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bedhead139's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Great for beginners who don't have much idea of socialism outside (often inaccurate) mainstream portrayal. Genuine breaks down and explains important arguments surrounding the topic and easy-to-digest chunks.
navyachintaman's review against another edition
3.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and it does a great job at doing what it says it will: It provides a solid grasp of the basics of socialism. However, it left me with more questions than answers, which I can only find answers to through further reading. I think some of the questions I have should have been anticipated and addressed in the book since they follow a pretty logical train of thought with the book's discussion and are common questions asked when discussing socialism. Therefore, my only real complaint is that the book feels a little TOO introductory.
I also will note that, even though the authors say repeatedly that socialism isn't ideal, the discussion of socialism in this book, oftentimes, seemed a little too focused on how revolutionary and wonderful it is, and it's clear to note that EVERY political system has flaws. Towards the end, I wish the book delved a little further into specifics of what socialist life was like under the Russian Revolution, noting what exactly some of these flaws were and how society developed in spite of them.
I also will note that, even though the authors say repeatedly that socialism isn't ideal, the discussion of socialism in this book, oftentimes, seemed a little too focused on how revolutionary and wonderful it is, and it's clear to note that EVERY political system has flaws. Towards the end, I wish the book delved a little further into specifics of what socialist life was like under the Russian Revolution, noting what exactly some of these flaws were and how society developed in spite of them.
dawsonthehughes's review against another edition
5.0
This was a fun little book. It is more of a FAQ’s of Socialism rather than the ABC’s, but that isn’t as catchy
colin_cox's review against another edition
4.0
I like this volume because it delivers what it promises: a brief, accessible introduction to socialism and socialist thought. With its emphasis on workers and the rights of workers, The ABCs of Socialism pivots off the enthusiasm of the Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign. This is not meant to sound like a criticism. If anything, the Sanders campaign illuminated the value of and zeal for a particular variation of socialism, while also dispelling a popular narrative about this country's antagonism toward socialist thought. To its credit, this is also what The ABCs of Socialism does so well.
gmzzn's review against another edition
5.0
really good intro book!
deals w/ many questions and misconceptions, about different topics related to socialism (workers, democracy, feminism, antiracism etc). it doesn't go very deep in each question but it's good and easy to understand so in my opinion a must read if you'd like to learn about socialism and have no idea where to start.
deals w/ many questions and misconceptions, about different topics related to socialism (workers, democracy, feminism, antiracism etc). it doesn't go very deep in each question but it's good and easy to understand so in my opinion a must read if you'd like to learn about socialism and have no idea where to start.