Ask HN: Does the Anarchist's Cookbook still have any practical uses? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Does the Anarchist's Cookbook still have any practical uses?

10 pointsrobfjames9 comments

the 1971 book from William Powell, specifically. Remember wanting to read it as a kid and eventually doing so on early versions of the internet, but even then it seemed either over my head, make believe or outdated.

just curious.

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Once upon a time, I read through TM 31-210[1], and it seemed to me that anyone who had a long term goal of doing bad things to someone, could clearly do so with this as a guide. I decided I'm not that type of person.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TM_31-210_Improvised_Munitions...

It has exactly as many practical uses now as it did then (not that many). However, it's full of a ton of bullshit, and some of it is dangerous bullshit.

Another thing that's as true now as it has ever been: you can easily learn the same stuff (and more) with a much lower amount of bullshit by going to the library and reading the more mainstream sources. They won't be written in as breezy or entertaining of a style, but they'll be much more dependable and comprehensive.

A chemist friend of mine once commented about the chemistry-related (particularly incendiary and explosive) things: if you really want to learn how to be dangerous, a wizard, or do really cool party tricks, your best bet is to actually learn chemistry more holistically. I bet the same is true for the other things in it as well.

driving a non zero amount of demand in the teen segment for fertiliser?

There's a documentary (American Anarchist) about William Powell and Anarchist's Cookbook, his remorse for writing it and how he felt about it, absolute rubbish as he put it.

If you want to trip on morning glory seeds, yes.

He made a doc explaining his difference of views now vs when he wrote it, that felt more relevant.

It never had.

Yes. It serves a purpose. It allows people to know anyone who cites it is ~17 and knows everything about everything ;-)

I was actually talking about my earlier self here, sorry if I hit a nerve!

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