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nickedkins's review against another edition
3.0
I was a bit disappointed by this. Robinson's articles are usually effective because he genuinely engages with the work of the people he opposes. I agree with the approach that says you should argue against the strongest possible version of an argument rather than scoring cheap points.
While there were several useful portions of this book, the main idea seemed to be that you should be a socialist because it's the cool team with all the cool people having fun. Which, fine, but if you're not a socialist and you're doing your homework by reading up on the other side (ostensibly the target market for the book), being told that you're wrong because you're uncool is unlikely to sway you.
The material to make a focused and sustained case for socialism to a skeptic is present in the book, but it's not organised to efficiently make that case.
While there were several useful portions of this book, the main idea seemed to be that you should be a socialist because it's the cool team with all the cool people having fun. Which, fine, but if you're not a socialist and you're doing your homework by reading up on the other side (ostensibly the target market for the book), being told that you're wrong because you're uncool is unlikely to sway you.
The material to make a focused and sustained case for socialism to a skeptic is present in the book, but it's not organised to efficiently make that case.
ronntaylor's review against another edition
5.0
I was expecting this to be a dense, mind-numbing read. Instead, it was very accessible and enjoyable. In fact, it has peaked my interests in the author's magazine -- Current Affairs -- and I anxious look forward to his future work.
kwheeles's review
5.0
Outstanding. Almost passed it up because of slick appearance (the organization and writing is magazine like - because the author runs a magazine - but it is substantive).
Well-reasoned polemic for democratic socialism (and for not getting caught up in leftist/socialist/marxist hair-splitting).
Great stuff.
Well-reasoned polemic for democratic socialism (and for not getting caught up in leftist/socialist/marxist hair-splitting).
Great stuff.
hagbard_celine's review against another edition
3.0
I wonder if this is persuasive to severe skeptics.
dianaalu's review against another edition
5.0
This took a second to get through because I had a lot of ideas I had to digest. I definitely think it affirms my stances politically and I think it's a great read for anyone who wants to know more about Socialism. I think it addresses the contrast between conservatives and liberals with socialists very well and I love that it addresses the criticisms of Socialism too. I think it had a lot of great resources sprinkled throughout that were neat to look up, while also allowing me to further read about left wing politics. I enjoyed the whimsical manner in which Nathan wrote with, it kept the reading entertaining. Wish it had more reading recommendations on right wing stuff at the end.
bloomis427's review against another edition
1.0
Do not buy this book. The author, a self-proclaimed socialist and the editor of a socialist magazine, FIRED HIS OWN WORKERS FOR STARTING A UNION/WORKER CO-OP. He is a hypocrite, clearly not a real socialist, and does not deserve your money.
If, like me, you already owned the book before learning this book, the 2nd and 3rd chapter present a very convincing moral argument for socialism, which I think everyone should read (well, I thought so before learning the author is a sack of shit). The rest of the book slowly became more fluffy and less intellectual.
Also, tired of white men writing about socialism and ignoring Che Guevara, Ho Chi Minh, the African, Asian and Latin American Socialists, basically anyone who isn't white.
If, like me, you already owned the book before learning this book, the 2nd and 3rd chapter present a very convincing moral argument for socialism, which I think everyone should read (well, I thought so before learning the author is a sack of shit). The rest of the book slowly became more fluffy and less intellectual.
Also, tired of white men writing about socialism and ignoring Che Guevara, Ho Chi Minh, the African, Asian and Latin American Socialists, basically anyone who isn't white.
annikaschmid's review against another edition
5.0
Worked like a charm. I was a registered republican; now I’m a socialist.
henry_wallison's review against another edition
3.0
This book was overall disappointing. Robinson states that his goal in this book is to convince those weary of the ideas of socialism that it is an ideology based on sound principles, both morally and rationally. However, even though I myself agree with many socialist concepts, I found this book infuriatingly incomplete. Many incredibly radical ideas are introduced without thorough defense or explanation of how Robinson intends for them to connect with his central goal. I kept waiting for the other shoe to fall when he brought up a new concept, but more often than not, these ideas were merely tangents which only muddied the overall argument of the book. Additionally, Robinson is incredibly and intentionally vague with his definitions in this book. I would have been far more interested in reading about the form of socialism Robinson wished to see implemented rather than the weakly-defined approach Robinson took that attempted to encapsulate the views of all socialist thinkers in some way. I would have elected to rate this book lower than three stars if it weren't for the fact that—despite what I consider a failure to effectively accomplish it's central goal—it did contain a good deal of useful albeit highly biased information and outlines of different socialist schools of thought. I left the book feeling more informed but not more convinced. I would recommend this book to someone looking to learn about socialism in a broad sense, but I would not recommend it to someone I was attempting to convince to be a socialist.
dbzvin's review against another edition
5.0
Worth the read
Nathaniel is accessible, which means he doesn't talk down to you. He cares deeply about our country and wants to make it better; he isn't afraid to show his cards, even embracing the label "bleeding heart." His book encourages everyone to wish for a world where they want to live and fight to make it a reality. 5 Stars
Nathaniel is accessible, which means he doesn't talk down to you. He cares deeply about our country and wants to make it better; he isn't afraid to show his cards, even embracing the label "bleeding heart." His book encourages everyone to wish for a world where they want to live and fight to make it a reality. 5 Stars
etopiei's review against another edition
5.0
This was a fantastic read. The ideas in this book were explained really clearly and it helped clarify my own views and thought processes. Highly recommend to anyone no matter where they sit on the political spectrum.