Top 9 Bifo Books

Jennifer Marsh
10 min readOct 1, 2024

Get ready to dive into the world of Bifo Books! This fantastic roundup article features a diverse collection of stories, ideas, and insights from some of the most talented authors around. Whether you're an avid reader, a book enthusiast, or just looking for that perfect addition to your home library, Bifo Books has something for everyone. So sit back, relax, and let us introduce you to your next literary adventure. You won't want to miss it!

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1. Franco Berardi Bifo

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Ironische Ethik(dOCUMENTA (13): 100 Notes - 100 Thoughts, 100 Notizen - 100 Gedanken # 027)

In Franco Berardi Bifo's "Ironische Ethik" - a part of the "dOCUMENTA (13): 100 Notes - 100 Thoughts, 100 Notizen - 100 Gedanken" series - the author critically dissects the present political landscape of his homeland, Italy, under the influence of media tycoon and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Through his essay, Berardi paints a picture of "Berlusconiland, " where the Italian language, collective imagination, and sensuality are corrupted, political power is likened to a "Psycho-Toxin, " and television and advertising become increasingly pornographic and offensive.

This leads to societal phenomena of false expectations, self-hatred, and aggressive shame. Berardi describes the aggressive competition among masculine figures who derive pleasure from the defilement of the female body, embodying a profound contempt for women. As an alternate approach, he proposes an "Ironische Ethik" based on skepticism and the reawakening of empathy, leading to a great sense of fellowship that constitutes a political state.

A media theorist and activist, the 70-something-year-old Berardi founded Radio Alice in the 1970s and currently teaches Media Aesthetics at the European School of Social Imagination in San Marino.

  • Authors: Franco Berardi
  • Publisher: Hatje Cantz Verlag
  • Published Date: December 19, 2011
  • Page Count: 44
  • Print Type: BOOK
  • Categories: Art
  • Maturity Rating: NOT\_MATURE
  • Language: de

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2. The Exform

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"The Exform" is a thought-provoking exploration into the future of art and culture led by renowned theorist and art curator Nicolas Bourriaud. By examining the dynamics of ideology, psychoanalysis, and the nature of waste, Bourriaud challenges the reader to uncover the mechanisms that create divisions between the productive and unproductive, the included and excluded, as well as the product and waste.

This highly engaging and insightful book delves into the political discourse around cultural, racial, and economic practices of exclusion, drawing on the influential theories of Louis Althusser. With page count of 129, this concise yet powerful work of philosophy will leave readers pondering their place in the world and the meaning of waste in modern society.

  • Authors: Nicolas Bourriaud
  • Publisher: Verso Books
  • Published Date: August 16, 2016
  • Page Count: 129
  • Print Type: BOOK
  • Categories: Philosophy
  • Maturity Rating: NOT\_MATURE
  • Language: en

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3. Part One

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Part One: A groundbreaking collection reflecting on the psychopathologies of cognitive capitalism

Published on the occasion of the Berlin Institute for Cultural Inquiry (ICI) conference in 2013, Part One is a must-read for those seeking to better understand the intersection between advanced telecommunication, data mining, and social relations. This highly respected volume showcases the presentations from the inaugural Psychopathologies of Cognitive Capitalism conference held in Los Angeles in 2012.

Featuring renowned contributors like Jonathan Beller, Franco Bifo Berardi, Arne De Boever, Jodi Dean, Warren Neidich, Patricia Pisters, Jason Smith, Tiziana Terranova, and Bruce Wexler, Part One delves deep into the effects of cognitive capitalism on the human mind and brain. Exploring the implications of living in an era of rapidly advancing technology, this volume is an invaluable resource for those interested in critical theory, philosophy, media studies, and art history.

With 270 pages brimming with insightful perspectives, Part One presents a comprehensive analysis of our present-day reality, where cognitive capitalism has blurred the boundaries between the personal and the professional, transforming the way we communicate and interact with one another. In this thought-provoking collection, readers will find themselves grappling with the complexities of cognitive capitalism and its implications on the human psyche.

So, if you are looking to expand your understanding of the psychopathologies of cognitive capitalism and how it shapes our mental and emotional landscapes, Part One is the perfect starting point. Join some of the most influential thinkers of our time in this engaging and illuminating journey into the depths of our modern-day consciousness.

  • Authors: Arne De Boever, Warren Neidich
  • Publisher: Archive Books
  • Published Date: May 17, 2017
  • Page Count: 270
  • Print Type: BOOK
  • Maturity Rating: NOT\_MATURE
  • Language: en

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4. Superhumanity

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Design of the Self

Superhumanity: Design of the Self is an ambitious and captivating exploration of design's far-reaching influence on our lives. Beyond the realm of material objects, this book delves into the intricacies of our virtual identities, personal devices, networks, systems, infrastructure, data, chemicals, organisms, and genetic codes, probing the question of who designed the lives we live today.

The book features over fifty essays by eminent scholars and experts from various fields, and draws together a diverse array of perspectives to challenge our understanding of design. The reader is invited to embark on a thought-provoking journey, exploring the depths of self and our various forms of life as they are continuously reshaped by the artifacts we create. With a stunning collection of images and a contribution list that reads like a who's who of leading experts, Superhumanity: Design of the Self is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the complex world of design.

  • Authors: Nick Axel, Beatriz Colomina, Nikolaus Hirsch, Anton Vidokle, Mark Wigley
  • Publisher: U of Minnesota Press
  • Published Date: January 01, 2018
  • Page Count: 692
  • Print Type: BOOK
  • Categories: Architecture
  • Maturity Rating: NOT\_MATURE
  • Language: en

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5. Breathing

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Chaos and Poetry

Breathing: Chaos and Poetry by Franco "Bifo" Berardi is a profound exploration of the increasingly chaotic rhythm of our respiration and the suffocating sense of desperation that pervades our world. From the hopeful days of the Occupy movement to the present cycle of spasm and despair, the author seeks to understand the role of poetry in our relations with language, capital, and possibility.

In Breathing, Berardi delves into the excess of signification, envisioning poetry as a premonition of a possible harmony within the present chaos. The book serves as an essay on poetical therapy, offering insights into how we might confront and survive the overwhelming darkness of chaos. As we struggle with the suffocating weight of financial capitalism, Breathing is a critical reflection on the future of our world and the potential for hope in the midst of despair.

Penned by the author of The Uprising, a genealogical diagnosis, Breathing is a powerful call to action and an illuminating guide for navigating the chaos of our contemporary world. With 161 pages and published by MIT Press, this short but impactful book will leave you questioning the status quo and grappling with the complexities of our ever-changing reality.

  • Authors: Franco "Bifo" Berardi
  • Publisher: MIT Press
  • Published Date: January 01, 2019
  • Page Count: 161
  • Print Type: BOOK
  • Categories: Political Science
  • Maturity Rating: NOT\_MATURE
  • Language: en

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6. Fully Automated Luxury Communism

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A Manifesto

Fully Automated Luxury Communism: A Manifesto, by Aaron Bastani, presents a bold and radical vision for the future of society, politics, and economics. In the wake of the first decade of the twenty-first century, Bastani argues that the world order as we know it has come to an end, and a new paradigm is needed to address the emerging crises.

Central to this new paradigm is the belief that advancements in technology will free humanity from the burden of work, enabling us to create a society beyond both capitalism and scarcity. This book envisions a world where energy abundance, universal access to food, and the overcoming of biological constraints make genuine freedom accessible for everyone.

Bastani offers a vivid, inspiring portrait of a utopian society that has yet to be realized, a world where the advancements of automation are viewed not as a threat to our livelihoods, but rather as a means of achieving the true aim of technological progress: the liberation of humanity from the need to work and the pursuit of happiness.

Fully Automated Luxury Communism invites readers to reimagine our collective future and to join Bastani in the quest for a world of unfathomable hope and possibility. This manifesto, with its powerful ideas and enlightening perspective, promises to be a game-changer for those seeking a fresh approach to politics and the future of our world.

  • Authors: Aaron Bastani
  • Publisher: Verso Books
  • Published Date: June 11, 2019
  • Page Count: 292
  • Print Type: BOOK
  • Categories: Political Science
  • Maturity Rating: NOT\_MATURE
  • Language: en

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7. Felix Guattari in the Age of Semiocapitalism

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Deleuze Studies Volume 6, Issue 2

Felix Guattari in the Age of Semiocapitalism is a thought-provoking and insightful volume that delves into the impact of Guattari's influential work, 20 years after his untimely passing. In this study, renowned author Gary Genosko explores how Guattari's insight into capital as a semiotic operator has resonated with contemporary theorists grappling with the intricacies of immaterial labor in the post-Autonomist movement. With a focus on the troubled global info-machinic ecologies of our time, this work encourages readers to reflect on the relevance of Guattari's thought for understanding the present and future mutations of capitalism and labor.

Genosko examines Guattari's vision of a post-media era where new subjectivities can thrive and experiments in controlled chaoticization can flourish. This engaging, insightful volume offers essential reading for anyone seeking to navigate the complexities of contemporary capitalism and its implications for our world.

  • Authors: Genosko Gary Genosko
  • Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
  • Published Date: July 30, 2019
  • Page Count: 96
  • Print Type: BOOK
  • Categories: Capitalism
  • Maturity Rating: NOT\_MATURE
  • Language: en

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8. Workers and Capital

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Unleash the revolutionary power of Workers and Capital, a groundbreaking text by Mario Tronti that significantly transformed the political landscapes of Italy and beyond in the 1960s. This seminal work of operaismo, a cutting-edge approach to political thought, provides unprecedented insights into the shifting dynamics of class, work, and society.

Tronti's Workers and Capital transcends time, remaining a critical reference in the history of the global workers' movement, now accessible to English readers for the first time. Concepts such as 'neocapitalism', 'class composition', 'mass-worker', 'the plan of capital', 'workers' inquiry', and 'co-research' have become integrated into the lexicon of the Italian Left, and more recently, have found resonance in the evolving nature of work and class composition worldwide.

Brought to life by Verso Books in 2019, Workers and Capital serves as a powerful lens through which to examine the profound changes experienced by workers and the labor market in the last five decades. Embrace the timeless revelations and extraordinary tools offered by Tronti's magnum opus, Workers and Capital, and contribute to the ongoing conversation of our ever-evolving political landscape.

  • Authors: Mario Tronti
  • Publisher: Verso Books
  • Published Date: August 13, 2019
  • Page Count: 529
  • Print Type: BOOK
  • Categories: Political Science
  • Maturity Rating: NOT\_MATURE
  • Language: en

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9. Egress

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On Mourning, Melancholy and the Fisher-Function

Egress - A poignant exploration of the life and work of cult academic and cultural critic, Mark Fisher. Written in the wake of his passing in 2017, this highly engaging book delves into the intricacies of Fisher's philosophical journey, from his early years as a PhD student at Warwick to his development of the concept of "Acid Communism. " The core of the book is Fisher's own use of the term "egress" in The Weird and the Eerie, symbolizing an escape into the subconscious through the pages of eerie literature.

Egress sheds light on the intertwining politics of death and community, exploring the profound impact of personal experience in forming a meaningful whole. Matt Colquhoun masterfully navigates the labyrinthine thoughts of Fisher while maintaining a balance between intrigue and intellectual depth. A must-read for political science enthusiasts.

  • Authors: Matt Colquhoun
  • Publisher: Watkins Media Limited
  • Published Date: March 10, 2020
  • Page Count: 337
  • Print Type: BOOK
  • Categories: Political Science
  • Maturity Rating: NOT\_MATURE
  • Language: en

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