What should I work on learning?

[aziraphale]

I'm newly homeschooled and I'm still picking out the curriculum. Well, I still am searching for an economic system, though I may end up creating my own if I can't find one I agree with, so I'm obviously studying communism, anarchism, etc. (on Marxism right now, just finished the Manifesto [I know, very early] and about to start on Kapital). However, I think that there are other things I should study. Here is my list so far:
- All the schools of communism (including socialism)
- All the schools of anarchism
- Feminism
- The various schools of environmentalism
- political science
- environmental science
- sociology
- modern religion
- philosophy
- Spanish. Once I have become very fluent in that, I'm moving onto Arabic, then French and if you can recommend any languages I should study after that it would be lovely.
- General world history
- American history
- History of past revolutions and social struggles in particular
- Geography
- Essay writing
- the various schools of heterodox economics
I'm studying about eight hours a day, seven days a week, though I don't study for eight hours straight, that's just the total. I think that's enough for me to learn quite a bit. I won't try to tackle at this at once, but sort of in phases and having them somewhat intertwined, if that makes any sense.

[ZeroNowhere]

That sounds like a pretty interesting list, and hopefully you have fun with it. I'm not sure how one would suggest an addition, as more or less what you should be doing is what you are interested in, and the above list seems like a fair bit already, certainly if going into depth on the subjects.

As regards Capital, it is often advised to try Wage Labour and Capital and Value, Price and Profit as introductions, if any. Certainly, I would advise avoiding any exegeses, including the Mandel introduction, and picking up the Fowkes translation. Also, if you find the first three chapters hard to understand, you probably shouldn't give up on the book; perhaps skip or browse through the rest of that section, and come back to it after finishing the rest of the book, re-reading until it makes sense.

That's about all, though. Have fun.

[#FF0000]

Also, if you find the first three chapters hard to understand, you probably shouldn't give up on the book; perhaps skip or browse through the rest of that section, and come back to it after finishing the rest of the book, re-reading until it makes sense.

Yeah. The first few chapters of Capital are kind of tough for some reason.

What I'd also do is go on youtube and watch the brendanmcooney videos, which are all basically readings and explanations of capital.

[mikelepore]

I won't try to tackle at this at once, but sort of in phases and having them somewhat intertwined, if that makes any sense.

I do the same thing. I always have about twenty books in progress at the same time.

I also use the computer as a notebook, typing my notes into text files, to avoid filling up the house with boxes of paper notebooks. Only one very specific topic per file. Trying never to produce a sheet of paper that I will have to save. Daily backup of the computer to one of several external drives, only needing to backup the top folder that contains all notes.

This will sound geeky, but I also have my 60 GB iPod filled up with audiobooks instead of music. Then I take it outside and do a lot of manual labor such as chainsawing and axing firewood, with the earphones loud enough to hear over the noise. (There are some educational podcasts for free in the iTunes store.)