An Actually Short Reading List
Iâve seen a lot of Short, Introductory, Beginnerâs reading lists with ten or twenty links, and, well, theyâre intimidating. While you might not want to leave off something important, if everyone gets scared off by your list, nobody reads anything. So, letâs try something a bit more approachable! Here are three easy-to-read works.
If youâre new to communism, this short-ish work will introduce you to⌠the principles of communism! Engelsâs writing style can be a bit difficult, and he references a lot of old-timey stuff (whatâs a spinning-jenny?), but itâs a good introduction!
Link: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/11/prin-com.htm
If you like the thought of communism, but are wary of âauthoritarianâ or âtotalitarianâ communism, this very short (one page!) text might help you understand why historically, communists have supported those measures (hint: if they just wanted power, they wouldnât be siding with the powerless!).
Link: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1872/10/authority.htm
Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong
Quotations from Chairman Mao, while longer than the last two works, is made up of small, self-contained⌠quotations, which are individually easy to read (and reread), and if youâre interested in learning more about a topic, you can always check out the work the quote is referenced from. This âlittle red bookâ discusses communist perspectives on topics ranging from education, the military, and study, to self-criticism and culture.
Maoâs writing style is, I find, much easier to read, and the little red book covers such a wide range of topics that, if you only try to read one of these, Iâd say to try this one. If feudal peasants were able to study and understand it, so can you!
Link: https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/works/red-book/index.htm
Thatâs all! Thank you for reading this, and I hope you give the works I mentioned a try!
