Interesting mostly when he's not actually talking about Marx ( )

Interesting mostly when he's not actually talking about Marx ( )

This isn't the kind of book that you'd read for fun, but I was teaching a course that included the concept of social class, so I thought I'd brush up on Marx. Collier has done a nice job putting Marx's extensive thought and writings into an understandable format and covers all of the major points you might expect: dialectical materialism, class struggle, socialism, exchange value vs. use value, revolution, etc. Collier also provides a useful biographical sketch of the man himself and the historical context in which he lived, which is important for understanding why Marxism appeared in the mid-nineteenth century in response to certain historical events and conditions. Excerpts from Marx's major works (The Communist Manifesto, Capital, and The German Ideology, among others) are sprinkled liberally throughout the book. Where Marx's actual words (and thoughts) get confusing for the reader, Collier is able to offer a translation in simple English. Lots of bad stuff has been attributed (incorrectly, in Collier's view) to Marx and subsequent Marxist ideologies and Collier refutes many of the major criticisms. Finally, the book ends with a discussion of Marxism in the twentieth century and some of its successful and unsuccessful applications in various places. Overall, Collier does a fine job breaking down the important ideas of one of history's most influential thinkers and explaining them to the rest of us. ( )

Breathing new life into the achievements of Karl Marx, this accessible and jargon-free introduction is a timely reminder of his undiminished influence. Andrew Collier's engaging text not only introduces the reader to Marx the revolutionary, but also redefines him as one of the first truly democratic thinkers. In a concise yet searching manner, Collier covers all the elements of marxist thought, from the early writings to such major texts as 'Capital' and the key themes of labour and society. Punctuating his study with a wide range of examples, from Aristotelian thought to Thatcherite policy, he explores the traditional notion of Marx the activist, while probing the apparent inconsistencies in his work and reclaiming his place as a philosopher and political theorist. Concluding with a thought-provoking assessment of Marx's pervasive influence on the political landscape of the twenty-first century. Collier's study highlights our own global inequalities and will be warmly welcomed by students, scholars and activists from a variety of backgrounds. ( )