I don’t really know much about socialism, but I want to learn more. I also don’t really know what kind of book I’m looking for, but I’m not really looking to read Marx at this point and I also don’t want to read a pop economy book like Freakonomics. I want something a little more legit, or academic, I guess. I’m cool with classics, too, if there is a story out there that explores these themes.
Sorry if that’s not much to go by, I’m having trouble articulating what it is I want to read
- Why socialism? by Albert Einstein (yes, that one): https://monthlyreview.org/2009/05/01/why-socialism/
It is a short read but a good one. I always send this one as a starter.
Otherwise:
- Socialism Crash Course: https://github.com/dessalines/essays/blob/master/crash_course_socialism.md
- New Leftist Linktree (all the literature you could want): https://linktr.ee/comradestarter
Very cool, I will definitely check these out!
Also I’m new to Lemmy – why does it say there’s three comments on this post, but I only see yours?
The servers haven’t synced, so just wait a little bit, and they will pop up (most likely). The more people interact, the faster this grid will become. It is like weaving cloth for durability.
Enjoy, theory can be a slog, but it isn’t all bad! Socialism is quite broad and leftists are famous for disagreeing with each other. If you do not jive with something, explore other literature.
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. The book was intended to be a pitch for socialism but the American audience at the time totally missed that and focused on the horrible conditions of the meat packing industry presented in the story. Conditions that were described pretty accurately.
- The Conquest of Bread
- Das Kapital (don’t know the english name)
I think I’ve heard people just refer to it as Capital, but more often than not, I see/hear it referred to as Das Kapital
I’ve read The Conquest of Bread and I don’t remember anything about talking about the economy and the State, wasn’t it more like about how goods can be distributed in a society or something like that and proving it’s possible to feed everyone in a nation and that basically the bourgeoisie produces the poor and hunger? Maybe I remember poorly, I’ve read it a while back and I used to smoke a lot of weed back then.
For a basic intro, I would recommend “Principles of Communism” by Engels. It’s a super quick read, and it’s organized in a FAQ format.
Beyond that, it really depends on what in particular you’re interested in. For economics, I can highly recommend “23 things they don’t tell you about Capitalism” by Ha-joon Chang (although it’s more about capitalism than socialism). For learning about the state, nothing compares to “The state and revolution” by Lenin.
Whenever I introduce people to the concepts of Marxism, fascism, capitalism, etc., I start by recommending two books:
Wages of Rebellion by Chris Hedges
and
Blackshirts and Reds by Michael Parenti
Both are written in very accessible language and both do a great job at not just explaining these economic/political theories, but also adding historical context to ground the theories in real-world actions.
I’m listening to wages of rebellion right now. It’s so infuriating being reminded of the shit we live in the US.
It’s good, and I’ll definitely finish it, but so far hasn’t scratched my itch. I guess I feel like most of the atrocities perpetuated by the corporate state are already apparent to the public, but accepted. The idea of freedom of privacy, freedom of speech, they’re just illusions. People just accept that radical political speakers, even if they are non-violent, are locked up. They just accept that the corporations and state lull them into placidity with consumerism and entertainment. It feels good and is convenient.
I mean, me too. I really like the convenience of being able to turn on and dim my houselights with my voice. I really like being able to keep in contact with my friends and family using my smartphone. But these things are at the cost of my privacy. An everyday individual does not have a choice to opt out of being tracked short of using a dumb phone and never using the Internet, which simply is not realistic, and still does not ensure complete privacy, as I understand it. It’s insanity.
I’m gonna continue on, maybe with Blackshirts or Why Socialim? by Einstein, but I’m also interested in reading some Chomsky (maybe not necessarily about Socialism? but seems like an interesting dude)
Thanks for the recommendation!
The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels is definitely a go-to, although that is further left than you’re looking for. I found Lenin’s writings very thought-provoking as well.
The State and Revolution by Lenin comes to mind, unsure on how much economic you want, though.
I’ll definitely check it out! Unfortunately the only Russian literature I’ve read is The Brothers Karamazov (amazing) so it’d be good to explore more
