Please share books that affected your worldview or changed your thoughts.
For me, it’s A People’s History of the World by Chris Harman. I studied business and work in finance, and before reading it, I never questioned the idea that capitalism was just the natural way of things. This book made me realize that capitalism is man made. It had a beginning and it can have an end. Wealth and poverty are not just inevitable, they are created by human decisions. That perspective really shook me.
Do you have a book that had a similar impact on you?
I read Lenin’s The State and Revolution and followed it with a chaser of Parenti’s Blackshirts and Reds a couple years ago. A fine pairing.
Both are excellent! The State and Revolution in particular is a surprisingly enjoyable read for its age, and is nevertheless exceedingly relevant. Also a big fan of Parenti’s 1986 speech.