Socialism . . . Seriously: A Brief Guide to Human Liberation
by Danny Katch
“Socialism… Seriously” might be a small book, but boy is it powerful. Unfortunately , ever since I decided to bone up on my Socialist/Communist/Anarchist literature I’ve had to piece together the basic idea of each movement from various other books by various other authors. I’m still looking for that perfect Anarchism and Communism book that lays it all out and I can recommend to friends, but for Socialism, I think I’ve hit the jackpot with “Socialism… Seriously.” We all have, actually.
First off, the fact that this is a short book should be noted, because it definitely helps make it inviting. Second, Danny Katch’s lighthearted approach to the subject really makes this an easy and fun book which is more than I can say for Lenin or Marx. And finally, this “Socialism…Seriously” splendidly summarizes all you need to know about what Socialism is all about, how it’s a reaction to the exploitation caused by capitalism, how its driving force is laborers, and what the lessons are that we’ve learnt from previous revolutions. Katch explains these concepts concisely and with a decent amount of humor. He even adds to the scope of this book by describing the exploitation in our current society, depicting how a socialist society could function (it’s all a blueprint still), and what we can do to contribute to the movement in our daily lives.
So yes, this book is pretty vital, and even though I have a small issue with the way Katch depicts the Anarchists and the Russian Revolution (and his complete negligence of how the hierarchical state-run bureaucracy failed the workers), he really nails it on most accounts. I’m not going to say this is our generation’s Communist Manifesto, but it’s pretty damn close.
Get your copy here!
