to If you categorically reject… by anonymous (not verified)
"
Well im glad you realize @news is indignation-as-entertainment...so what's wrong with possibly dishonest bitching then? Whats wrong with watching standard entertainment and being a normie?
"The news" is not the news, its ppl drinking each other's tears!
Chop wood to this, I can! …
PRIMAL JEDI (not verified) Fri, 05/08/2026 - 14:29
Chop wood to this, I can!
Support our anarchist elders, we must.
🖖
JZ Vaccine Queen
Stormy (not verified) Sat, 05/09/2026 - 12:03
He supported the "Covid" hoax. He trashed purebloods. As a true anarchist (get your fucking hands/laws/regulations off my body and out of my mind, asshole) I oppose all authoritarianism, especially coming from a hypocritical old leftist like Zerzan. Fuck that exhausted buzzard. Green Anarchy lives, in the hearts and minds of freedom loving environmental radicals.
"purebloods"..."purebloods"…
anonymous (not verified) Sat, 05/09/2026 - 21:17
In reply to JZ Vaccine Queen by Stormy (not verified)
"purebloods"...
"purebloods"........
Ok dude, GTFO
OooOooh! Watch out guys, We…
anonymous (not verified) Sat, 05/09/2026 - 22:28
In reply to JZ Vaccine Queen by Stormy (not verified)
OooOooh! Watch out guys, We got us a badass over here!
Weak b8 m8.
The moderators must be really desperate for engagement to approve such stupidity. SIGH!
"Covid Hoax". You sound…
Larry Cesspool (not verified) Sun, 05/10/2026 - 22:36
In reply to JZ Vaccine Queen by Stormy (not verified)
"Covid Hoax". You sound infected with the MAGA virus.
It's just Kendrick "Headtrip…
anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/11/2026 - 05:25
In reply to "Covid Hoax". You sound… by Larry Cesspool (not verified)
It's just Kendrick "Headtrip" Tucker trolling as usual.
yes, "covid hoax" is a…
anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/11/2026 - 08:39
In reply to "Covid Hoax". You sound… by Larry Cesspool (not verified)
yes, "covid hoax" is a stupid way to say it. BUT, jz was not very anarchist, nor anti-civ in his take on covid and vaccines. not in what he chose to do (which was his choice), but how he expected others to bee-have, like drones in a hive. these days, he often comes off more like a rabid progressive than anti-civ anarchist.
Suggesting that JZ 'wasn't…
anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/12/2026 - 12:41
In reply to yes, "covid hoax" is a… by anonymous (not verified)
Suggesting that JZ 'wasn't being very anarchist' by suggesting how others might want to approach a situation (covid, vaccines) is utterly stupid. Have you met anarchists? We have opinions on pretty much everything. We tend to share those ideas to spread an anarchist perspective on things. Suggesting that others consider our anarchist ideas is not being 'progressive'.
Lastly, you can't provide any evidence of JZ saying that others must "bee-have like drones in a hive" regarding covid.
Anti-civ anarchy does not mean 'let that sick person over there hang around and kill the most vulnerable folks in the band cuz we don't want to appear like progressives to the neckbeards in the back that only care about themselves'.
DON'T BE sOoo DUMB! BEE SMART!
don't be soooo dumb yourself…
anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/12/2026 - 15:01
In reply to Suggesting that JZ 'wasn't… by anonymous (not verified)
don't be soooo dumb yourself. in person, in writing, and on air he got quite steamed for people not blindly getting jabbed with a techno-soulution because of a "public health crisis" OR had even a slightly different opinon. he never "suggested", he got pissed at people, then doubled down, then played victim when people pushed back, in a stupid cycle that still goes on today in his writing and on air... the rest of your comment is even more "stupid"...
Prove it. Provide any…
Primal Logician (not verified) Tue, 05/12/2026 - 19:16
In reply to don't be soooo dumb yourself… by anonymous (not verified)
Prove it. Provide any evidence to substantiate your assertions and I will concede. Alas, you can't because you're blinded by JZDS (John Zerzan Derangement Syndrome) and are merely making things up.
wow. no, you seem to be the…
anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/13/2026 - 10:20
In reply to Prove it. Provide any… by Primal Logician (not verified)
wow. no, you seem to be the sick one here. take a deep breath. do your own research, or perhaps, go outside. i am not making anything up. i have had interactions with john concerning these matters and have heard it on his show (not gonna dig through the archives and re-listen to a basically unlistenable show), anyway, why are you so defensive about this?
To 12:03 Speaking as a US of…
anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/12/2026 - 22:28
In reply to JZ Vaccine Queen by Stormy (not verified)
To 12:03
Speaking as a US of A ding-a-ling, I definitely place more faith in whatever hippie-oid nonsense
I randomly choose to believe in, as opposed, say, to oppressive authoritarian vaccines. Forward to People's Polio!
jz had his time. offering…
anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/11/2026 - 07:47
jz had his time. offering some pivotal texts to the development of ant-civ anarchy (mostly in the 80s). his time of relevance ended long ago and he has been propping up his ideological take on it all since. civilization is no doubt our enemy, and jz's ideological thinking is a by-product of it. sadly. he could not see this, even when those closest to him tried to point it out again and again. his blind spots only increased with time. he made enemies with people and ideas that could have complemented his or at least challenged him in a positive way. even his optimism is an ideological, or worse religious, component to his self-created dead-end. yes, civilization is our enemy, but you don't destroy it by using its tools. i wish jz could be remembered for the positive contributions, but the negative keep piling up each time he puts something new out, from his radio show, to new essays, to this memoir. that being said, those positive gifts are much more significant, more penetrating and grand, and hopefully can live on despite the negative coloring by others and himself.
agreed. :(
chisel Mon, 05/11/2026 - 10:12
In reply to jz had his time. offering… by anonymous (not verified)
agreed. :(
Empty comment. Marked for…
anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/12/2026 - 14:53
In reply to agreed. :( by chisel
Empty comment. Marked for deletion.
Please read the Rules regarding "empty affirmation".
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
you're correct for anonymous commenters
chisel Tue, 05/12/2026 - 15:56
In reply to Empty comment. Marked for… by anonymous (not verified)
because it could easily be the same person just commenting on their own post.
but for registered commenters, it's a little different, at least in my opinion. it might matter to someone that i as a named person feels similarly.
of course, i could've posted the initial post as anon and then agreed to it with a name, thus still sockpuppeteetering...
but then all of life is a gamble.
"Rules for Thee but not for Me"?
Lower Class Anarch (not verified) Tue, 05/12/2026 - 19:20
In reply to you're correct for anonymous commenters by chisel
Not based.
is chisel the only…
anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/14/2026 - 07:53
In reply to "Rules for Thee but not for Me"? by Lower Class Anarch (not verified)
is chisel the only registered user, dumbass?
Wut?
registered user (not verified) Thu, 05/14/2026 - 10:50
In reply to is chisel the only… by anonymous (not verified)
Wut?
i honestly applaud your usage of HTML links,
CalvinSmith Tue, 05/12/2026 - 16:54
In reply to Empty comment. Marked for… by anonymous (not verified)
i haven't seen such a clever usage of HTML in general on this site.
However your behavior is "impersonating a moderator", which i'm pretty sure is a federal crime in anarchyland.
Same can be said of the…
anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/11/2026 - 10:31
In reply to jz had his time. offering… by anonymous (not verified)
Same can be said of the ancom crowd... They used to be edgy and cool back in the '80s-'90s, but post-Millenial era they've gone completely Leftarded and borderline MLs, if there ain't a better designation, like a broken clock that keeps ticking for some reason.
i don't even think something simple and extremely
CalvinSmith Mon, 05/11/2026 - 12:11
In reply to jz had his time. offering… by anonymous (not verified)
vague such as "civilization is our enemy" really moves anti-civ in better directions. Realizing the various problems with it (and there are many, many problems with civilization thinking) doesn't require the dogmatism. If the dogmatism is correct ("civ is our enemy"), then yes, there's a problem with you not smashing your computer immediately.
it was a general direction…
anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/11/2026 - 16:18
In reply to i don't even think something simple and extremely by CalvinSmith
it was a general direction in a comment, duh.
no it was a form of internet based virtue signaling,
CalvinSmith Mon, 05/11/2026 - 17:50
In reply to it was a general direction… by anonymous (not verified)
duh. Only the most fucking pretentious people say shit like that.
duh. wow. you really seem to…
anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/12/2026 - 08:13
In reply to no it was a form of internet based virtue signaling, by CalvinSmith
duh. wow. you really seem to be able to get a solid grip on people with just a few lines typed on the internet. you must be some sort of cyber-wizard or something. talk about pretentious.
It was a purposefully ironic
CalvinSmith Tue, 05/12/2026 - 14:18
In reply to duh. wow. you really seem to… by anonymous (not verified)
comment: anyone who uses "duh" is pretentious, even when i do it.
The irony of defending an "enemy of civilization" by arguing wit me on @news.
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