I read How The World Works by Chomsky - it's a collection of his radio appearances and whatnot transcribed, so it's all nice n colloquial. I'm thinking Bullshit Jobs next, because apparently it's quite funny and easy to radicalize libs with, which to me at the moment feels more useful than dumping communist theory onto someone that'll write it off instantly because gommulism is when no iphone.
A little book called "The Chapo Guide To Revolution"
It's got everything you need my friend.
edit: I am just kidding it's terrible
This one's a mixed bag in terms of accessibility. On one hand it's short and uses tons of movie references to support its points, but on the other hand it makes tons of offhanded references to concepts and writers a general audience will have never heard of.
I’ve only read (part of) Washington Bullets, but I’ve heard several Vijay Prashad interviews lately and I think he’s fantastic; a grounded yet optimistic revolutionary. I’m definitely planning on Poorer Nations / Red Star Over the Third World / Darker Nations at some point, he has a pretty big catalogue of writing.
I found Washington Bullets extremely easy to read, so I’m thinking his other stuff will be as well (he’s said something along the lines that, his job is to smuggle knowledge out of academia and distribute it to the people, and I think his writing style is consistent with that)
An Introduction to the History of Crisis Theories by Anwar Shaikh (1978) - Summary and comparison of various theories of crises under capitalism.
The Crisis of Keynesian Economics - A Marxist View by Geoffrey Pilling (1986) - Overview of the crisis of the 70's that laid the ground for neoliberalism.
In the Long Run We Are All Dead by Geoff Mann - Haven't read it, but plenty of good things said about it. Overview and criticism of Keynesianism, but more recent.
Economic theory in historical perspective by Lefteris Tsoulfidis - Short paper providing a critical overview of the development of economic theory.
Change Agent: Gene Sharp’s Neoliberal Nonviolence by Marcie Smith - Looking at the Gene Sharp's ideas of nonviolent methods of undermining what he saw as centralised governments, and their influence among liberal and left activist circles in ways that defanged and undermined effective organising and action.
https://nonsite.org/change-agent-gene-sharps-neoliberal-nonviolence-part-one/
https://nonsite.org/change-agent-gene-sharps-neoliberal-nonviolence-part-one/
Smart Machines and Service Work - Automation in an Age of Stagnation by Jason E. Smith - A look at stagnating/declining productivity rates, and their contradiction with prevailing narratives about automation and supposed massive oncoming layoffs. Argues a marxist understanding relating to the growth of unproductive (of surplus-value) forms of labour and declining profitability explaining decreases in investment rates and increases in speculation and stock buybacks, and the relationship to current worker struggles.
Killing Hope is fantastic it’s like an encyclopedia of US imperialist actions around the world
Assata isn't theory, but it's educational in the same way and is a very compelling read.
You can find a book that strikes your interest on my party's book publishing site
I can also recommend Moissaye J. Olgin's "Why Communism? Plain Talks on Vital Problems" since it's a booklet/pamphlet written with conveying the "why" of why you should be a Red to the average prole.
Somewhat dated, but “Amusing ourselves to death” by postman.
Good personal narrative, with theory mixed in toward the end: “on the clock” by Emily Guendelsberger (sp?)
