Reviews

Understanding Socialism by Richard D. Wolff

laurora's review

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4.0

An extremely informative primer on Socialism which covers its history, goals, major real world examples and its modern aims. The level of detail provided is ideal for someone new to political writing though it's certainly more dense than the fantasy novels I'm used to.

nerdykeith's review

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5.0

A fascinatingly informative introduction to socialism

I’ve considered myself a socialist for quite sometime. But often find it difficult to articulate what that entails exactly. Richard D Wolff helps outline the strengths and struggles of socialism brilliantly in this book.

A highly recommended read for any leftist or leftist leaning person.

lochnessvhs's review

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informative slow-paced

2.5

While there is some great information here, for a 130-page book, it is incredibly repetitive.

ryyy27's review against another edition

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informative fast-paced

3.5

vampfang's review

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4.0

an informative history of socialism! i feel like he does get a bit too distracted with Everything Every Socialist Has Ever Believed though. he spoke to my class over zoom and was very funny

jada's review

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5.0

an accessible introduction to socialism.

zackgraff's review

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4.0

This book serves as an excellent introduction to the concepts of socialism.

Wolff does a good job of explaining the key ideas and principles of socialism, in a clear and accessible way, using examples and dates to illustrate his points. Additionally, he provides a nuanced and balanced discussion of the criticisms of socialism, acknowledging both the strengths and weaknesses of socialist systems.

That being said, I would caution that the book remains pretty high level throughout. While it's a great starting point for those who want to learn about socialism, anyone already familiar with the topic may find it a bit too basic. Overall, though, I think it's a great and quick read to help make sense of what one of the better options for a political, economic, and social systems might look like.

juliettoliver's review

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informative slow-paced

3.5

paul_s's review

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medium-paced

4.5

mktatham's review

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4.0

I saw Richard Wolf’s lectures on YouTube and while I would recommend those over the book. I find this to be a great intro to the intro of Socialism. It covers the basics and if you have been reading a lot on socialism. Nothing he states will be new info but it’s great to have books on socialism in a world of Trumpism Politics. So while I doubt I will reread this. It’s still a wonderful book and a great intro to an intro.