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Very Short Introductions #126
سوسیالیسم: درآمدی کوتاه
امروزه خیلی از مردم سوسیالیسم را نوعی ایدئولوژی منسوخ قلمداد میکنند.مایکل نیومن در این درآمد کوتاه میکوشد تا ایدهی سوسیالیسم را در بستری مدرن برای مخاطب امروزی بنشاند.او اندیشههای سوسیالیستی را در چاچوب تطور تاریخیشان، از انقلاب فرانسه تا عصر حاضر ،شرح میدهد و به سنجش تلاشهای عملی برای به بار نشاندن سوسیالیسم میپردازد. این کتاب صرفا تاریخچهای از عقاید سوسیالیستی به دست نمیدهد ، بلکه رویکردی متفاوت در پیش میگیرد و ، با تمرکز بر تضاد میان کمونیسم و سوسیال دموکراسی ، عرصهی عمل و نظر را به یکسان بررسی میکند. نیومن همچنین دربارهی رابطهی میان سوسیالیسم و مفاهیمی چون دموکراسی ، آزادی و برابری به بحث مینشیند و البته سراغ اشکال معاصر سوسیالیسم نیز میرود تا بحث را کاملا روزآمد کند. تمرکز کتاب بر اروپا و اتحاد جماهیر شوروی است ، اما به زمینهی جغرافیایی گستردهتری تسری مییابد. رویکرد تازهی نیومن به این موضع برای خوانندگان کتاب امکان ارزیابی دوبارهای از سوسیالیسم را فراهم میآورد.
184 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2005
186 people are currently reading
2990 people want to read
About the author
Michael Newman
9 books7 followersEmeritus Professor of Politics and
Jean Monnet Professor of European Studies
His research interests have always been rather wide-ranging, including the study of the Left, political biography, and the European Union. More recently, he has moved into the area of peace and conflict.
Jean Monnet Professor of European Studies
His research interests have always been rather wide-ranging, including the study of the Left, political biography, and the European Union. More recently, he has moved into the area of peace and conflict.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
May 17, 2022
The longest and most in-depth of the three politically-themed Very Short Introductions I've read, arguably more Short-ish than Very Short at 150+ small-print pages, but for me the thoroughness was appreciated: this was also the best of the three.
Michael Newman is a clear and evenhanded writer, neither rambling and unfocused like Anarchism 's Colin Ward nor vaguely contemptuous of his subject matter like Marx 's Peter Singer. I don't know where specifically Newman would place himself politically, but he is obviously sympathetic to socialist ideals (if not always socialist praxis) and, even writing in 2005—when it seemed to many that the international Left had been all but crushed by the crumbling of the Soviet order and the ascendency of neoliberalism—he doesn't take it for granted that socialism is a "failed" ideology, disproven once and for all by the events of the 20th century. (I would very much like to have read the 2020 updated version, which aside from addressing more recent history also truly pushes the limits of the Very Short designation at an even 200 pages, but alas I didn't know it existed till I was almost done with the first edition.)
Some reviewers have complained about the book's structure and particularly Newman's dependence on case studies, but I thought it all came together well. We start with a introductory chapter on the (pre)history of socialist thought, covering various 19th-century proto-socialist and anarchist movements, the innovations of Marx and Engels, and the formation of the Soviet Union, with an eye towards the Bolsheviks' influence on virtually all subsequent Marxist thinking. This chapter by itself is worth the price of admission, and could stand on its own as a coherent and informative introduction to the subject.
Chapter two moves into the case studies—Swedish social democracy (which strove to temper a capitalist economy by way of social reforms) and Cuban communism (which sought to repudiate capitalism altogether, while under heavy sanctions from the U.S.)—which Newman uses to illustrate the challenges facing would-be revolutionaries and reformers in the postwar period and to explore some of the tangible methods by which they tried to resolve them. The examples are well-selected, and Newman's treatment is nuanced and sympathetic, with an admirable unwillingness either to mythologize the Scandinavian system or engage in the standard anglophone fearmongering about Cuba. The economics discussion is a bit denser than might be expected from this sort of overview, but I appreciated the chance to descend from the lofty realm of theory for a while and examine real-world applications.
Chapter three is similar, using two specific examples—in this case, feminism and the Green movement—to symbolize the challenges to socialist orthodoxy which were increasingly posed by other sectors of the Left in the latter half of the 20th century. Prefiguring the debates about "identity politics" vs. "class reductionism" which continue to divide leftists to this day, Newman shows that social justice movements like feminism (one could also add various racial justice movements, LGBTQ rights activism, etc.) have long grappled with the hardline Marxist assertion that all oppression is fundamentally rooted in conditions of material production and ownership. Meanwhile, the impending threat of global ecological disaster has posed a more existential question to socialists and capitalists alike, about whether any society can continue to manufacture and industrialize indefinitely without causing irreversible harm to the planet and its inhabitants. There have been as many potential answers to these conundrums as there have been thinkers to wrestle with them, and—though Newman provides no definitive conclusions—he is clearly in favor of an approach to socialism which is willing to adapt to evolving circumstances and new information rather than writing them off as irrelevant.
Finally, we get a long closing chapter about the state of the international (well, okay, mostly western) Left circa 2005, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the rise of American-led neoliberal hegemony. Newman acknowledges the pessimism of many leftists regarding this state of affairs, as well as the preemptive declarations from various sectors that socialism had been officially rendered obsolete and capitalism crowned the eternal victor. Newman understands but also rejects this defeatist attitude, and he even provides a few sensible suggestions as to how 21st-century socialists might learn from the past, get back on their feet, and gain back their base. And, though the stakes are perhaps higher at the time of my writing in 2022 than ever before, I think subsequent world events have largely vindicated his conviction that socialism (in whatever form it may take) has legs and will continue to be a thorn in the side of global capitalism as long as the latter keeps grinding up workers and resources for the profit of the few and the destruction of all.
As far as I'm concerned, this book does pretty much exactly what it's supposed to. Recommended to anyone looking for an easy-to-grasp summary of socialism's history and core tenets, and/or a base for deeper reading on the subject. Let's say 4.5 stars.
Michael Newman is a clear and evenhanded writer, neither rambling and unfocused like Anarchism 's Colin Ward nor vaguely contemptuous of his subject matter like Marx 's Peter Singer. I don't know where specifically Newman would place himself politically, but he is obviously sympathetic to socialist ideals (if not always socialist praxis) and, even writing in 2005—when it seemed to many that the international Left had been all but crushed by the crumbling of the Soviet order and the ascendency of neoliberalism—he doesn't take it for granted that socialism is a "failed" ideology, disproven once and for all by the events of the 20th century. (I would very much like to have read the 2020 updated version, which aside from addressing more recent history also truly pushes the limits of the Very Short designation at an even 200 pages, but alas I didn't know it existed till I was almost done with the first edition.)
Some reviewers have complained about the book's structure and particularly Newman's dependence on case studies, but I thought it all came together well. We start with a introductory chapter on the (pre)history of socialist thought, covering various 19th-century proto-socialist and anarchist movements, the innovations of Marx and Engels, and the formation of the Soviet Union, with an eye towards the Bolsheviks' influence on virtually all subsequent Marxist thinking. This chapter by itself is worth the price of admission, and could stand on its own as a coherent and informative introduction to the subject.
Chapter two moves into the case studies—Swedish social democracy (which strove to temper a capitalist economy by way of social reforms) and Cuban communism (which sought to repudiate capitalism altogether, while under heavy sanctions from the U.S.)—which Newman uses to illustrate the challenges facing would-be revolutionaries and reformers in the postwar period and to explore some of the tangible methods by which they tried to resolve them. The examples are well-selected, and Newman's treatment is nuanced and sympathetic, with an admirable unwillingness either to mythologize the Scandinavian system or engage in the standard anglophone fearmongering about Cuba. The economics discussion is a bit denser than might be expected from this sort of overview, but I appreciated the chance to descend from the lofty realm of theory for a while and examine real-world applications.
Chapter three is similar, using two specific examples—in this case, feminism and the Green movement—to symbolize the challenges to socialist orthodoxy which were increasingly posed by other sectors of the Left in the latter half of the 20th century. Prefiguring the debates about "identity politics" vs. "class reductionism" which continue to divide leftists to this day, Newman shows that social justice movements like feminism (one could also add various racial justice movements, LGBTQ rights activism, etc.) have long grappled with the hardline Marxist assertion that all oppression is fundamentally rooted in conditions of material production and ownership. Meanwhile, the impending threat of global ecological disaster has posed a more existential question to socialists and capitalists alike, about whether any society can continue to manufacture and industrialize indefinitely without causing irreversible harm to the planet and its inhabitants. There have been as many potential answers to these conundrums as there have been thinkers to wrestle with them, and—though Newman provides no definitive conclusions—he is clearly in favor of an approach to socialism which is willing to adapt to evolving circumstances and new information rather than writing them off as irrelevant.
Finally, we get a long closing chapter about the state of the international (well, okay, mostly western) Left circa 2005, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the rise of American-led neoliberal hegemony. Newman acknowledges the pessimism of many leftists regarding this state of affairs, as well as the preemptive declarations from various sectors that socialism had been officially rendered obsolete and capitalism crowned the eternal victor. Newman understands but also rejects this defeatist attitude, and he even provides a few sensible suggestions as to how 21st-century socialists might learn from the past, get back on their feet, and gain back their base. And, though the stakes are perhaps higher at the time of my writing in 2022 than ever before, I think subsequent world events have largely vindicated his conviction that socialism (in whatever form it may take) has legs and will continue to be a thorn in the side of global capitalism as long as the latter keeps grinding up workers and resources for the profit of the few and the destruction of all.
As far as I'm concerned, this book does pretty much exactly what it's supposed to. Recommended to anyone looking for an easy-to-grasp summary of socialism's history and core tenets, and/or a base for deeper reading on the subject. Let's say 4.5 stars.
August 28, 2014
Newman's very short introduction has the problem that many of these introductions have in that they must cover very complicated and lengthy terrain in a 100 or so pages. Socialism is duly hard as it is both internally and externally contested as a term, has 200 years of emerging and failing models and critiques, and has probably become even more polarizing in opinions since this book was written. Newman's focus on traditions in the first chapter, case studies in the second, historical problems in the third, and new ideas on emerging socialism in the fourth chapter does focus the reader, Newman does not downplay nor make an apologia for either Soviet communism or social democracy, he fairly presents both the promise and problems of post-1968 new leftism and social democracy's problematic dependence on Keynesianism post-world war two
If there are some criticisms to launched here: Newman does not present many of the center and right critiques of socialism in much detail and then cannot present socialist answers to those critiques. Furthermore, he does leave out entire non-anarchist and non-utopian socialist traditions which were critical of both social democracy and Leninism. Still space was hardly there for this discussion. If one is a novice, this is an excellent introduction and if one is a specialist then the case studies on Sweden and Cuba are worth the price of the book.
If there are some criticisms to launched here: Newman does not present many of the center and right critiques of socialism in much detail and then cannot present socialist answers to those critiques. Furthermore, he does leave out entire non-anarchist and non-utopian socialist traditions which were critical of both social democracy and Leninism. Still space was hardly there for this discussion. If one is a novice, this is an excellent introduction and if one is a specialist then the case studies on Sweden and Cuba are worth the price of the book.
April 7, 2025
رشد کاپیتالیسم در اروپای قرن نوزدهم، سبب زایش سوسیالیسم شد و کارل مارکس بزرگترین مبلغ و حامی آن شد.
August 22, 2022
A concise yet surprisingly comprehensive and balanced summary of socialist ideas and movements. Everything from social reformism to anarchism is covered here (the latter a very welcome inclusion given the largely Stalinist and or Leninist sectarianism of many so-called socialist historians). Will certainly appeal to those looking for something infinitely more readable than the usual Althussian Marx-centric tracts that Verso likes to publish by the bucketload.
September 20, 2018
I'm hooked! Thanks to a review by another Goodreads contributor, Hrishabh Chaudhary, I discovered the "A Very Short Introduction" series produced by Oxford University. With dozens of titles covering subjects from physics to Aristotle, scholars take on the challenge of making what could easily be off-putting issues covered in lengthy books into concise and readable short texts. Think of the project as one that appeals to those who might be attracted by the "Idiots" or "Dummies" series but don't want the forced humor and do want the meat of the subject in simple prose that is respectful of the reader's intelligence. What's more, the books in the series are widely available used on the Internet for two or three dollars.
A Very Short Introduction to Socialism is my first read in this series and I am delighted to say that it delivers. Michael Newman looks over the history of Socialism beginning in the 18th century with the Utopians and the Anarchists before the name of socialism was assigned. He follows the development through Marx to the fork in the movement into Social Democracy in Western Europe and Communism in the Soviet Union.
Socialism is a challenge to Capitalism, one that seeks to divide up the wealth of society into a more just distribution than allowing it all to flow without limit to the top, something Americans are very familiar with from the experience of the last few decades.
Should this be done by working within Capitalist democratic systems to modify how the system works (see Bernie Sanders, the "democratic Socialist") or through the upset of revolution? Both routes have been taken and to date neither has been absolutely successful over the long term. Soviet Communism collapsed and Scandinavian Socialism is just holding its own. North Korea? Don't ask!
Capitalism, because of its unequaled ability to deliver goods of every kind from potato chips to smartphones, has prevailed. Now, more than ever, the globalization of the economy makes any attempt at spreading the wealth within a nation even more difficult. The best that can be done is regulation, and as we have seen with the giant banks, regulation is very hard to impose in the face of the great established power that opposes it, particularly when billionaires have manipulated a major party in the United States into advocating against the interests of the little guy. Established wealth has, with the benefit of wholly owned media that confuses rather than illuminates, turned the occupants of the camp of the have-nots against themselves.
The hope of economic classes in conflict with the greater number in the working class prevailing - the idea of Karl Marx - has not been successful. This little book will tell you why as author Newman peppers his observations with trenchant insights. Suddenly the easily confusing political events of the 20th century will become clear.
What a shame this text is not required reading in every high school in America. To be a responsible voter, one should understand the political conflict, the ideas that underlie the emotional appeals of politicians. Too often in a democracy, ignorance troops to the polls, if it manages to get out the front door on election day.
Not content to simply outline the history of Socialism, Newman also gives a detailed look at two examples: Sweden, a successful implementation of Social Democracy that is now challenged, and Cuba, a Communist state that has had remarkable successes in providing services yet has been hard put to create an economy that can provide over the long term.
Newman continues with a look at movements that could be called socialist: feminism and environmentalism.
This little book succeeds impressively in reaching the goal of the whole series - education.
You'll have to excuse me now because I'm already deep into my second book of the series and many more are coming in the mail. Yes, it's an addiction, but not an expensive one!
A Very Short Introduction to Socialism is my first read in this series and I am delighted to say that it delivers. Michael Newman looks over the history of Socialism beginning in the 18th century with the Utopians and the Anarchists before the name of socialism was assigned. He follows the development through Marx to the fork in the movement into Social Democracy in Western Europe and Communism in the Soviet Union.
Socialism is a challenge to Capitalism, one that seeks to divide up the wealth of society into a more just distribution than allowing it all to flow without limit to the top, something Americans are very familiar with from the experience of the last few decades.
Should this be done by working within Capitalist democratic systems to modify how the system works (see Bernie Sanders, the "democratic Socialist") or through the upset of revolution? Both routes have been taken and to date neither has been absolutely successful over the long term. Soviet Communism collapsed and Scandinavian Socialism is just holding its own. North Korea? Don't ask!
Capitalism, because of its unequaled ability to deliver goods of every kind from potato chips to smartphones, has prevailed. Now, more than ever, the globalization of the economy makes any attempt at spreading the wealth within a nation even more difficult. The best that can be done is regulation, and as we have seen with the giant banks, regulation is very hard to impose in the face of the great established power that opposes it, particularly when billionaires have manipulated a major party in the United States into advocating against the interests of the little guy. Established wealth has, with the benefit of wholly owned media that confuses rather than illuminates, turned the occupants of the camp of the have-nots against themselves.
The hope of economic classes in conflict with the greater number in the working class prevailing - the idea of Karl Marx - has not been successful. This little book will tell you why as author Newman peppers his observations with trenchant insights. Suddenly the easily confusing political events of the 20th century will become clear.
What a shame this text is not required reading in every high school in America. To be a responsible voter, one should understand the political conflict, the ideas that underlie the emotional appeals of politicians. Too often in a democracy, ignorance troops to the polls, if it manages to get out the front door on election day.
Not content to simply outline the history of Socialism, Newman also gives a detailed look at two examples: Sweden, a successful implementation of Social Democracy that is now challenged, and Cuba, a Communist state that has had remarkable successes in providing services yet has been hard put to create an economy that can provide over the long term.
Newman continues with a look at movements that could be called socialist: feminism and environmentalism.
This little book succeeds impressively in reaching the goal of the whole series - education.
You'll have to excuse me now because I'm already deep into my second book of the series and many more are coming in the mail. Yes, it's an addiction, but not an expensive one!
June 26, 2017
Michael Newman does a decent job of summarising an immense topic here. I'll give kudos to where kudos should be given and say that he does his best to fit in all voices clammering to be heard from the left / far left since the 1800's onward. I personally have views similar to Anarchistic convictions and to hear some voice given to this history was a welcome surprise.
I will summarise briefly. Much of what I read in these pages helped me learn the difference between Social Democracy and Communism. That, sprinkled with a short history of the rise of both, as well as a short case study of Sweden and Cuba has given me some starting ground to study further. Pick this book up if you would like an introduction to the above points along with a few new names to look into regarding thinkers that contributed to Socialism and Anarchistic/ Marxist thought throughout the years.
I will summarise briefly. Much of what I read in these pages helped me learn the difference between Social Democracy and Communism. That, sprinkled with a short history of the rise of both, as well as a short case study of Sweden and Cuba has given me some starting ground to study further. Pick this book up if you would like an introduction to the above points along with a few new names to look into regarding thinkers that contributed to Socialism and Anarchistic/ Marxist thought throughout the years.
March 6, 2025
Surprisingly dense! At a brief 150 or so pages it still took me a minute to get through. I enjoyed the attempt to provide a fair overview of socialism. I especially enjoyed learning about Marx’s intellectual rivals. I made notes on many passages. Apologies to my local library for dog-earing so many pages.
October 25, 2015
The book begins with a discussion on both the theories and practices of different socialistic thoughts, although it concentrates on the two most dominant socialist doctrines, viz. communism and social democracy. Then it shows both pros and cons of these socialist traditions. Finally it ends with an optimistic tone for socialists, delivering the scopes where socialism can be still considered relevant and giving a brief suggestion on how to learn from the past, rectify the errors, and embrace the new challenges for socialists like the issues of feminism, green movement, and, the lower number of working class citizens.
Humanity cannot forgo the desire to achieve equality, which is the ultimate objective of any socialist tradition. This perennial and universal desire confirms socialism is, and will be relevant for the time being.
Humanity cannot forgo the desire to achieve equality, which is the ultimate objective of any socialist tradition. This perennial and universal desire confirms socialism is, and will be relevant for the time being.
December 24, 2016
أفضل من المقدمة التي تحدثت عن الرأسمالية في اللغة وفي تقسيم الكتاب..
يستعرض الكتاب تطوّر الاشتراكية بقسميها، الشيوعية والاشتراكية الديموقراطية بتقسيم جيّد، وذلك من خلال التطرق للثورة البلشفية الروسية كبداية لتحقق الاشتراكية في العالم، أو كاشتراكية قوية، وأيضًا من خلال التطرق للنموذجين المهمين: كوبا والسويد باعتبارهما نموذجين ناجحين للشيوعية (كوبا)، وللاشتراكية الديموقراطية (السويد). وذلك بالإضافةإلى الصعوبات التي واجهها النموذجان. ذلك بالإضافة إلى الإضافات التي زادت من قيمة الحركة الاشتراكية سياسيًا، مثل النسويّة.
الكتاب يستحق القراءة للمبتدئين في هذا الموضوع.
يستعرض الكتاب تطوّر الاشتراكية بقسميها، الشيوعية والاشتراكية الديموقراطية بتقسيم جيّد، وذلك من خلال التطرق للثورة البلشفية الروسية كبداية لتحقق الاشتراكية في العالم، أو كاشتراكية قوية، وأيضًا من خلال التطرق للنموذجين المهمين: كوبا والسويد باعتبارهما نموذجين ناجحين للشيوعية (كوبا)، وللاشتراكية الديموقراطية (السويد). وذلك بالإضافةإلى الصعوبات التي واجهها النموذجان. ذلك بالإضافة إلى الإضافات التي زادت من قيمة الحركة الاشتراكية سياسيًا، مثل النسويّة.
الكتاب يستحق القراءة للمبتدئين في هذا الموضوع.
January 12, 2020
More than a broad-sweeping introduction to socialism--although it does that exceptionally well too. ^_^
Although published in 2005, its final chapter 4 is still relevant to current events today and points toward an international socialist path for the creation of an egalitarian world based on the values of solidarity and cooperation.
Although published in 2005, its final chapter 4 is still relevant to current events today and points toward an international socialist path for the creation of an egalitarian world based on the values of solidarity and cooperation.
April 29, 2022
⚠️ بسیار کتاب بیکیفیت و پر از اشتباهی بود. برای شروع با این کتاب شروع نکنید! در ادامه به چند ایراد کلی متن کتاب اشاره کردم:
⚠️ The book was very poor quality and full of mistakes. Do not start with this book! Here are some general objections to the text of the book:
⭕ حزب ناسیونال سوسیالیسم آلمان (حزب نازی) بیشتر اعضاش طبقه متوسط و خرده بورژواها بودن نه طبقه کارگر و اسم سوسیالیسم رو برای عوام فریبی و جذب کارگران استفاده کردن. در حالی که نویسنده کتاب اومده استالینیسم و سوسیالیسم و رو چسبونده به نازیسم و فاشیسم!
(بیشتر بخوانید در کتاب فاشیسم؛ مفر جامعه سرمایهداری از بحران)
⭕ The German National Socialist Party (Nazi Party) was mostly a member of the middle class and petty bourgeoisie, not the working class, and used the name of socialism to democratize and attract workers. While the author of the book claims to Stalinism and socialism and clung to Nazism and fascism!
(Read more in Fascism: The Capitalist Society's Escape from Crisis by Rainhard Konel)
⭕ کاپیتالیسم و سوسیالیسم علمی؛ شیوه تولید هستن نه ایدئولوژی!
⭕ Scientific capitalism and socialism. They are a method of production, not an ideology!
⭕ سرمایه داری کوچکترین ضدیتی با خود را در هم میکوبد. برای همین سوسیال دموکرات سوئد از ماندگاری و پایداری برخوردار نبود و آنچه سرکوب و خفقان سیاسی در کوبا رخ میدهد مشخصا به خاطر تحریمهاست. تنها جای به دردبخور کتاب قسمت کوبا و سوئد بود.
⭕ Capitalism crushes the slightest opposition to itself. That is why the Swedish Social Democrats did not have stability and stability, and what is happening in Cuba's political repression is clearly due to sanctions. The only painful part of the book was Cuba and Sweden.
⭕ اتحاد جماهیر شوروی اولین حکومتی در جهان بود که حق سقط جنین رو به رسمیت شمرد...با برابری حقوق همجسگرایان موافق بود. حق رای و اشتغال و غیره؛ زنان شوروی درجنگ جهانی دوم مشارکت بیشتری داشتن تا زنان سایر کشورهای اروپایی و زنانی که در سیطره نازیها زندگی میکردند. این کتاب تو روز روشن داره دروغ میگه که کمونیستها طرفدار خانه نشینی زنان بودن!
⭕ The Soviet Union was the first government in the world to recognize the right to abortion ... It agreed with equal rights for homosexuals. Suffrage and employment, etc .; Soviet women were more involved in World War II than women in other European countries and women living under Nazi rule. This book lies in obvious that the communists are in favor of women staying at home!
در کل متن بسیار سوگیری داره و پر از مغلطه و ایراده! حیف وقتی که گذاشتم.
The whole text is very biased and full of mistakes and objections! Too bad that I wasted my time on it.
⚠️ The book was very poor quality and full of mistakes. Do not start with this book! Here are some general objections to the text of the book:
⭕ حزب ناسیونال سوسیالیسم آلمان (حزب نازی) بیشتر اعضاش طبقه متوسط و خرده بورژواها بودن نه طبقه کارگر و اسم سوسیالیسم رو برای عوام فریبی و جذب کارگران استفاده کردن. در حالی که نویسنده کتاب اومده استالینیسم و سوسیالیسم و رو چسبونده به نازیسم و فاشیسم!
(بیشتر بخوانید در کتاب فاشیسم؛ مفر جامعه سرمایهداری از بحران)
⭕ The German National Socialist Party (Nazi Party) was mostly a member of the middle class and petty bourgeoisie, not the working class, and used the name of socialism to democratize and attract workers. While the author of the book claims to Stalinism and socialism and clung to Nazism and fascism!
(Read more in Fascism: The Capitalist Society's Escape from Crisis by Rainhard Konel)
⭕ کاپیتالیسم و سوسیالیسم علمی؛ شیوه تولید هستن نه ایدئولوژی!
⭕ Scientific capitalism and socialism. They are a method of production, not an ideology!
⭕ سرمایه داری کوچکترین ضدیتی با خود را در هم میکوبد. برای همین سوسیال دموکرات سوئد از ماندگاری و پایداری برخوردار نبود و آنچه سرکوب و خفقان سیاسی در کوبا رخ میدهد مشخصا به خاطر تحریمهاست. تنها جای به دردبخور کتاب قسمت کوبا و سوئد بود.
⭕ Capitalism crushes the slightest opposition to itself. That is why the Swedish Social Democrats did not have stability and stability, and what is happening in Cuba's political repression is clearly due to sanctions. The only painful part of the book was Cuba and Sweden.
⭕ اتحاد جماهیر شوروی اولین حکومتی در جهان بود که حق سقط جنین رو به رسمیت شمرد...با برابری حقوق همجسگرایان موافق بود. حق رای و اشتغال و غیره؛ زنان شوروی درجنگ جهانی دوم مشارکت بیشتری داشتن تا زنان سایر کشورهای اروپایی و زنانی که در سیطره نازیها زندگی میکردند. این کتاب تو روز روشن داره دروغ میگه که کمونیستها طرفدار خانه نشینی زنان بودن!
⭕ The Soviet Union was the first government in the world to recognize the right to abortion ... It agreed with equal rights for homosexuals. Suffrage and employment, etc .; Soviet women were more involved in World War II than women in other European countries and women living under Nazi rule. This book lies in obvious that the communists are in favor of women staying at home!
در کل متن بسیار سوگیری داره و پر از مغلطه و ایراده! حیف وقتی که گذاشتم.
The whole text is very biased and full of mistakes and objections! Too bad that I wasted my time on it.
December 9, 2020
TL;DR: Good book that gave the basics of the form of government. Made me yawn. A bit because of its profuse history lessons, not enough in the way of where the system was implemented and how in every case. But good enough for the purposes of this book. Longest review I've ever written.
Pros: gave a nice history of the movements in it's major forms.
provided economic* numbers to refer to albeit dated in the future, but from the time would have been a huge plus.
Explained things simply and succinctly.
Explored the most popular examples of socialism, seemed to be a fair take.
Cons: felt vague in some instances without listing explicitly what was and was not a socialist country, and that would be difficult.
Did not go into much detail of how the US screwed latin american countries and subverts regimes like nicaragua, only one paragraph at the end alludes to this, when I felt it was promised to tackle it.
*Edited for clarity*
Pros: gave a nice history of the movements in it's major forms.
provided economic* numbers to refer to albeit dated in the future, but from the time would have been a huge plus.
Explained things simply and succinctly.
Explored the most popular examples of socialism, seemed to be a fair take.
Cons: felt vague in some instances without listing explicitly what was and was not a socialist country, and that would be difficult.
Did not go into much detail of how the US screwed latin american countries and subverts regimes like nicaragua, only one paragraph at the end alludes to this, when I felt it was promised to tackle it.
*Edited for clarity*
June 8, 2022
مقدمة قصيرة عن الاشتراكية، يبدأ الكتاب بعرض الفلسفة الماركسية ومعارضتها بالأساس للرأسمالية واستغلال طبقة الكادحين، وكيف نشأت منها التيارات الشيوعية أو الأشتراكية في دول العالم المختلفة ومنها الاتحاد السوفيتي والصين وفيتنام وكذلك كوبا ودول أمريكا الجنوبية. كما يستعرض الكتاب تجربة الدول الأوروبية الأشتراكية في المعسكر الشرقي تحت الهيمنة السوفيتية وما يقابلها من تجارب الاشتراكية الديموقراطية في السويد والأحزاب اليسارية الأوروبية. كان للاشتراكية سيطرة عظمى على كثير من دول العالم وخاضت الكثير من الحروب والصراعات لكن مع انهيار الإتحاد السوفيتي وإنتهاء الحرب الباردة تحول أغلبها للرأسمالية ماعدا دول قليلة جدا صارت منبوذة ومنغلقة ككوريا الشمالية وكوبا.
June 8, 2025
I really like this entire series of “a very short introduction”
It’s a bite-size entry point to all sorts of topics this book specifically focusing on socialism. My favorite thing about this entire series is that it explains these topics in layman‘s terms. It’s a really good starter point or refresher book.
It’s a bite-size entry point to all sorts of topics this book specifically focusing on socialism. My favorite thing about this entire series is that it explains these topics in layman‘s terms. It’s a really good starter point or refresher book.
August 19, 2018
A Very Short Summary - Socialism is a spectrum, no group has the authority to define its meaning, thus Socialism is fragmented. Socialism will likely fail due to prejudice.
March 6, 2022
This book wasn’t what I was looking for. While I was hoping for a sustained exploration of historical socialist theory, this book only explores that subject briefly and then moves on to an examination of all aspects of modern socialism, including its various recent manifestations in Sweden, Cuba, and Latin America. The author really seeks to explain how socialism is currently grappling with 21st century economic and environmental challenges. It’s almost a guide (however theoretically informed) for activists who believe socialism can remain the world’s most viable alternative to unregulated capitalism. Anyhow, it’s not bad, but it does read as if the author hasn’t really accounted for 1989. I mean, it’s a shame we don’t seem to have any good alternatives to capitalism, but this book made me feel equally sad that we don’t seem to have found any good alternatives to socialism.
November 5, 2020
2.5 stars. Not a very useful introduction on Socialism. Definitely got more out of the Marx book than this one. You get that Socialism isn't just one thing. It's complicated, and different depending on the country you look at, and the decade. But it wasn't a great way to present Socialism, at least not the way Newman did. Find another introductory book if you want to learn about it at a high level.
June 9, 2023
A pretty decent overview of the modern historical development of the broad school of socialist economic thought and struggles, with a good look at the critical symbiosis with Feminism / women’s movements and ecology / environmental movements. Quite light on theory—much more of a history sans any kind of analysis.
If one wanted a truly short introduction to socialism, I would suggest: To each according to their needs, from each according to their abilities. [The end]
If one wanted a truly short introduction to socialism, I would suggest: To each according to their needs, from each according to their abilities. [The end]
May 19, 2017
My pet peeve with educational non fiction is if they feel like a few Wikipedia pages strung together. Even a short book about socialism is capable of saying something interesting about the subject. The author attempts no such thing and listlessly goes through the motions, describing its history, case studies, its factions then some thought on its future. I put it down with a shrug. Q
January 14, 2019
Overly ambitious
I have read until half of the book (page 83). From this point on, the author tries to explain the socialism movement in the 20 century. I have found overly ambitious to extend so much in few pages.
So until page 83 I give 4 star. After that, I have not read everything and I have found too superficial.
I have read until half of the book (page 83). From this point on, the author tries to explain the socialism movement in the 20 century. I have found overly ambitious to extend so much in few pages.
So until page 83 I give 4 star. After that, I have not read everything and I have found too superficial.
April 25, 2020
I would have given this book a 2 if there was some evidence that the author is merely naive. Instead, the author very tactfully hides the flaws of Marx’s theory on repurchase and does not talk at all about value calculation of the liberal Austrian economic theory. This book is for those who have not read any other book on economics and are willing to live in a bubble.
August 22, 2010
An absolutely essential introduction to socialism's core principals and historical milestones. Very simple to understand -- I couldn't put it down.
August 19, 2014
Dull, meandering, very little on trade unionism, anarchism, cooperatives etc. and much too much on feminism, which deserves (and has) its own "Very Short Introduction" book.
April 29, 2015
I think this book does all that it's meant to do. Give you a very short introduction to Socialism, and point you in the right direction of what/who to read next. A great little series of books.
February 20, 2023
A wonderfully concise and honest look at the history of socialism. How Newman fit so many sardines in this tin, I'll never know, but it's to be admired.
Newman does his best to explain what, in his view, is the essential character of all socialist theories and then gives an informative history of its development. I feel that, by the end of this, I have a stronger grasp on the differences between the varieties of socialism that exist, even though I still don't know precisely what socialism is.
My one disappointment was that I was hoping for something with a bit more theory and less history; I wanted some philosophical arguments for why we should accept certain principles or values, or how these were only achievable or valuable through socialism, but there was no political philosophy in this text.
Newman does his best to explain what, in his view, is the essential character of all socialist theories and then gives an informative history of its development. I feel that, by the end of this, I have a stronger grasp on the differences between the varieties of socialism that exist, even though I still don't know precisely what socialism is.
My one disappointment was that I was hoping for something with a bit more theory and less history; I wanted some philosophical arguments for why we should accept certain principles or values, or how these were only achievable or valuable through socialism, but there was no political philosophy in this text.
January 1, 2023
Excellent, short book that goes into the history of socialism and its many movements, as well as analyses of its successes and failures.
I got a lot out of this book. My favorite parts were on the pre-Marx socialists, the parts that compared Swedish social democracy and Cuban communism, and the parts on how socialism was enriched/fractured via Feminism and Green politics.
For anyone looking at a primer (or refresher), I highly recommend this.
I got a lot out of this book. My favorite parts were on the pre-Marx socialists, the parts that compared Swedish social democracy and Cuban communism, and the parts on how socialism was enriched/fractured via Feminism and Green politics.
For anyone looking at a primer (or refresher), I highly recommend this.
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October 11, 2025The term "socialism" is not considered to be very well-defined, even by socialists. This book wasn't very lengthy and I think it did a decent job of covering a fairly broad movement that has meant very different things in different countries at different times.
I feel that this book mostly validated my view that the term "socialism" today often refers to "capitalism with strong regulation and sensible social/welfare programs".
I feel that this book mostly validated my view that the term "socialism" today often refers to "capitalism with strong regulation and sensible social/welfare programs".
August 15, 2024
A great read. I've always been confused about what socialism actually is, how to define it, its relationship with ideologies such as communism and anarchism... This book covers the theory and history of socialism really clearly, starting with the utopian socialists of the early nineteenth century, Marxism and anarchism, and finishing with case studies of modern socialist regimes, as varied as the communism of Fidel Castro in Cuba and the social democrat model of Sweden.
September 9, 2025
A quite good book about origin , rise, forms, performance and problems of Socialism but the usual problem of any European writer is there, the book is quite Euro Centric except some pages given to Cuba.
January 28, 2021
Concise history of socialism and its different components, helpful to have a background in capitalism and its history to supplement your understanding!
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