What Is Marxism All About?: A Street Guide for Revolutionaries on a Move

by LeiLani Dowell, David Hoskins (Editor)

Explaining and illustrating Marxist concepts with intelligent but nontechnical language, this guide describes terms such as socialism, imperialism, and self-determination,illuminating the class character of current and historical world events. The Marxist definitions of these words will sharpen an understanding of society from a working-class perspective and the concepts will help 21st-century activists organize for radical and transformative change.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Theory, Philosophy

84 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2010

Reviews

[Devin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt like a pretty good introduction to Marxism. It presented some information about US imperialism that I was undereducated on.

The history it presented was obviously very biased and didn’t mention the atrocities committed by many of the communist leaders it praised. But the critiques on capitalism were generally valid. All in all, it was helpful for explaining people’s motivation for wanting true revolution and not just reform.

[blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

great introductory read on marxism!! would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about socialism/communism/capitalism etc. although each topic mentioned was brief it was still super informative and easy to comprehend.. wish it had more statistics and examples throughout which is why i’m not giving it 5 stars but u know. it b like that sometimes

[Waad · Rating 4 out of 5]

very basic introduction and guide to Marxism using simple terms everyone can understand and digest easily, was way too US centric for my liking but still a good read

[Deana Ayers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quick and straightforward read, which I think is a good thing. I was especially grateful for the explanation of dialectical materialism, a concept that I have struggled to match with the definition. I gave this book three stars because I think if you're going to say that a vanguard party is the only way to achieve communism, you should name that and dedicate a full section to it's explanation. I was also a bit weirded out and unclear on how they described increased personal property at first (especially since I use a degrowth lens), as well as describing states as repressive and then saying we should want one. I would still recommend this book to others who want a guide to some basic terms and definitions surround Marxism!

[Natalie Mitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it was a great introduction!

[Ekenedilichukwu Ikegwuani · Rating 5 out of 5]

a nice, short, but very good resource explaining a lot of the basics of these political and economic systems. super accessible language

[Mateo Dk · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty good intro to like a tonnnn of topics in really accessible language, it like fully succeeds at what its doing!

[Your Friend Fieldy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really happy with this as a reading group pick for members who wanted to start with some simple foundations. Wasn't sure if it would be too basic since each section is only a few pages. It was really helpful to have these concepts defined in simple terms and every section led to great discussions. There were a few places that could use updates or a little more elaboration, but overall a really good introductory layout of Marxist ideology.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an expansion of a short pamphlet put out by the WWP a few decades ago. Very concise and clear like everyone's saying, but the meat of the book oversimplifies a lot (how much by necessity and how much not? not sure). What's particularly strange is the chapter on Private Property, which spends a decent chunk illustrating "personal property" and the toothbrush meme and all that. It'd be silly if it weren't for how much it mystifies.

The goal of socialism is to increase personal property many times over, through the abolishment of private property (11).

What a bizarre line. I'm fairly certain that "personal property" doesn't feature anywhere in Marx's writings--it's just a bastardized version of "means of consumption". In fact, Critique of the Gotha Programme is criticizing this exact sort of thinking.

I think I enjoyed the FIST program at the end more, which is much more lucid. I'd talk about other objections ("bosses use race to divide the workers" etc) but I think it'd be unfair for what this book is trying to do. I’m just trying to jog my memory after reading so much random stuff for uni.

[TyeULTRA! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edited by FIST, the youth group associated but independent of the Workers World Party, this revised pamphlet serves as a modern entry point into revolutionary thought. Its greatest strength is its accessibility; it breaks down complex Marxist concepts into digestible, actionable language, making it a valuable resource for those new to the ideology.

This accessibility, however, comes at a cost. The analysis can trend toward oversimplification, and the pamphlet largely sidesteps critical engagement with the material conditions and challenges of existing socialist experiments—a significant omission for a text claiming to be a comprehensive guide.

Despite this, its insights are often piercing. The critique of "labor bureaucrats" effectively articulates a widespread frustration with institutionalized unionism. Furthermore, the updated examination of imperialism's evolving nature is timely and well-argued. It may not be the final word on revolutionary theory, but it provides a compelling and provocative starting point.

[ngọc ♡]

A concise introduction to Marxism. I mostly read this book to familiarize myself with the Marxist terms in English, so I appreciate how simple and easy to understand the authors explain them. Not giving this a rating since I find this book a bit too oversimplified (to be fair, I've learned the basics most of these concepts at university) and US-centric, but I would recommend it to anyone who's interested in studying Marxism(-Leninism) as the perfect starting point.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good primer on Marxism for people coming to it seriously for the first time like me, especially since it's written for a younger/teenage audience. Lays things out very simply and clearly, though that leads inevitably to oversimplification.

It's take on current and recent socialist countries is pretty rosy, avoiding mention of human rights abuses or oppression (so it reads as fairly shocking to someone who grew up in an American school system). Still, a quick and informative read.

[Adrien Desautels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended by someone dear to me.

A quick read and a good primer for laying down the lexicon, which truly is the greatest barrier for productive conversation and common ground when it comes to a shared vision of a better future.

Would recommend to anyone interested in understanding Marx in the modern context.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who is not a novice, this book gives a crisp review of the core ideas of Marxism. While I understand that it is beyond the scope of this book, it would've been better if some of the key arguments opposing Marxism had been addressed. Either way, this can be a great start for beginners to understand Marxism and Marxist texts better.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction for those who want an understanding of Socialism and Communism. While I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable on this, a refresher is always nice and now can fully confirm that I will be encouraging people to read this short read (about 90 pages) if they wish to start understanding Socialism and Communism.

[Matthew Funke · Rating 3 out of 5]

The PERFECT introduction to Marxist political theory for anyone who wants to get into communism but is confused by the initial gigantic wall of academic jargon in a lot of political theory books. Now I actually understand what materialism is!

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating this a five because though the writing was simple, this book was exactly what it claimed to be: an introduction to Marxism. It was nothing more, nothing less. A quick read that can answer introductory questions on Marx/WWP/Socialism

[Lola Akintoye · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to Marxism. Though I wish it would have spent a longer section on socialist countries. I think it's very important to understand how these states operate, along with their failures and successes to learn how to approach socialism in the future.

[Raghunath · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A reformist struggle is like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound" :O
A bit simplistic but informative and easy read.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to Marxist terms, this pamphlet provides something sorely needed on the left - concise explinations of jargon used largely internally.

[yipeng · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to Marxism in clear, concise chapters with accessible language. I like how digestible it is, as most texts can be quite dense and overwhelming.

[daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good, short and easy introduction to marxism and community liberation. its time to get with the real politics and not liberal BS

[Gayatri Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book for introduction to the ideas of socialism.

[saman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super basic guide of Marxism written in a simple manner without the use of any tough terminologies. Very US centric but I liked it.

[Pure heroine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh introduction

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good, easily readable introduction to Marxism. It lays out clearly it's tenets and explains clearly obtuse ideas like dialectical materialism and private vs personal property. You owe it to yourself to read this if you are curious at all about left wing politics, or if you already understand Marxism but aren't quite sure how to explain it. Even if you are not left wing or are anti-Marxism, you should have the intellectual honesty to know exactly what a leftist means when they talk about their ideas. Best of all, this is easily available online in PDF format!

[Dominic Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent primer on socialism, specifically Marxist-Leninist orientated socialism, for anyone who is interested. The authors of this short book do an excellent job of demonstrating how at its core an intersectional socialism is the only adequate solution to the problems that plague us. If for no other reason, you should consider reading this book—which takes no time at all and can be found for free online—to better inform yourself about a contentious subject many on both the left and right have misconceptions about.

[Marlene Ito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this a good introductory read on Marxism- it covered imperialism, dialectical and historical materialism, LGBTQ oppression (alongside racism and women's oppression) to democracy, fascism and communism and much more. I found the second half however, significantly more interesting and enjoyed the FIST political program's demands on how to move forward and combat capitalism and imperialism. Would recommend!

[Resa Boydston · Rating 5 out of 5]

this guide gave an in-depth look at all the terms that our local news uses to make activists look bad. so, if you want to know the truth of our histories, what the powers-that-be are doing to confuse us and keep in-fighting going between the races and the social classes...this is the book for you. if you want to be the ostrich that sticks its head in the sand...keep believing Fox news

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

decent, if necessarily oversimplified, introduction to marxism(-leninism) from a 21st century us perspective