This fascinating, first-hand account of the clash between an Amazonian frontier proletariat and a global oil-extraction industry teaches us more about the conditions of global capitalism than any abstract theory could provide. A wonderfully written account of what it is like to join an uprising when solidarity comes from the justice of the struggle, and the Indigenous is not the other, but yourself. This is theory at its concrete best.
Susan Buck-Morss, Cornell University and CUNY Graduate Center, USA
Against the decolonial rejection of universalism, this book is an elegant and brilliant personal account of insurgent universality in the Ecuadorian Amazon, in which Indigenous peoples and other subalterns join ranks against multinational capital based not on cultural or racial identity but shared experiences of alienation and dispossession, united in concrete struggles of universality from below. An absolute must-read for anyone interested in questions of subaltern rebellion and solidarity today.
Ilan Kapoor, York University, Canada
In this timely book, Japhy Wilson unearths the lived reality of a subaltern struggle on the extractive frontier of the Ecuadorian Amazon that challenges the cultural relativism of todays progressive academic establishment. Arguing that the aim of the struggle was not to defend Indigenous identities, but to reclaim dignity, equality, and better living conditions, the book makes a compelling case for "the actuality of universal humanity," and offers a vivid glimpse of real plebeian politics.
Martín Arboleda, Universidad Diego Portales, Chile
Reporting from an uprising of workers and communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Extractivism and Universality combines rich empirical research with deft theoretical exposition. Departing from standard academic narratives, Japhy Wilson invites the reader to grasp the political practices and collective struggles that point beyond the stale binary between Eurocentric universalism and an Indigenous pluriverse.
Thomas F Purcell, Kings College London, UK
A truly impressive work, artfully weaving the complexity of extractive politics, militant struggle, collusions of state and capital, corporate technologies of pacification, and sustained political and theoretical analysis into a captivating narrative. The book is a masterpiece deserving award, representing critical geography at its finest by demonstrating committed fieldwork, critical pedagogy, and innovating academic writing.
Alexander Dunlap, Antipode
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