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‘It was a sweet finish after the bitter pills of floggings and bullets with which these same governments, just at that time, dosed the German working-class risings’. The Communist Manifesto is, perhaps surprisingly, a most engaging and accessible work, containing even the odd shaft of humour in this translation by Samuel Moore for the 1888 English edition.
It can be said of very few books that the world was changed as a result of its publication - but this is certainly the case of Capital: A Critique of Political Economy by Karl Marx (1818-1883). Volume 1 appeared (in German) in 1867, and the two subsequent volumes appeared at later dates after the author's death - completed from extensive notes left by Marx himself.
The classical economists pioneered a new way of thinking about the uniquely human tendency to produce, trade, consume, and accumulate. Adam Smith (1723-1790) explained how the division of labor expands productive power and argued for freedom in economic affairs. David Ricardo (1772-1823), a London stockbroker, developed the concept of diminishing returns, the wages-fund doctrine, and classical rent theory.
The Big Three in Economics reveals the battle of ideas among the three most influential economists in world history: Adam Smith, representing laissez faire; Karl Marx, reflecting the radical socialist model; and John Maynard Keynes, symbolizing big government and the welfare state. History comes alive in this fascinating story of opposing views that continue to play a fundamental role in today's politics and economics.
The foundation for all modern economic thought and political economy, The Wealth of Nations is the magnum opus of Scottish economist Adam Smith, who introduces the world to the very idea of economics and capitalism in the modern sense of the words.
John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) was without question the most influential economist of the twentieth century. His most important work, The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money, was published in 1936, and it was widely perceived as offering plausible explanations and solutions for the Great Depression.<
‘It was a sweet finish after the bitter pills of floggings and bullets with which these same governments, just at that time, dosed the German working-class risings’. The Communist Manifesto is, perhaps surprisingly, a most engaging and accessible work, containing even the odd shaft of humour in this translation by Samuel Moore for the 1888 English edition.
It can be said of very few books that the world was changed as a result of its publication - but this is certainly the case of Capital: A Critique of Political Economy by Karl Marx (1818-1883). Volume 1 appeared (in German) in 1867, and the two subsequent volumes appeared at later dates after the author's death - completed from extensive notes left by Marx himself.
The classical economists pioneered a new way of thinking about the uniquely human tendency to produce, trade, consume, and accumulate. Adam Smith (1723-1790) explained how the division of labor expands productive power and argued for freedom in economic affairs. David Ricardo (1772-1823), a London stockbroker, developed the concept of diminishing returns, the wages-fund doctrine, and classical rent theory.
The Big Three in Economics reveals the battle of ideas among the three most influential economists in world history: Adam Smith, representing laissez faire; Karl Marx, reflecting the radical socialist model; and John Maynard Keynes, symbolizing big government and the welfare state. History comes alive in this fascinating story of opposing views that continue to play a fundamental role in today's politics and economics.
The foundation for all modern economic thought and political economy, The Wealth of Nations is the magnum opus of Scottish economist Adam Smith, who introduces the world to the very idea of economics and capitalism in the modern sense of the words.
John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) was without question the most influential economist of the twentieth century. His most important work, The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money, was published in 1936, and it was widely perceived as offering plausible explanations and solutions for the Great Depression.<
Frank Knight (1885-1972) fathered the famous Chicago School of Economics, whose members are among the most decorated in history. An abstract theorist, Knight emphasized the role of risk and uncertainty in economic affairs, and was philosophically concerned with such topics as means vs. ends, economics as a study of human nature, and human communication.
In this brilliant book, Francis Wheen, the author of the most successful biography of Karl Marx, tells the story of Das Kapital and Marx's 20-year struggle to complete his unfinished masterpiece. Born in a two-room flat in London's Soho amid political squabbles and personal tragedy, the first volume of Das Kapital was published in 1867 to muted praise. But after Marx's death, the book went on to influence thinkers, writers, and revolutionaries.
Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) and Friedrich Hayek (1899-1992) were perhaps the foremost defenders of the free market and limited government during the mid-twentieth century ascendancy of Keynesian economics.
Among the men and women prominent in the public life of early 20th-century America there are but few whose names are mentioned as often as that of Emma Goldman. Yet the real Emma Goldman is almost quite unknown. Here are powerful, penetrating, prophetic essays on direct action, the role of minorities, prison reform, puritan hypocrisy, and violence.
In 1871, the Franco-Prussian War was raging. The workers of Paris, fed up with a government that had begun the hated war, and the exploitation, repression, and abuse of "their" government, took matters into their own hands. They instituted the Paris Commune - of, by, and for the workers. Observing these events through news reports of the time, one of the foremost thinkers of the 19th century, Karl Marx, made three speeches to the International Workmen's Association.
On Anarchism provides the reasoning behind Noam Chomsky's fearless lifelong questioning of the legitimacy of entrenched power. In these essays, Chomsky redeems one of the most maligned ideologies, anarchism, and places it at the foundation of his political thinking. Chomsky's anarchism is distinctly optimistic and egalitarian. Moreover, it is a living, evolving tradition that is situated in a historical lineage; Chomsky's anarchism emphasizes the power of collective, rather than individualist, action.
In The Reactionary Mind, Robin traces conservatism back to its roots in the reaction against the French Revolution. He argues that the right was inspired, and is still united, by its hostility to emancipating the lower orders. Some conservatives endorse the free market; others oppose it. Some criticize the state; others celebrate it. Underlying these differences is the impulse to defend power and privilege against movements demanding freedom and equality - while simultaneously making populist appeals to the masses.
Dr. Arjo Klamer: Monetarism emerged in the 1960's under the leadership of Milton Friedman, who received the Nobel Prize in 1976. Friedman taught at the University of Chicago during this period, developing monetarism as a branch of Frank Knight's famous "Chicago School" of economics. Monetarists emphasize the role of money and the government's monetary policy in economic affairs; they vigorously defend the free market in their work.
Neoliberalism - the doctrine that market exchange is an ethic in itself, capable of acting as a guide for all human action - has become dominant in both thought and practice throughout much of the world since 1970 or so. Writing for a wide audience, David Harvey, author of The New Imperialism and The Condition of Postmodernity, here tells the political-economic story of where neoliberalization came from and how it proliferated on the world stage.
On the Social Contract's appeal and influence has been wide-ranging and continuous. It has been called an encomium to democracy and, at the same time, a blueprint for totalitarianism. Individualists, collectivists, anarchists, and socialists have all taken courage from Rousseau's controversial masterpiece.
Why is the Atlantic slowly filling with crude petroleum, threatening a millions-of-years-old ecological balance? Why did traders at prominent banks take high-risk gambles with the money entrusted to them by hundreds of thousands of clients around the world, expanding and leveraging their investments to the point that failure led to a global financial crisis that left millions of people jobless and hundreds of cities economically devastated?
In Marx: A Very Short Introduction, Peter Singer identifies the central vision that unifies Marx's thought, enabling us to grasp Marx's views as a whole. He sees him as a philosopher primarily concerned with human freedom, rather than as an economist or a social scientist. In plain English, he explains alienation, historical materialism, the economic theory of Capital, and Marx's ideas of communism, and concludes with an assessment of Marx's legacy.
Marx argued that all profit, rent, and interest are "surplus-value", obtained by paying workers less than the value of their products. He maintained that the living conditions of the workers always tend to deteriorate, that competition automatically creates monopoly, and that the business cycle demonstrates the wastefulness of capitalism.
I would have enjoyed this title if it had actually contained at least a few hours of the original text of the book it purports to be. Unfortunately its almost entirely commentary and spends more time refuting Marx than letting the reader hear his thoughts. The voice actors with foreign accents were also in my opinion unnecessary. A shortened version of this title would be great as an introduction to the actual work. Audible really needs to find some better recordings for the works of Marx.
51 of 51 people found this review helpful
Not that I should be surprised at the anti-Marx sentiment given that this was produced in 1988, but this was more about Marx and his ideas, some of which were central to Das Kapital. I was more of an apologists response to Capitalism. Having recently, finished listening to Marx' Capital, I decided to give this a chance. It seems that the primary motivation was to discredit certain aspects of Marx' thought and without always providing appropriate context. At least the closing statement was that the "Communists in Russia had little to do with Marxism."
21 of 21 people found this review helpful
What would have made Karl Marx better?
It would have been better had the author not been an anti-communist. He made straw man arguments out of Capital, useless book.
Any additional comments?
Author should have tried harder to capture the essence of Marx's work, not refute it (using straw man arguments.
29 of 30 people found this review helpful
What disappointed you about Karl Marx?
Because of the title, I mistakenly purchased this when I wanted Das Kapital itself. That said, was prepared to take interest in it as a secondary source - but found it childishly simplistic, as if written to inspire school children (filled with the sort of irrelevant, trumped up biographical commentary that reminds me of picture books about Abraham Lincoln and George Washington). I could perhaps have gotten past all that - were it not for the quotations from Marx read with a "German" accent.
What do you think your next listen will be?
Karl Marx. In his own words. Without the accent.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
see all of the above.
What character would you cut from Karl Marx?
The biographer.
Any additional comments?
Don't bother.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
A died in the wool, committed capitalist would like this book very much as it presents the capitalist perception of the ideas of Karl Marx.
Would you ever listen to anything by David Ramsay Steele again?
probably not.
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
the narator was fine. i would listen to other works read by him.
What character would you cut from Karl Marx?
i would cut Mr. Steele and let Karl's Ideas stand or fall on their own merit.
Any additional comments?
This book should have been marketed as A Capitalist's View of Karl Marx's Das Kapital. I believed it to be a translation from the German. I was interested in the Ideas of Marx, not Mr. Steele's opinions.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
This review is only because the book isn't what it appears to be. This is *not* Das Kapital by Karl Marx, it's a commentary on Marx's work.
Would you recommend Karl Marx to your friends? Why or why not?
If someone's looking for Marx's actual work, certainly not. For someone wanting Marx to be explained to them, with occasional quotes from Das Kapital surrounded by refutations, historical context or rationalizations, this is probably for them.
Did Louis Rukeyser do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
Yes, though the accents were unnecessary, a little cartoonish and made parts of the recording difficult to understand.
Any additional comments?
The title is actually the misleading part. If it had been "Marx's Kapital: A Commentary" or similar, it would have been clear what this work is.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
What would have made Karl Marx better?
Author of the collected excerpts should not have included such copious and obvious negative opinions and points about the work. Historical context and some opinion is appreciated, but this goes way over the top. I wish it focused more on citing the text, and explaining the issues without being so pushy trying to de-legitimate the ideas- They speak for themselves.
Has Karl Marx turned you off from other books in this genre?
yes, if the genre is "extreme editorial of major texts"
What three words best describe Louis Rukeyser’s voice?
clear, authoritative, direct
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Karl Marx?
well, actually, i was trying to find the original work unabridged, so i would have cut everything the author added.
Any additional comments?
this is a terrible version to buy if you are not already familiar with the original text.. also it is worthless if you already are familiar. overall, do not buy.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
This is a capitalist interpretation and criticism of Das Kapital selling itself as the original
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Any additional comments?
This audio book is not Das Kapital even though it's very clearly labeled as if it is.
This is an audio book making commentary and criticism of Das Kapital The arguments can be appreciated as a they contextualize some of Marx's arguments to their time and allow the listener to compare them to more modern economic and technological realities. However they're also sometimes overly dismissive of Marx and even occasionally come off as attacks on his character or motives.
I feel the author did, for the most part, try to be objective but it is imperfect for sure.
If you've gone over Das Kapital this may be a good listen to hear the perspective of someone who would argue against it. The arguments are not always poor, but they definitely show a bias at times.
This should honestly be titled "Commentaries on Das Kapital".
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Why did David Ramsay Steele disappoint me?
I'd like to start by saying that I loved the detail and the inclusion of many other great thinkers
When i bought this book though, i was trying to learn more about what Marx had to say, I just wish Steele would have kept it as objective as possible
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
WHEN I PURCHASED THIS WELL READ AUDIO BOOK , I THOUGHT IT WAS (AN ABRIDGED VERSION) OF DAS KAPITAL!
HOWEVER IT WAS AN OVERVIEW BY DAVID STEELE OF KARL MARX:; ALTHOUGH VERY INFORMATIVE ONE COULD BE FORGIVEN INTO THINKING THE AUTHOR HAD HIS OWN PRECONCIEVED UNDERSTANDING OF "MARXISM" AND IT'S SUBSEQUENT INFLUENCE ON WORLD HISTORY BOTH PAST AND TO COME.
I ENJOYED LISTENING AND THOUGHT THE "BOOK" WORTH THE £5-00.
I CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR A COPY OF DAS KAPITAL (PREFERABLY IN AN AUDI0 FORMAT)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Unless I am very much mistaken this IS NOT das kapital. I would not have bought this if I knew it was someone's opinion of das kapital.
This is terrible DO NOT BUY.
Much better than 'The communist manifesto' I downloaded, as it was just read out and I only managed ½ of it before I got bored. 'Das Kapital' was much better, it was shorter and was explained to the listener. I enjoyed it.