Good reads?

[ibrown39]

Are their any books in particular that you would recommend for a somewhat new socialist? Insights into Leninism and/or Stalinism in particular?

[Polaris]

I hope you don't mind that I use what I said a few hours ago on a different thread.


Personally, I began with The Communist Manifesto (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/) and then Das Kapital (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/). Protip: Don't do that. The Communist Manifesto is a good place to start, but reading Das Kapital with no economic background is a world of pain (not to scare you away from it-- it is essential, just give it some time.)

Economic & Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 sounds good. Note that you can find that online at http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/preface.htm, marxists.org has a lot of good reading material if you can stand to stare at your computer screen like me. Q (http://www.revleft.com/vb/member.php?u=12488) made a nice list (http://www.revleft.com/vb/blog.php?b=7728) previously you might want to check out.

Perhaps Marx's Critique of the Gotha Program (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1875/gotha/ch04.htm)?
Wage Labor and Capital (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/wage-labour/index.htm) - Marx
Socialism: Utopian and Scientific (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1880/soc-utop/index.htm) - Engels
Origins of the Family, Private Property, and the State (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1884/origin-family/ch09.htm) - Engels
A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1859/critique-pol-economy/index.htm) - Marx

[insert somewhat long list of anarchist books, history books, etc. You can find it here: http://www.revleft.com/vb/new-all-and-t182642/index.html?p=2652551#post2652551]


Insights into Leninism and/or Stalinism in particular?
Stalinism is generally regarded as a derogatory term for Marxist-Leninists. Now you know :)
I'm going to assume that you want Leninist texts and ML texts (all Leninist texts are ML texts, but not all ML texts are Leninist texts).

Definitely make sure you've got a good hold on Marx before you go around reading Marxists though. Below I didn't include any books by Marx because they're pretty much listed above. Here are some I would recommend, not necessarily in this order:
The State and Revolution (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/staterev/) - Lenin
What Is To Be Done? (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1901/witbd/) - Lenin
Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/index.htm) - Lenin
The Foundations of Leninism (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1924/foundations-leninism/index.htm) - Stalin
Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1951/economic-problems/) - Stalin

According to the Marxist-Leninist group here, the book Another View of Stalin is good, although it's not online.
There are a lot of other texts by Lenin and Stalin, I have just listed the basics. Here is (almost) all of Lenin: http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/index.htm
And Stalin: http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/decades-index.htm

Welcome to RevLeft!

[Rusty Shackleford]

The Proletarian Class and the Proletarian Party (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1905/01/01.htm)
Anarchism or Socialism (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1906/12/x01.htm)


Both Stalin


as for 'stalinism' i saw a thing that said that the difference between stalinism and trotskyism is that stalinism doesn't exist and that trotskyism shouldn't exist.\

[Remus Bleys]

Reform or Revolution - Rosa Luxemburg (http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1900/reform-revolution/)
The Conquest of Bread - Peter Kropotkin (http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/kropotkin/conquest/toc.html)
There's more to communism than Lenin.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Reform or Revolution - Rosa Luxemburg (http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1900/reform-revolution/)
The Conquest of Bread - Peter Kropotkin (http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/kropotkin/conquest/toc.html)
There's more to communism than Lenin.

True, but State and Revolution (http://www.marxists.org/ebooks/lenin/state-and-revolution.pdf) by Lenin is fabulous.

[Rusty Shackleford]

I would say Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/kropotkin-peter/1902/mutual-aid/index.htm) was a great book when I was starting out. At the very least it knocked away illusions of social darwinism.

it was probably one of my first really political books besides the communist manifesto.

[Red Economist]

Would highly recommend Maurice Cornforth's three volumes on Dialectical Materialism (also known as 'materialism and the dialectical method'), Historical Materialism and Theory of Knowledge as a general introduction/overview to Marxism-Leninism.

I've seen copies on ebay and amazon, but the ones I got were from second hand bookshops and were much cheaper.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Would highly recommend Maurice Cornforth's three volumes on Dialectical Materialism (also known as 'materialism and the dialectical method'), Historical Materialism and Theory of Knowledge as a general introduction/overview to Marxism-Leninism.

I've seen copies on ebay and amazon, but the ones I got were from second hand bookshops and were much cheaper.

materialism and the dialectical method was pretty good. i have a worn out copy i got at a bookstore too haha.


needless to say, id recommend it

[the debater]

Are their any books in particular that you would recommend for a somewhat new socialist? Insights into Leninism and/or Stalinism in particular?

There's a political graphic novel out there called "How to Succeed At Globalization". It's definitely not on the same page intellectually as more serious reads, but I still find it to be very insightful and yes, humorous, as only political cartoons can be.

[The Idler]

"Renegade" Kautsky and his Disciple Lenin - Prole.info (http://www.prole.info/texts/kautsky_lenin.html)

Leninism or Marxism - Rosa Luxemburg | libcom.org (http://libcom.org/library/leninism-or-marxism-rosa-luxemburg)

[Comrade Jacob]

I know that you want Lenin but I really think you should read Engels' "Origins of Family, Private property and the State", it is my most favourite book, it is a good read.

[Brandon's Impotent Rage]

If you ever get a chance to read it, I would suggest George Bernard Shaw's The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism.

Yes, I do mean that George Bernard Shaw. On top of being an acclaimed dramatist and fiction author, he also wrote numerous polemics for the socialist cause (though some are admittedly rather dated).

Shaw basically sweeps everything off the table and starts with the basics, and then proceeds to write probably the most convincing case for socialism outside of Marx. As a friend of mine once said: "Read Shaw's chapter on Banking and you will walk away knowing twice as much about the banking system than you ever did in every previous year of your life".

I'll admit that it isn't perfect, as his own personal prejudices sometimes seep into the text (his opposition to vaccination, for example), but if you can get past that you'll find a brilliant polemic.

[Tolstoy]

Native Son-Richard Wright
Atlas Shrugged (JK)
What is to be done?-Lenin
Everything by Bob Avakian (Just Kidding again)

[ibrown39]

Sorry for this very late post, I forgot I had even made this thread. But thank-you all for recommendations!