I’ve read a lot online and listened to a lot of videos/podcasts in the last 3 or so years, but I’m genuinely interested in reading solid theory (instead of hearing them quoted in YouTube videos, podcasts and articles). I am not smart enough to understand das kapital and I don’t read books that often at all (I have read the manifesto)

What should be the first three books I buy to warm myself up into understanding the theory more in depth compared to quotes, memes, YouTube videos/podcasts etc. (I was thinking maybe a Marx book, Lenin book and a Foucault book? But I have no idea!)

What would your suggestion for your first 3 books

PS I’m also new to the chapo.chat community! I haven’t been a part of a cth community since the original was banned so sorry if it’s in the wrong community!

  • PorkrollPosadist [he/him, they/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Many people recommend State and Revolution. State and Revolution has some real banger quotes in it. For whatever reason though, it didn't grasp me too much though. I really owe it another read.

    On the other hand, while it is technically an offshoot of ML, I found On Contradiction and On Practice by Mao to be truly enlightening. Combat Liberalism is a meme shitpost by comparison. Combined, On Practice and On Contradiction are about the same length of State and Revolution (as in, relatively short pamphlets akin to the Communist Manifesto), but they really tackle the fundamentals of dialectical materialism in the most concise way I have ever been exposed to. They are a solid foundation to build from.

      • PorkrollPosadist [he/him, they/them]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Absolutely. I can't overstate how much these short texts helped me better understand the rest of Marxist literature as a whole.

    • BrookeBaybee [she/her,love/loves]
      1·
      4 years ago

      On Practice and On Contradiction are a large part of why I consider myself a Maoist. They're such a thorough, well-written, and easy to understand explanation of dialectical materialism and have influenced how I read other pieces of theory

    • bophadese [they/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Thank you for your recommendations! I’m adding them to my reading list for sure. I’ve always wanted to understand mao more than “we should eradicate landlords” so thank you for a starting point