What to read.

[condonation66]

What books do you guys recommend for a newbie like myself.

[Led Zeppelin]

The first book i read was "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism", so i recommend that one.

[monkeydust]

You can find a lot of texts, if you can't be arsed to buy them, on www.marx.org (although personally I much prefer reading paper to staring at a screen, for some reasons).

I'd start by reading the Communist Manifesto a few times. Don't make the mistake of launching straight into something like Das Kapital or A Critique of the Political Economy.

[afnan]

Hello,

Please read Foundations of Marxism (http://www.marxists.org/subject/students/index.htm) on the Marxists Interner Archive.

Once you are done with that please read the classicalPrinciples of Communism (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/11/prin-com.htm) by Fredrick Engels. Once you are done with that, read the Communist Menifesto (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm), another classical communist priece of literature by Karl Marx and Engels.

After every study, make it a point to discuss it with your fellows or on this forum. I think that way you will develop a firm grounding in communism that will help you even if you do not choose to be a communist.

You may read the Selected Works (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/sw/index.htm) of Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels to gather more information. Remember, this is some information that you should have even if you are not a communist.

I strongly suggest these readings to the rest of the members as well.

[STI]

Work. Community. Politics. War. (http://www.prole.info/introduction/intro_0.html) is awesome. Also, Common-sense Reasons for Worker Self-Management (http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=5965&hl=common+sense) is good. Good places to start.

[spartafc]

lots to read.

The Communist Manifesto (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm) is a great place to start in my opinion.

[Technique3055]

http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=26804

I found that to be a much easier read than the Manifesto.

[Donnie]

Try this site out, it has collected works on anarchist communism Anarchist Reader (http://www.geocities.com/nestor_mcnab/anread.htm)
If you go to the site above it also has tones of other links that link you to their books online. :)


Here is Errico Malatesta pamphlet on Anarchy (http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_archives/malatesta/anarchy.html)

Here is Peter Kropotkins collected works, he did a good book on "Mutual Aid""Here (http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/kropotkin/KropotkinCW.html)l"

Here is Alexander Berkmans What is Communist Anarchism? (http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/bright/berkman/comanarchism/whatis_toc.html)

This should keep you occupied. ;)

[Holocaustpulp]

I would definitely not recommend the "Communist Manifesto" by Marx and Engels as your first read but rather "State and Revolution" by Vladimir Lenin - while the Manifesto shows the position of communists concerning their general world outlook, "State and Revolution" much better conveys communism in true communist form, that is, adhering to the lessons taught by Marx and Engels. While it is necessary (for practical and historical purposes) to read the Communist Manifesto, Lenin's work will give you a much better sense of what communism entails.

- HP

[More Fire for the People]

I still have the same old introductory list but I've added another book (and removed one):
Revolutionary Unionism - By Eugene Debs (http://marxists.org/archive/debs/works/1905/revunion.htm)
Outlook for Socialism in the United States - By Eugene Debs (http://marxists.org/archive/debs/works/1900/outlook.htm)
The German Ideology - By Karl Marx (http://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/german-ideology/index.htm)
If America Should Go Communist - By Leon Trotsky (http://marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1935/1935-ame.htm)
Quotations from Mao Tse Tung - By Mao Tse Tung (http://marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/works/red-book/index.htm)

[Redvolution]

I have State & Revolution, What Is to Be Done?, and The communist Manifesto. Which would you recommend I tackle first?

[Warren Peace]

I recommend starting with Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung (http://terebess.hu/english/mao.html) like Rotmutter did. I know Mao did some bad things, but it's basically an easy read and Mao does a good job of explaining communism. A lot of the book covers ideas that all communists, and anarchists, can agree on. I'm an Anarcho-Communist, and once I got past the dogmatism ("Must have Marxism-Leninism", "A Marxist-Leninist party is the only way" ect. ect.) I found myself agreeing with most of it. The Black Panther Party sold copies of this book during the Civil Rights Movement to raise money, and it was an introduction to communism for many.

[Bannockburn]

I would read “notes on Anarchism” by Noam Chomsky. Its about 13 pages, but its condensed with information, and its a good introduction to anarchism.

[Le People]

I sez that you read the Communist Manifesto, then read What is to be done? and Guerrilla Warfare so you can get the basic understanding of Marxism Leninism, the party programme, the party structre, and the revolution it's self. In What is to be done, Lenin is speaking strictly in his time, not for all situations, but if you study Chapter one, and the last chapter, extremely attentivley, you'll figure it out. It's been awhile so I may be wrong.

[Le People]

Originally posted by [email protected] 4 2005, 08:18 PM
I would definitely not recommend the "Communist Manifesto" by Marx and Engels as your first read but rather "State and Revolution" by Vladimir Lenin - while the Manifesto shows the position of communists concerning their general world outlook, "State and Revolution" much better conveys communism in true communist form, that is, adhering to the lessons taught by Marx and Engels. While it is necessary (for practical and historical purposes) to read the Communist Manifesto, Lenin's work will give you a much better sense of what communism entails.

- HP
I disagree from the stand point, in order to understand communism, you must start at the most elementry level, which is the communist manifesto, much like a child must memorize the ABC's in order to read.

[STI]

Originally posted by [email protected] 6 2005, 12:01 AM
I would read “notes on Anarchism” by Noam Chomsky. Its about 13 pages, but its condensed with information, and its a good introduction to anarchism.
I havn't read that piece, but Chomsky is a shit reformist-"anarchist". I don't know if he mentions it in that piece, but I'd suggest being very careful when reading anything theoretical by Chomsky.

While we're on the topic of Chomsky, "What Uncle Sam Really Wants (http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/sam/sam-contents.html)" is a really good overview of US military action over the last 50 years.