In terms of theory, I don’t consider myself well read. Theory is often really tough for me to read. Even with very easy-to-read writers like Michael Parenti, it’s dense with mindblowing info. And things like the book Will to Change by Bell Hooks hits me in really raw feelings so I stopped at the first chapter. I need the easiest authors and their easiest-to-read works, or else I’m just not reading.
-Micahel Parenti: What’s a Slum? Urban Poverty and Marginality in America
-“I Have a Dream, a Blurred Vision” by Michael Parenti"
-Friendly Feudalism: The Tibet Myth
No idea how I got through “Friendly Feudalism.” I read these all about 3.5 years ago before I lost the bandwidth to go further.
Edit: I tend to watch things more so I guess you can add video links after everything else too.
You may like this Marxist-Leninist intro list I made. Rather than just recommending a bunch of good works, it’s formatted to build up on itself over time, so you are more prepared for the later works by reading the earlier ones. Might fix your momentum obstacle!
Politzer’s Elementary Principles of Philosophy is the first ever book on philosophy I tried to read as a child: I found it in my parent’s bookcase and I was curious to know what philosophy was about. Even though I gave up very quickly, the first distinction it makes between materialist and idealist philosophy had left quite an impression on me. Seeing the title brought back some memories
Ah, what I would give to have an old, physical copy! Used copies are prohibitively expensive these days. I love the book, it’s really such a great intro and really gets you excited about philosophy.
I bought a new print from the Foreign Languages Press, it took a while to get here but it was cheap and nicely made and when it comes to out of print theory thats all I can ask for.
Yep, considered giving that a go. Glad to hear it turned out well!
When I visit my parent’s place I will look to see if I can find it again and give it a real read this time
Go for it! It’s a great intro and really helps contextualize philosophy for other theory. When Marx or Lenin talk about other philosophers, you aren’t grasping in the dark like some intros to just Dialectical Materialism can do.
If there was a ratio of how dense and vitally important the information is, and how short and easy it is to read, pretty much anything Stalin wrote.
Foundations of Marxism Leninism, Dialectical and Historical Materialism, Marxism and the National Question, all good examples.
Complex ideas laid bare in simple terms, I read Critique of the Goetha Programme by Marx first then State and Revolution by Lenin and then Foundations of Marxism-Leninism and it was helpful like honing a blade.
But I think it would have been easier going backwards.
Stalin’s writing style is also just really relaxed, clear, and patient. Very different from how the West depicts him.
“In the so called mistakes of Stalin lies the difference between a revolutionary attitude and a revisionist attitude. You have to look at Stalin in the historical context in which he moves, you don’t have to look at him as some kind of brute, but in that particular historical context. I have come to communism because of daddy Stalin and nobody must come and tell me that I mustn’t read Stalin. I read him when it was very bad to read him. That was another time. And because I’m not very bright, and a hard-headed person, I keep on reading him. Especially in this new period, now that it is worse to read him. Then, as well as now, I still find a Series of things that are very good.”
-Che Guevara
He was a published poet, after all.
It’s 2025 the trans woman with a unicorn profile picture is telling you to read Stalin.
Damn right, the immortal science
I’m not sure if you’d consider it theory, but The Principles of Communism is a great document to send to someone who knows nothing about communism: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/11/prin-com.htm
is a great document to send to someone who knows nothing about communism
same with Socialism: Utopian and Scientific
in the spirit of the thread, ill dump the rest of my theory here:
Draft Theses on National and Colonial Questions by lenin
Theses on Feuerbach (simpler as in shorter, but not as “clearheaded” as the next one:)
Ludwig Feuerbach and the End of Classical German Philosophy (goes from Hegel to Feuerbach to Marx)
im a little surprised in the beginning of that document by the words “in all civilized countries of the world”… yeesh
Yea, it’s not great. I believe he had in mind a certain objective measure of societal development, in terms of the advancement of the productive forces. An aroma of racial science persists; but I don’t think he was exactly saying that certain peoples are biologically under-evolved.
He meant “development”. It was 1847 after all.
Why Socialism? The author? Albert Einstein.
But really, it actually is good and easily approachable. Liberals can read it and understand it without having to agonize over its meaning ir challenges.
It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s effectively the definition of the concept of socialist memes being long winded
My ADHD ass made it through Parenti’s Blackshirts and Reds, and I re-read Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath 20 years after high school and had it finally click, so there’s that
Every leftist needs to read Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck cooked.
i can’t recommend that. it’s a couple really good quotes adrift in a sea of some of the boringest boring to ever bore.
it’s ok to have bad taste
yeah all the people who derive enjoyment from steinbeck’s prose should be neurology case studies. I used to like reading, grapes is a horrible read.
it’s ok to be wrong
right, the consensus on the quality of his writing is incorrect.
really no judgement, somebody has gotta be the target audience for Dan Brown and Lee Child books
that’s how i felt when i tried to read that book yeah
Blackshirts and Reds is a must read
It’s not theory per se, but The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin just describes the value system of a socialist society without big words or sweeping statements.
Combat Liberalism is so short and impactful I think it’s a must read. It will take you 5 minutes
Today I learned I am a liberal
Combat Liberalism fits in a Reddit comment. Use that as you will.
honestly this one is for people who already are bought into socialism tbh, not great for beginners or liberals. It makes a lot of assumptions and has axioms that would seem like a leap for a liberal who doesn’t already subscribe to our tenets
All it really says is “stand up for your ideology and don’t let things slide for the sake of keeping the peace”. I read it as good advice for having impact in any aspect of life. Stick to your guns and stand up for them.
Lenin’s State and Revolution was surprisingly accessible. The Conquest of Bread is another good one that’s very easy and you can really appreciate Kropotkin’s passion for wanting to free his fellow man. Anything Parenti is a smooth read, imo; Blackshirts and Reds, Inventing Reality being tops.
Blackshirts and Reds, on Comlib. State and Revolution on Prolewiki, and The Conquest of Bread on Standard Ebooks (couldn’t find it on the Anarchists library in the few seconds I used to search so went for Standard Ebooks, lol).
Oh, and I don’t know if I’d count Jakarta Method as Theory, but it’s an important read and accessibly written.
Came in here to say that blackshirts and reds was an incredible read
14·3 days agoOh look practically
for me so I can go start my 10th epub (I just started the 9th)I’m just gonna give myself the award in preparation
Nah, this one:
I mean the communist manifesto was pretty easy to understand tbh. State and Revolution wasn’t so bad either
I don’t know if there are annotated versions of state and revolution, because I remember it referencing what would be common knowledge/current events in early 20th century Russia, but that it wouldn’t be so easy to get now
The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon is one i found quite easy to read.
wait am i just stupid
No. It wasn’t horribly difficult, but I found it slow and required a lot of reflection.
I dunno, i barely graduated high school, dropped out of college, and work as a tradesman. Maybe I found it easy just because it made a million different thoughts and contradictions in my head click, and i just tore through it. Time for a reread, i guess.
It’s very emotionally charged, especially if you’re at the intersection of different oppressions.
I agree, but i think that’s what made it easier to read for me. Validating all of these thoughts and feelings i’ve had for years.
Oh definitely. It’s just that it can be retraumatizing sometimes. Or just make you so angry you put the book down and need to take a walk to calm yourself down.
Communist Manifesto was of course easy, and I thought there’s been some feminist-Marxist stuff on the abolition of family and the like. I remember that clicking pretty fast. I think Engels also wrote a piece like that?
I think Engels also wrote a piece like that?
Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State
The first time I came into contact with the manifesto it was in audio book form. I think this made far more approachable.
One Piece was a pretty easy read. Long though
