Bound Together Bookstore

Bound Together Bookstore Est. 1976 Layout/atmosphere *Anarchist bookstore; supports prison literature project; one room Purchased here: *On the Road (original scroll) by Jack Kerouac *Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett

Coolest bookstore I have ever been to. It is volunteer-led, well priced books, supports local artists and opinions through zines and their work, great collection. The moment I exited I told my partner that this is truly a 'mind-expanding' space. I don't write reviews generally but I did because I couldn't buy a lot of things I wanted to because I can't carry more weight, but if I lived here, I would volunteer there for sure.

Cool bookstore for the anarchist, outlaw (outside the law) free thinker type. Added about ten lbs to my suitcase and had to struggle to close it due to the books I purchased. Really enjoyed my visit!

This bookstore is run by volunteers. It offers free pamphlets/newsletters and is well organized. The decor is stellar to look at and the book selections are interesting. They also have a program where you can donate books to prisoners.

Have a future book event happening here this place has amazing history and has been part of the movement since the beginning strongly recommend this neighborhood and especially the bookstore if you’re looking for some real news about our history here in SF

amazing collection of anarchist literature + run by volunteers and they do have OD kits!

One of the coolest bookstores I’ve been to. Very inspiring and thought provoking books, has been there since the 80’s.

My favorite bookstore of all time. The truth will set you free. Free from all false teachings, doctrines, and propaganda. 🥰🥰❤️🥰🤗🤗💞💞 The staff is amazingly friendly and super duper friendly.👍👍🥰🥰🎉🎉💯

This place is a funky relic of a time when SF was a much more amazing place. And it is actually full of really interesting books and pamphlets that you won't find easily anywhere else. Plus it has a great sale table, a decent used book section and a couple of shelves of excellent super cheap books that benefit sending free books to prisoners. A surprisingly good bookstore !

This store truly is a gem hidden in plain sight. It's a small storefront, but has lots of literature to explore. There's free materials, books ranging for people interested in anarchism to those already well versed on the topic, and even books for kids. I highly recommend patronizing Bound Together. Let's keep them in the neighborhood for generations to come!

stopped by on 7/8 and was enjoying looking through the literature. the female clerk in overalls left me hanging in the middle of a conversation to talk to some bum that walked in for 20 minotes straight. no apologies nothing, totally unprofessional and hope not all your volunters are this willing to ignore a paying customer

I am happy there is a radical bookstore in sf. Was happy to go there and get some rad books about anarchism.

Wow. I really love this store. It has a ton of different books relating to various things such as politics,different regions, cookbooks, etc. There's two things I found super interesting about this place...1) everyone who works there is a volunteer 2) they have a section under the register where all the books are $2 and all proceeds go to prisoners for a reading program. I highly respect this and definitely got myself 2 actually modern books. I was surprised to find them to be honest. Cool place.

This book store reminded me of why I love books. The environment is so welcoming and the topics vary but are mostly political in themes. However, they also have a fiction section and the collection is great!! I personally love used books and their wall of used books left me shocked. The prices are unheard of (I got 6 books for about $30) and the clerk was so nice. 100% coming back for more

My favorite bookstore in SF. Even if you're not a radical anarchist, you'll find plenty of interesting stuff to read here, and a really friendly and helpful staff (of owners!). Thank god this place is still open. Let's do what we can to keep it that way!

Fabulous place. Truly a gem. A bastion of free thought in a conformist world. Picked up some reading material and enjoyed the vibe of the place. Haven't seen this level of interesting topics to read since undergrad. Stay fabulous everyone!

I love Bound Together bookstore, they have all the classics in all areas of politics and even some literature classics. It's a small store so they don't have piles of books but you can stay there reading for a while on one of the chairs. Then you can walk down Haight and see the Gap, & Wells Fargo and how they are fucking up the character of the 'hood along with the dumb yuppies moving in left & right. They should toss out Ben & Jerry's too since they went corporate! I'm sure there's a StarCrucks there by now as well. Bookstores like this are what are keeping some people from slipping into complete complicity, stupidity complacently, and total subservience to "authority". F U cops.

Excellent experience when visiting this book store. Many unique books I and amazing atmosphere. The owner was incredibly friendly and helpful. Glad I stopped in when I was there a little while ago!!!!

Every time I'm in San Francisco, I have a few spots which are "musts" to revisit and check out. Along with Amoeba records, Bound Together ranks right up there. This is bar-none of of the most comprehensive bookshops dedicated to anarchist, underground and radical thought. Just reading the book titles off the shelves makes you think twice about certain issues. If you can't stand the political dialogue happening in mainstream media but are dedicated and passionate about finding out the truth of certain matters and the nitty-gritty of WHY things are the way they are, whether that be about eco-feminism, green anarchism, race relations, the prison industrial complex, male WASP-y power and entitlement , then I suggest an afternoon of browsing and picking up a few titles is in order. It's not just about learning your ABC's about these issues, it's also about learning to think critically and seeing what the solutions could be. All the big names are here, Chomsky, Zinn, Tariq Ali, Arundhati Roy, Norman Finkelstein, Chris Hedges, Rocker, Kropotkin, Malatesta, Zerzan, Jensen etc. Some folks may say that reading this kind of stuff is a fools endeavour. To that I would only say that most progressive policies like unemployment insurance, unions, guaranteed pensions, workers rights, environmental stewardship and the setting up of National Parks, universal healthcare are all ideas which came from the left and before that, were peculating in the anarchist sphere. The newest talk in leftist circles these days in guaranteed basic income. Again, originally an anarchist idea. These kinds of ideas usually start off in the margins before they take hold of the public imagination and move to the center so if you're someone who likes being somewhat ahead of the curve, it definitely is worth your while to be on top of this stuff. Bound Together is a great starting point.

I realized that part of my less-than-ecstatic view of SF was not because of the city, it was one of those it's-not-you-it's-me kind of things.... For the past 4 yrs I've been driving everywhere and although I have the ability to explore places further from my neighborhood, I have been forgetting about the wonderful things one can discover on the way somewhere. Someone close to me keeps reminding me that it's journey, not the destination ;) and it's true. I've been walking home from work lately and the path takes me right through Haight. I forgot how much I love walking at night, how unique SF architecture is, how open and colorful the people are in this city. With my (at times) morning and evening walks, I've fallen back in love with SF. One of the treasures I discovered was this quaint bookstore. It's fairly small, but here it's about the quality not quantity. There are a lot of indie magazines and journals and radical literature. This is actually half the reason I docked a star; I'm not a fan of communist propaganda and extreme view in any direction (something about coming from the USSR that just makes me think communism isn't as good as it sounds....). The other reason is that they don't take credit cards. Cash only people. Still, one particular section of books stole my heart. I literally opened my mouth in awe. Their $5 and under books are the best of the best and budget-friendly. I bought: Fathers and Sons, Turgenev: $3.50 This Side of Paradise, Fitzgerald: $3.50 The Metamorphosis and other stories, Kafka: $2 The Necklace and other short stories, Maupassant:$2.50 I'm going to go ahead and skip the part where I say my satisfaction is priceless. BUT I will say I am tickled at my new buys. Also, it came to a little over $11 with tax and I had $12 only, it was meant to be I say!

This is a extraordinary resource shop for anyone interested in learning about underground movements, anarchism, community projects (i.e., Prisoner's Literature Project), self-publishing and zines. At first glance, it's a bit dingy but teeming with information about controversial, subversive, leftist literature. Why is this a good resource? Well, in all honesty, it's all of the literary voices you don't hear in the mainstream and it's an interesting venue for literature to begin with. The location is fitting (Haight Asbury District) and it's wickedly progressive. Since it is a volunteer based organization (all workers are strictly volunteering to run the store) and it's not high tech. Much of what you would find, you look for. Then again, you wouldn't want it to be, it would lose it character and essence. DISCLAIMER: Just because I give this place 5 stars doesn't mean I lean to any left or right side of politics. I just like that there is a bookshop that gives a voice to people other than the Internet (because, not everyone has a computer)!

alright, i'm also biased as i am also a member of the collective in addition to being a customer. I won't address anyone else's comments since tedster and dave did that very well... but i couldn't help telling the world why i dig bound together... i love that this bookstore exists and i love being a part of it. i love that we have a wide range of radical literature and that the people who are part of it are real, down to earth folks of many, many walks of life. I feel that as far as the anarchist/diy/radical community goes, that bound together is very accessible and non-intimidating, which is super cool since that means that housewives and street kids and bike messengers and tourists all get treated with the same amount of respect and open mindedness... no one needs to prove themselves here. I think that because of this, people are fairly comfortable asking questions and learning more about anarchism and radical movements and issues, or just more about things they are interested in. Indeed, this is why I decided to be a part of it almost four years ago. also, FYI, there is an anarchist discussion group every thursday evening and Bound Together also sponsors the anarchist book fair every year in the spring. You can learn about both of these events (and get readings) at boundtogetherbooks.com

Amazing book store with a serous collection of current social issues. Found so many books I had to control myself and just pick a few to walk away with.

Cool place, but if they're so into anarchy, why do they sell books for money & have hours of operation? I mean, shouldn't we just be able to break in anytime we want & take whatever we want? I just think it's ironic to label your BUSINESS as anarchist.

This is definitely a really cool little bookstore. They have a ton of books that are actually worth reading and will feed your brain, not unlike 50 Shades of Grey Porn and Twilight Vampire Shit. If you have ever been a part of any punk scene, ever, this is a good place to go. It pretty much is the real-life equivalent of the bookstore from the movie "The Anarchist Cookbook". They have a cover sample of the book tacked behind the register, but they don't carry the book itself. So don't ask. If you're the type of person that loves supporting local business, this is the perfect place for that. It's all volunteer-run so no one gets paid to work there. That's all the more reason to support them in my opinion. They have managed to cram a lot of cool stuff in this store, including photo books, poster books, fanzines and more local authors than you can count. This place is like a buffet for your brain.

Excellent book store for when you want a departure from corporate-run havens of middling thought. I've always found great zines and books here each time I've visited--nothing I could've found back home. As for the physical location: The shelves are well marked and the selection is current and topical. It's a small shop, but ultra-focused...you can get your "Tuesdays with Morrie" somewhere else. I love that they don't take credit or debit cards. The first time I dropped in, an artist who was part of the collective (I think a glass blower?) was explaining the bookstore and some basic anarchist principles to a fellow customer. I overheard the exchange and found it to be so open and humane; such a contrast to a sea of militant confrontation-for-confrontation's-sake that does more to limit the growth of good ideas rather spread them (there's a time and a place for confrontation). The artist's patience with us neophytes was endearing and helped me see how anarchy could be a beneficial social and economic structure compared to a heavy-handed corporate state. The last time I visited was a hugely different experience. The store was being watched over by a trio of too-cool-for-school kids, one helpful, one ultra-snarky, and one totally checked-out. Instead of wanting to stay and look through the zines for a gem, I grabbed the book I needed, dropped some cash and tried to get out as quickly as possible. Based on the way we were looked up and down on entering, I'm pretty sure they decided how they would act around me and my partner based on the fact that we weren't dressed in the proper subculture drag, and that's a real shame. I had no idea there was a velvet rope to the free distribution of information. Hopefully, next time I go will be more of the old school, because this place is too wonderful to give up on.

I love Bound Together. I love that it carries books that I would have to special order many other places. I love that it's a radical, worker-run collective. I love that they put on the Anarchist Bookfair every year. I love the space and how it feels like a secret clubhouse for Anarchists. I love the selection, and the way it is organized by subject matter (makes it so easy to find new books or authors!). I love that everyone is helpful, if not totally organized. I love the 'zine selection. I pretty much love that this place exists.

I'll admit it's hard to find an independent bookstore that I don't rate highly, but this one is particularly interesting. Take a look around, you're sure to find something stimulating that you never would have read otherwise. Cool that it's run by volunteers.

I love this place because they had sooo many different works of surrealism on their bookshelves. Yay! They have new and used books on so many different topics, tons of zines, and very helpful people working there. Usually it's hard to find radical stores with friendly customer service but Bound Together actually has both. This place is fun to stop in an explore while you're in Haight and Ashbury. It's one of the last remaining places in Haight that's actually still radical. I'm into it.

Bound Together is a little shop with a pretty good selection of political books of a left wing variety. Obviously, the books tend to reflect the store's anarchist politics, though they do carry a variety of far left books. The best thing about this store is that it has to be the first place to carry whatever new PM Press books have been released, so you can pick them up almost right away.

I am a worker owner of Bound together. What David D. said below sums it it up, so I won't repeat what he said, not to mention my own bad writing skills. To answer Fallopian said, and pointed out, we do have quite a few books that aren't specifically Anarchistic, but they are of interest to anarchist, and other people who reject capitalism and other forms of authority as being legitimate. And to answer Pete, as his question is hardly unusual. We are not lost in the irony about selling books for money, but we have rent to pay, and the books do cost us money. so we do need to charge or else cease to exist. And we are all volunteer, so nobody there financially benefits. There are many flavors of anarchy, but the general understanding about anarchy from anarchist is that there is no leader (an=without archy=leader). Further questions about anarchy maybe found at www.infoshop.org/faq/index.html. A shorter summary can be found on Wikipedia. And of course, we can always refer you to more specific literature at Bound Together.

Would love to go in, but it is certainly not wheelchair accessible. Whoever put in the business description that it is should contact me and explain how I was supposed to get into the store when I tried to go there yesterday in my wheelchair.

My politics aren't as radical as they were when I first walked into this place and joined some of their discussion groups 30 plus years ago, but I am so glad Bound Together has survived the gentrification and economic carnage to the book industry. What they offer is essential to the vitality of progressive politics to inspire the youth and keep the elders from compromising too profoundly, while maintaining the intellectual traditions for the next renaissance. The Haight Ashbury is becoming a barren place. This institution (and they will probably bristle at the application of the term to them) is essentially defiant.

Anarchist bookstore with one shelf dedicated to both "queer/gender studies" with only 2 books about gender equality on it. I'm not sure how this can happen and I want to give it the benefit of the doubt bc its volunteer run etc but it was confusing and disappointing.

There are magazines and quarterly scholarly publications on all types of political thought I can only find at this location. You can't even find some of this books, poetry, history , and alternative thought online. You have to understand how the distribution of alternative press works and then you see how limited your world view can be if you depend on commercial establishments for your information.

A true Haight-Ashbury original. Bound Together Anarchist Book Collective is exactly what one would expect and hope for here, an inspirational collective of volunteers promoting alternative press and individual expression. San Francisco could use more places like this.

I really enjoyed this little bookstore for its great selection in books, zines, and other readables. The only thing I found disappointing and which might prevent me from returning was the multitude of Bradley Manning merchandise. I inquired about it and was told that they may have Chelsea manning stuff online, but the staff didn't seem concerned by the trasphobia that they were displaying and engaging in. This is disturbingly common among activists and I had hoped Bound Together books would be different. I was wrong.

This is a great place to find the kind of "subversive" literature that isn't available at most stores. As previous posters have said, the vibe here is incredibly relaxed and non-threatening. An anarchist bookstore has the potential to get sucked into the Pretentious Hipster Scene, but Bound Together has somehow avoided that. They don't judge, and they don't intimidate. Go see for yourself.

Such helpful volunteers! The ample selection of DIY & alt mags is impressive.. as are the out of prints. Grab something here to scale the nearby park with....seriously.

i dunno what an anarchist is, i'm just a dog. or maybe i just live it. but this is a great spot, with a much broader selection of reading then the name implies, and lots of good sale books. plus the nice folks there dig dogs, most of them, anyway. i think we should support such institutions (as with the recycled record independent shop next door) in this increasingly non-anarchic city.... if they fed me i'd give them that last star. for sure. ps: somebody brought in some anarchist biscuits. note five stars now. woof!

Who doesn't like a good bookstore? They carry many great selections of self published and uncommon books. Their emphasis on anarchy and counter-culture is definitely an eye opener. Makes you realize how many great things there are to read out there. I found a zine about the resistance of the lower class tenants in the SF tenderloin during the 80's. It's called "I Work The Tenderloin" and it's really fascinating to read history written by local people. This is probably one of the few places to find such things. It's run by volunteers and I believe some of the profits of select books go to sending reading materials to prison inmates. If you're gonna buy a book, you should buy it here.

I stumbled across this bookstore while perusing the Haight. If you are not offended by left wing, anti-religion, anarchist ideals, then this is the place for you. I enjoyed their selection of local author's pamphlets, and their book selection is definitely adequate for the store size. It's definitely a place to visit at least once while in Haight/Ashbury.

I really dug this place. New and used books, familial, zines everywhere, weird finds. I came here to get one book for a gift for a friend and came away with two new books, a copy of the Cunt Coloring Book, a lockpicking guide, and a brief booklet explaining cannibalism in christian history. Highly recommended for all of your vulva-artwork needs!

Stumbled onto this small niche because we got off at the wrong bus stop. Almost too comfy, friendly, and homey for an anarchist bookstore. Great selection and prices too boot. Will be getting off at the wrong stop more often now.

I get lost looking through the zines and street art books here. I've found a few really rad vegan zines and if I had more money I would definitely buy more books. Other than feeling scrutinized and out of place when I walk in, I love browsing and will always stop by Bound Together after getting coffee around the corner.

Totally love this book store. Every time that I go to San Francisco I buy something from this book store. The last time i went here I bought a couple of zines and a beautiful copy of Dharma Bums. I need to go back...

With more and more corporations controlling information the public receives, I love this bookstore. I love the fact it sticks its thumb in the direction of complacency and ignorance. In addition, I love the fact it's a worker-run collective. I can find the kind of radical books I would have a difficult time locating elsewhere. There's an emphasis on the kind of honest critiques about the political climate, which I appreciate. And I love the number of 'zines it offers.

Don't get put-off by the "anarchist" name - they have tons of great books, both mainstream (e.g. harry potter) and far-out alternative, fiction and non-fiction, etc. Excellent prices, nice folks, a must-see if you're visiting the Haight.