Marx for Beginners

Since the collapse of the USSR, many people have thrown Marx into the recycle bin. Actually, even in the heyday of the USSR (be there such?) very little truth was known about Marx, the version that filtered down to us Westerners clouded in Cold War paranois. Marx was first and foremost a philosopher. Indeed, he was the single philospher who had the biggest real-world influence on society after his death. Criticising previous philosophers that limited themselves to interperating History, Marx claimed that the real philosopher's priority was to "change history". Sure, he got a lot wrong. Every philosopher's philosophy has two aspects though - a diagnosis of society and the human condition, and a recommended remedy. We all know that Marx's remedy went horribly wrong. Or, at least, the remedies of the Lenins, Maos and Stalins that followed. But stop and look at his diagnosis. Whilst countless philosophers have buried themselves in metaphysical conundrums, Marx was the first that predicted the power of money relations in the modern world. One need only look at the global situation today, divided sharply between the "haves" and "have-nots" to realise that Marx's view bordered on prophetic. And for as long as "the rich get rich, and the poor get poor", the division is only going to deepen. Maybe communism wasn't the remedy, but neither, does it seem, is capitalism. I have always loved the Beginners series, and MARX FOR BEGINNERS is one of the best. Critics of this "sound bite" format, are correct - you cannot distill the man's philosophies into a 100 page comic book. But for busy people without the time and inclination to wade through the real McCoy, this quirky cartoon documentary is very enlightening and can only leave the reader better off.

A lot of people probably think they know what Marxism is all about, but in reality only a precious few have any intimate acquaintance with the man's writings and ideas. Only the hardiest of souls can pour through the voluminous pages that constitute Marx's significant body of work, writings that are as dense and complex as just about anything you would ever hope to find. No single book can communicate the depth and breadth of Marxism, but a single book, namely Marx For Beginners by Rius, can and does offer readers an interesting, comprehensible introduction to the basic principles and themes of one of the world's greatest thinkers. I might point out the fact that I personally detest Marx with a passion; the man indirectly caused more trouble than any other individual in history. It is important to know one's enemies well, though, and that is why I have studied Marx to a limited extent.This book was actually one of several required readings in a college course I took on the history of socialism. I had to laugh when I first saw the actual book as it looks like a book of cartoons. Don't let the seeming simplicity of the book fool you, though. Rius uses cartoons and tiny bits of comedy in order to make one's introduction to the subject as interesting as possible, and he covers the basics quite well indeed: Marx's philosophy, his economic doctrine, and his concept of historical materialism. This is an increasingly complex triumvirate of concepts. Actual quotations from Marx himself often drop in front of you like a ton of bricks, but Rius uses this building material to construct a humble edifice of understanding and instruction. He especially excels at placing Marx's ideas in their original historical context, summarizing the evolution of society over the years and pointing to the sources from which Marx drew most heavily: German philosophy, English political economy, and French socialism. You may just be skimming the deep waters of Marxism, but before you know it you've actually learned something about what Marx thought and why he thought it. To further help you along, Rius provides a pretty impressive little glossary of terms at the end and offers a few suggestions on the subject of further reading for those who would like to pursue the subject further. Whether you hate him or love him, Marx is important, and Marx for Beginners is the most accessible gateway to his philosophy and economic theories that I know of.

Certainly the book is dated, but it gives a great overview of the history of European philosophy (critical if you want to understand where Marx was coming from), a sketch of Marx's life, and a very-abbreviated overview of his philosophy. Like all of the cartoon introduction books, "Marx for Beginners" is meant to give you enough information to spark your interest, but not enough to be a substitute for the subject's work. To be honest, Marxism is like one of those ultra-complicated gadgets you see in "The Way Things Work" books, and like those books, Rius gives the reader and exploded view of Charlie's theory. Will be used in poli-sci classes forever.

Eduardo Del Rio's "Marx for Beginners" is an indispensable guide to the writings of Karl Marx. It's informative, easy to read and a lot of fun. Don't let the title or the cartoons inside fool you, this is a serious book that succeeds in introducing the reader to the works of Karl Marx. If your familiar with "Charles," as Rius (the author's pen name) affectionately calls him, then this book will serve as a reference and refresher; if you know nothing of Marx and want to learn more, then "Marx for Beginners" is the place to start. The book gives you a concise biography of Marx, a run down of his influences, his philosophy and doctrines. There's also some nice background on Marx's time period and a brief intro to ancient philosophy, as it applies to Marx. Included is a little dictionary of Marxist terms that serves as a great reference. Marxism isn't an easy subject to tackle and it's certainly not something you can digest in a few days, but this book puts Marx's work into a clear framework and has helped me understand it more clearly. I enjoyed this book immensely and I'm still reading it. If you're in a state of moratorium with your political, social, economic, and/or spiritual beliefs, please read this book...it's bound to have some kind of influence on you! Believe me, this book has moved me to learn more about Marx and his work.