Communism & Socialism Books

The Communist Manifesto (Penguin Classics)

Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 254 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Good in theory 1 out of 5 stars.
7 of 32 people found this review helpful.

Kinda a pointless book now that communism has been proven ineffective. I guess if you still want to live in this type of society you can move to Russa, China, Cuba etc. Lucky for them they have the US to give them foreign aid. Communism would be dead within a few decades without a capitolistic nation to support it.

Editorial Review:

"A spectre is haunting Europe," Karl Marx and Frederic Engels wrote in 1848, "the spectre of Communism." This new edition of The Communist Manifesto, commemorating the 150th anniversary of its publication, includes an introduction by renowned historian Eric Hobsbawm which reminds us of the document's continued relevance. Marx and Engels's critique of capitalism and its deleterious effect on all aspects of life, from the increasing rift between the classes to the destruction of the nuclear family, has proven remarkably prescient. Their spectre, manifested in the Manifesto's vivid prose, continues to haunt the capitalist world, lingering as a ghostly apparition even after the collapse of those governments which claimed to be enacting its principles.

The Law

Frederick Bastiat

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 92 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

PRINTING PROBLEM IN THIS ITEM 1 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

The substance of Bastiat's "The Law" is critical and accurate.

The good people at Cosimo Books, however, cut off the printing before the end of the book -- the penultimate section of the book ends in mid-sentence, and the last section of the book isn't there at all.

So I do very much encourage everyone to read Bastiat's "The Law," just don't buy this version from this publisher. (Buy it from the Mises Institute instead.)

I agree with him 100 percent, but... 2 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

While I agree with Bastiat entirely, the way that he has presented "the classic blueprint for a just society," is exactly why people who lean more towards socialist ideas scoff at those who are for capitalism, economic stability, and most importantly honoring the fundamentals of the need for law: to protect life, liberty, and property.

The first chapter started out wonderfully, articulately and simple. It was accessible and easy to understand and apply. I was excited as I hoped to share this with my husband to allow him to open up to my ideas on politics which are different from his (he's a democrat/socialist).

However, the rest of the book just seemed to be a rant that got more and more impassioned as it went along, which to me seemed to take away from the reader's ability to take what he was saying seriously. I was disappointed because even though I agreed with everything he said and thought his applications of his ideas were great, I felt sort of embarrassed about his inability to keep calm in expressing his ideas.

The book is sound, based on sound ideas and should appeal to any libertarian. I nodded a lot as I was reading it. "Yes!" I kept telling myself, "this is definitely true." Unfortunately the truth was told, in this case, in a way that I don't think would be very accessible to the people that Bastiat was intent on reaching. I think a democrat/socialist might mislabel it "too radical" when they really mean, "too impassioned."

It is for that reason, I'm sorry to say, I was unable to rate this any higher.

Editorial Review:

Frederic Bastiat's arguments against socialism are as valid today as when first published in 1850. 2 cassettes.

Liberty versus the Tyranny of Socialism: Controversial Essays

Walter E. Williams

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Editorial Review:

In unyielding defense of personal liberty

In this selected collection of his syndicated newspaper columns, Walter E. Williams once again takes on the left wing's most sacred cows with provocative insights and brutal honesty. He offers his sometimes controversial views on education, health, the environment, government, law and society, race, and a range of other topics, always with an uncompromising reverence for personal liberty and the principles laid out in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

Do we want socialized medicine? Do peace treaties produce peace? What's wrong with education? What's discrimination? Do we really care about children? Is this the America we want? Williams answers these and other provocative questions with his usual unflinching candor. Although many of these thoughtful, hard-hitting essays focus on the growth of government and our loss of liberty, many others demonstrate how the tools of free market economics can be used to improve our lives in ways ordinary people can understand - not just in the realm of trade and the cost of goods and services but in such diverse areas as racial discrimination, national defense, and even marriage.

Capital: Volume 1: A Critique of Political Economy (Penguin Classics)

Karl Marx

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 38 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

please read the book before reviewing it! 5 out of 5 stars.
41 of 44 people found this review helpful.

Reading the "reviews" of Capital here on Amazon.com, a person who has read the book can see that most "reviewers" have not even troubled themselves read the book! Instead of taking the time and energy to plow through this work, many would rather get on a soap box and ramble on about their own views thereby "reviewing" the work.
I read the entire book from cover to cover. Not an easy task. It took me more than a year with persistence! But I did it.
Socialism is not mentioned once the the actual work itself. (Of course it is mentioned in the 87 page Introduction which some of the "reviewers" might have bothered to skim through!)
What is the name of the book? Capital! Not Communism or Socialism! One who has bothered to read this long book knows that the book has nothing to do with Communism. The book was supposed to form a scientific explanation of what the Capitalist mode of production was and how it formed and its' inner workings. Marx felt that after writing the pamphlet Manifesto of 1848, he owed it to the world tho explain what Capitalism was. It is a microscopic examination of the capitalist mode of production in mid-nineteenth century England. Granted that things have changed since 1850 England, the basic core of Capitalism hasn't changed.
The man was brilliant, he obviously spent a lot of time formulating an understanding of what Capitalism is. It was an eye opener for me into what Capitalism really is. It was stimulating to see how Marx in the work slowly but surely synthesizes his successive points one by one thereby building a model of the Capitalist mode of production for one to examine.
My only complaint was that it was too long. He could have said what he had to say in 200 pages rather than 800.

Editorial Review:

One of the most notorious works of modern times, as well as one of the most influential, "Capital" is an incisive critique of private property and the social relations it generates. Living in exile in England, where this work was largely written, Marx drew on a wide-ranging knowledge of its society to support his analysis and generate fresh insights. Arguing that capitalism would create an ever-increasing division in wealth and welfare, he predicted its abolition and replacement by a system with common ownership of the means of production. "Capital" rapidly acquired readership among the leaders of social democratic parties, particularly in Russia and Germany, and ultimately throughout the world, to become a work described by Marx's friend and collaborator Friedrich Engels as 'the Bible of the Working Class'.

The Communist Manifesto: Complete With Seven Rarely Published Prefaces

Karl Marx

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Enlightening 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Short, conscise, easy to read, and thought provoking. This manifesto sums up the communist credo in just a few short pages. It gave me a better understanding of where the communist philosophy orginated--necessity.

Never have so many extrapolated so much out of so little. 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

A concept born in a simpler time used as an excuse for many things from Socialism to controlled capitalism. As with any pivotal work one should read it for his/her self. There is always the chance of misinterpretation by an individual, but if you do not read this then you are just accepting someone's word anyway.
This is more than an economics book it is a way of life. It sounds good on paper but makes a lot of assumptions. Instead of worrying about workability, look at the logic that is built on assumptions of that time (written, in 1848). Add this to your library.

You can pick a side (pro or con) and make a stand if you like; but look at the size of this book and realize that many people will just use the title and build their own case. You will have read the real thing. And be sure to balance it with. "The Capitalist Manifesto" by Louis O. Kelso

The Capitalist Manifesto ~ by Louis O. Kelso

Editorial Review:

This title is the classic communist party manifesto which started this one and a half decade political movement. The seven rarely published prefaces, mostly written by Frederick Engels after the death of Karl Marx, are included making this publication the complete communist manifesto. Although this title is known as one of the most famous left-wing propagandist publications, it serves as a lesson for thos of all political philosophys. The Communist Manifesto should be required reading when studying political science, radicalism and radical political thought.

The Marx-Engels Reader, Second Edition

Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Indulge Yourself with the best classic literature on Your PDA. Navigate easily to any novel from Table of Contents or search for the words or phrases. Authors' biographies and essays in the trial version.

Features

• Navigate from Table of Contents or search for words or phrases
• Make bookmarks, notes, highlights
• Searchable and interlinked.
• Access the e-book anytime, anywhere - at home, on the train, in the subway.
• Automatic synchronization between the handheld and the desktop PC. You could read half of the book on the handheld, then finish reading on the desktop.

Table of Contents The Communist Manifesto (Marx and Engels)
Das Kapital (Marx)
Critique of the Gotha Programme (Marx)
Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte (Marx)
The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844 (Engels)
Speech at the Grave of Karl Marx (Engels)
Essays (Marx):
A Criticism of The Hegelian Philosophy of Right
On The Jewish Question
On The King of Prussia And Social Reform-
Moralizing Criticism And Critical Morality: A Polemic Against Karl
Proudhon
French Materialism
The English Revolution

Appendix:
Karl Marx Biography
Friedrich Engels Biography
List of Works in Alphabetical Order
List of Works in Chronological Order
About and Navigation

Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy

Joseph A. Schumpeter

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Good Analysis, Bad Predictions 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

CS+D is one of the greatest books on political economy in the twentieth century. Schumpeter wrote this book when his generation was about to reach a fork in the road. What would the postwar world look like? Could Capitalism survive? Can Socialism work well enough to replace Capitalism? Was the dictatorial socialism of the USSR the wave of the future or could we have some form of democratic socialism? Schumpeter offered concise general answers to these questions. No, Capitalism cannot survive, and yes socialism can work.

In retrospect we can see that Schumpeter was wrong. However, there is no denying the greatness of this book. While Schumpeter's prediction of the demise of Capitalism was exaggerated, this is to some extent an understandable error. Schumpeter was right about how Capitalism would be attacked, but he overestimated the chances for the success of this attack. Capitalism did come under attack from the carping criticism of intellectuals. Many of those who you might expect to defend Capitalism remained silent. Yet capitalism survived anyway. Schumpeter's assertion that socialism can work is less defensible. Schumpeter also erred in predicting the obsolescence of the entrepreneurial function.

We can now use 20-20 hindsight to criticize Schumpeter for his general predictions. Or we could recognize that many of his individual supporting arguments are thought provoking, if not correct. Schumpeter had some good insights into democracy. His ideas on creative destruction and monopoly are important. Schumpeter does a good job discussing Marx too.

The important thing to remember while reading CS+D, is that you can learn much from it even though its major predictions failed the test of time. The issues explored in CS+D are vastly complex and involve elements that are hard to measure, let alone predict. One can be right on nine out of ten supporting arguments and still get the wrong answer in the end.

CS+D stands along side Hayek's The Road to Serfdom and Keynes' The General Theory as one of the most important and influential books of this mid Twentieth Century. Aside from its historical importance CS+D has many good insights. Schumpeter is worth reading despite the fact that his major predictions have failed. Read CS+D for its detailed analysis of economic and political systems, not for its general predictions regarding the postwar world.

Editorial Review:

In this classic and prescient book, Joseph A. Schumpeter introduced the world to the concept of "creative destruction," which forever altered how global economics is approached and perceived. Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy is essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand where the world economy is headed.

La ficcion Fidel

Zoe Valdes

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Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Zoé Valdés, La reconocida escritora cubana, traza una apasionada declaración contra el régimen comunista cubano . . . Un retrato de Fidel Castro contado desde su punto de vista desenfrenado y tenaz

"A veces pienso que todo esto ha sido una pesadilla, o una película mala, o una novela mediocre, o una pésima telenovela, un chiste pesado". Así comienza La ficción Fidel, el libro en el que la escritora exiliada expresa su rechazo al régimen de Fidel Castro, quien nos dice ha logrado hipnotizar tanto a amigos como a enemigos del régimen, manipulando y distorsionando la realidad. "Fidel Castro ha sido el más grande especialista de marketing que ha dado la historia contemporánea. Creó un producto—la revolución—y todo el mundo se lo compró".

Zoé Valdés es reconocida por su ficción, la cual la ha consagrado internacionalmente. Sin embargo, en este nuevo libro la autora deja de lado todo componente ficticio para expresar fervientemente su repudio al régimen de Fidel Castro, combinando fluidamente diferentes géneros (ensayo, historia, memoria) dentro de una obra totalmente original.

Con entrevistas secretas, documentos ocultos y su propia experiencia profesional, Valdés devela un gobierno turbio, lleno de contradicciones, guiado por uno de los hombres más manipuladores y carismáticos del mundo.

SOCIALISM (Lib Works Ludwig Von Mises PB)

LUDWIG VON MISES

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Towering Intellectual Achievement 5 out of 5 stars.
23 of 24 people found this review helpful.

October 25th 1817- The Bolsheviks stage a coupe in Petrograd and overthrow the Kerensky regime. For the first time ever Marxists seize control of a major nation. It will be several years before the Bolsheviks overwhelm their opponents within Russia. However, one question demands an answer. Will it work? Can socialism at least match the results of capitalism? The full answer to this question came in 1922- the year that Mises published Socialism, an Economic and Sociological Analysis. Here Mises proved that socialism must fail.

Why must socialism fail? The simple answer is because it lacks private ownership and a market for the means of production. As Mises put it "where there is no market there is no price system, and where there is no price system there can be no economic calculation". The full answer has several parts. First, economic calculation requires functioning financial markets. Second, economic calculation requires actual rivalry in markets. Third, economic calculation requires entrepreneurial alertness to profit opportunities. With these three elements in place monetary calculation of private profit reflects true economic costs. As Mises put it economic calculation "is essentially a matter for the capitalists- the capitalists who buy and sell stocks and shares, who make loans and recover them, who make deposits in the banks and draw them out of the banks again, who speculate in all kinds of commodities". Perpetually changing economic conditions mean that- "it is above all necessary that capital should be withdrawn from particular lines of production, from particular undertakings and concerns and should be applied in other lines of production, in other undertakings and concerns". Speculation in financial markets directs resources to the most urgent consumer demands because the most profitable ventures satisfy consumer demand at the least economic cost. Socialism fails because it lacks speculation that takes place only with entrepreneurial rivalry and exchange in financial markets.

The issue of economic calculation is economic, but Mises also inquired into the political and psychological reasons behind the socialist movement. He also discusses historical and cultural issues. Socialism is a full-scale treatise, comparable to Smith's Wealth of Nations. Some might think that a book from 1922 might have lost its relevance, but this is untrue. Mises explained principles that are as valid today as they were originally. In fact, Socialism is more relevant today than many recent books on economics. This is because Mises dealt with the real life problems of a dynamic economy, while much of modern economics focuses on static models that apply only to imaginary economic conditions.

Socialism is not only Mises' best book; it is one of the greatest works ever written on social theory. Mises addressed vital issues with penetrating analysis and delivered profound results. All those who are serious about political economy should read this book, but only after having read Menger's Principles of Economics, and before reading Hayek's Road to Serfdom. Those who are less ambitious should read a shorter book by Mises- Liberalism in the Classical Tradition. In any case, Socialism is a towering intellectual achievement. Were its arguments more widely understood many of the tragedies of 20th century state socialism might have been avoided. This book remains important today because it explains why we live in an age of unprecedented prosperity, and how we can achieve further progress. To put it simply Socialism is as indispensable to intellectual development as property rights are to economic development.

Editorial Review:

This is a newly annotated edition of the classic first published in German in 1922. It is the definitive refutation of nearly every type of socialism ever devised. Mises presents a wide-ranging analysis of society, comparing the results of socialist planning with those of free-market capitalism in all areas of life. Friedrich Hayek's foreword comments on the continuing relevance of this great work: "Most readers today will find that Socialism has more immediate application to contemporary events than it had when it first appeared."

Das Kapital, Gateway Edition

Karl Marx

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Horrible edition 1 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

The Gateway Edition of Capital is a great example right-wing capitalist economists distorting Marx for their own purposes. The introduction has a pro-capitalist bias, and substantial portions of the work have been cut out from this edition.

If you want to read Capital, Volume I, get the Penguin or Vintage edition, which is unabridged and has extensive footnotes.

Where Marxist Economics meets Realpolitik. 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I gave this book five stars,because it shows outright, that Marx had a layman's understanding of everyday economics.When Marx's social political theories needed economic validation,he unleashed the monetary-literary behemoth,"Das Kapital".This book was a successful seller among Wall Street piscivorous investors,selling out thousands of copies the first week of publication.On the back cover,it stated,"This book will make you rich!".It didn't financially help the sucker-fish really,yet the book had tremendous 'psychic revenue' for them.This tome has no real sound economic basis and has been discredited by all leading specialists on monetary matters.Yet,it remains the best insight of the fallacies of "closed economic society".By closing the doors on trade,one destroys life,liberty and the pursuit of happiness.China has a vast ever-growing economy ,yet their personal economic choices are few.Marx's theory of labor-value has not stood the test of time.It was merely used as a 'short-term remedy' by the new Socialist committee,who overthrew the old oppressive militant regime or the vacillatory arrogant king.The English Luddites and the French Saboters were reared docile by their Christian blind instruction,and later agitated by being forced to adept to the new conditions of an advancing technological society,controlled largely by the jewish-class.I would read this economic magnum opus,only if you already had a vast knowledge of monetary axioms and political history .

Editorial Review:

A more comprehensible version of Marx's most famous work for the modern student of Socialist and Communist thought.