Could anyone help? Give some tips? I really want to read Capital, then move on to stuff like State/Revolution, Governance, etc.
I'm not really a fan of audiobooks (mostly because they're so monotone feeling... maybe I've not found the right ones?), but if I can't figure anything else out, I might go down that road.
My main issue is really just focus. I'll read a few paragraphs and enjoy it, then as I continue I slowly start drifting, no longer understanding the text, rereading over and over...
Anyways, I imagine some of you may have had this problem before, with how the internet and social media fucked our attention spans and all. Maybe if I could ever read Capital and all that, I could make comprehensive video versions for those like me...
Thanks in advance.
but they also do this kind of excessive thing where they take turns explaining something you only need one person to explain but always pause to enthusiastically agree with each other
LMFAO :agony:
This is brutally accurate, but it is still a GREAT pod. I highly recommend the episode about On Contradiction.
Well congrats, you can at least say you're more well read on theory than Jordan Peterson
I often have the same problem, here's what works for me:
1: Capital might be especially challenging, it's very thick and dense. You don't need to have read it to understand other theory, as long as you know the basic concepts. Maybe start with something lighter, and work your way up to Capital? Though, I understand why you might not want to do this.
2: Read it one chapter per day, make it a part of your routine, never skip a day. Take short notes while reading.
3: Buy a physical copy of the book. I find that reading it on a screen causes me to get distracted or to stop paying attention. You can get old theory for very cheap, my Capital was like five euros.
I have found that I just get way too angry and excited when I read theory. I want to tell everyone about it to help educate them, but that often just means pouring my soul into the soulless slot machine that is Facebook.
I use an app called VoiceDreamReader to read ebooks to me while I walk. A premium voice costs $5 and does a better job than most professional readers. You can also slow them way the hell down to really absorb a text. It can feel almost like I'm floating on air when I get really into something good and am also walking at the same time. (And yes, VoiceDreamReader just cut me a check. Actually they didn't. Or did they?)
Theory-based podcasts like Revolutionary Left Radio, Red Menace, Red Library, Cosmopod, and others, are also immensely helpful, I find.
I also just put together a short ebook of theory, written as plainly as possible. Feel free to download it: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z28f6z9cmqsz0ic/AABDz8zNawOEjNSIxRFdNDi3a?dl=0
Also, when it comes to theory, the journey of learning never really ends. I learn new leftwing shit every single fucking day. So please don't beat yourself up if you're unable to consider yourself an expert.
Whoa thank you for that I work a lot and have lost my appetite for pleasure reading so audiobooks are my go to. This is critical for less popular texts kudos
If you’re relatively new to reading Marx, there is no reason to rush to slog through Capital. Obviously it’s an important book, but you can get a good enough grasp on Marxist economics by reading his considerably shorter works “Wage Labour and Capital,” and “Value, Price, and Profit.” Once you’ve built up a familiarity with Marx’s style and ideas, it is much easier to get through his longer and more complex writing.
Also, join a org or a Marxist reading club, student group, whatever. It’s much easier to learn in collaboration with others than blazing the trail on your own.
I second this. Read some shorter Marx texts and compare how the phrases (e.g “relations of production”) get shared. Annotate if you’re reading print.
Engels also wrote in a clearer style (imo): Principles of Communism and Utopian and Scientific Socialism are both helpful Marx digests. Also want to mention the Red Menace podcast, which focuses on explaining historical materialism.
I listen to Red Menace while playing some game that doesnt require much concentration like for example hearthstone, it keeps me from getting bored
Different game, but this is exactly how I "read" theory
For anyone else trying this, add a keyboard shortcut to skip back a minute or two. This way when you run into complicated passages or if the game requires a spike of attention you can easily repeat until you feel comfortable to move forward.
Also, for Capital in particular, it gets much easier to pay attention once you get past the linen and coats section. If you feel like you get the gist of that part I'd say skip forward
Taking notes is the main thing that helps me focus while reading. Like you say when you’re reading a paragraph over and over, taking notes helps. It allows you to stop and engage and focus on getting the main idea from that section instead of getting stuck and skipping over it or something. It does take more time and effort but I think it’s worth it in the long run for the better recall of information you get. Granted I certainly don’t always take notes lol, but I can tell the difference in focus when I do.
To add to that, in Capital especially try to prefigure where the next argument will go. Say you’re stuck on the money velocity relationship, try to think about how (or whether) it applies to the reality around you and what would it mean. Then reading the next chapters/paragraphs is like solving the mystery in the detective genre, rather than stuffing your brain with theoretical information
I read Combat Liberalism before bed last night, give it a go, it's only like 2 pages
Read some Mao. His stuff can be really short and some of the most practical.
Depending on "how" you're reading (digital format, in bed before going to sleep, on the toilet, etc)... you could try to condense what you've read in a paragraph or page into one or two sentences.
Keep a notebook handy, or if reading in some digital format, see if there is some way to add a text box or note to the page. If you want to plan ahead, flip through the book you're trying to read and copy down the headings in a notebook. When you get to those sections while reading, you already have a rough template of where to start your condensing exercises. It might give something to focus on as a goal while you're reading and give you a stopping point to take breaks.
After finishing a section and checking over your notes, see if you could identify the "thesis" of the section, the arguments supporting the thesis, and if you felt that the arguments were clear and convincing or if the arguments were unclear or unconvincing.
For me, when I find myself drifting, I figure its time to set the book down for a bit.
Unless you want to specifically study in-depth economics, I don't think Capital is required reading material. State and Revolution, on the other hand, is amazing and not too difficult to read, and Lenin's writing style is a lot more entertaining than Marx's, even though I don't know which dead economist he insults. I'm reading Imperialism: the Highest Stage of Capitalism atm, and I think its great, but start with State and Rev
I never finished capital but professor Harvey’s lecture series helped me get through what little I did comprehend
https://www.marxists.org/archive/olgin/pamphlets/1933/whycomindex.htm
This is probably a lot more easier to digest since it's written for the common man to understand. Why Communism by Moissaye J Olgin.
