3 comments about The Measure of My Days.

1. What a pleasure it was to read this book! Dr. Scott-Maxwell's book brings the aging process into consciousness, with seminal thoughts reflecting on Jungian ideas (opposite natures, inner-outer experiences, differentiation, the unconscious and God). The book is written in a format of a personal, meditation essays.

   Noted author Alice Walker said in an NPR interview (April 26th, 2004), that the grandmother spirit, the "cinder grandmother", is missing in our culture. Florida Pier Scott-Maxwell is a voice that should be heard.




2. In attempting to complete an assigment, I purchaced this book. I was pleased to find such positive reviews. After I recieved this book I started to attempt to read and understand this author. I am sorry to say but I should have choose a different author. Much of the book was writen in a form of a women's ponderings with no real frame of referance to work from. I feel that this is because of the education of the author. When the author actually did give framework like when she was with her grandson and how he looked at the world with fresh eyes it was easy to relate and understand where she was comeing from. I found that at the end of the assignment, I did something with a book that I never do and that was throw it away.



3. If there were only one book i could take with me on the last leg of this earthly journey, it would be this one. This is an unflinching view of life from the vantage point of very old age.

4 comments about Introducing Lacan, 3rd Edition (Introducing).

1. I bought this book for a college assigment. IMHO, this book is not a good introduction to Lacan. There are instances, however, in which the author does not explain a concept or an idea at length thus causing you to pause and reread. As I said, it doesn't work as an introduction; don't consider the definitions of concepts, like jouissance for example, as final because Lacan does revisit them and change them in his later seminars. Lacan himself prefers that people read him without knowing anything and that is what you, as a new reader of Lacanian writing, should do. Afterwards come to this book for a simplification of terms. A better title would be Simplifying Lacan.



2. Like many, I have struggled with Lacan's "own" words in English translation, sensing ideas of importance that are lost because a) Lacan intentionally obfuscated his ideas to make the very points he wrote about, b) French linguistic play doesn't translate into English, & c) translators vary in quality, in part depending on their audience (e.g., cultural studies, which often misconstrues Lacan as a postmodernist). This book is a wonderful introduction, although I suspect it is of greatest value to someone like myself who has already attempted to fathom Schema L with frustration.
   For the beginner, I suggest making a try at Lacan himself especially the Seminars, for example, Seminar XI: The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis. After enduring one or two of these, come to this book, and then return to Lacan, who should now seem much more illuminating and witty. You may even understand why Lacan seemed so frustrating to you, which goes to his essential points about what language does for the sense of self.
   Another strategy is to read any number of works by Slavoj Zizek (for example, Looking Awry, Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Hitchcock), who can slice and dice popular culture in a fun way, all the while with a very lucid understanding of Lacan's ideas. It helps to have one or two videos of Hitchcock handy as you do so.



3. I must disagree with the first reviewer of this book. I found this "Introducing..." installment to be unclear and unhelpful, unlike most in the series. The author hurls terminology at you with little, and sometimes no, explanation. Each page seems to introduce a new concept without building on the previous ones discussed. Perhaps this is a good overview or refresher for those already familiar with Lacan's work, but for the beginner, it is useless.



4. When you need an introduction to Lacan, buy this and forget the rest. This book has at least three merits. First, the author is an orthodox lacanian psychoanalyst. This advantage could not be overstated. So many books titled so-called "Introduction to Lacan" are written by non-professional (e.g. professors of French, Cultural Studies or literary critic) with some dubious leanings and irredeemable confusions. Those books are rather personal accounts than good introductions for beginner and of no use to understand one of the most difficult writers of all time. Darian Leader's book is different. This book was written by lacanian professional rather than self-appointed "interpreter" of Lacan and supervised by Jacques-Alain Miller, the successor of Lacan. This fact makes the book the most faithful and reliable introduction to Lacan. Second, this book explains the clinical significance and origin of great Lacanian terms, e.g. repetition, sinthome, lalangue, so on. The result is that the approach makes it easy to understand. This is why other books by non-psychiatrist could be by no means competitors. Third, this book is written by exceptionally clear language and aided by intelligent graphics. Clearity is not a Lacanian virtue, but this book makes a immensely satisfying exception.

5 comments about My Life With The Spirits: The Adventures of a Modern Magician.

1. Like some others who have posted a review, it was the title that drew me to this book. Never heard of the author before, but he had a `deep in thought' stare on the cover with mysterious writings... Who could resist possible diabolical behavior with secret magical workings? What turns out, it's mostly about a typical hippie from the 70's (haha, just a fun jab) and his struggles to survive various stages in his life of faith/magick. Contempt for God is evident, but after reading the chapters of his early life in Nebraska, you can see clearly how this developed. From birth, to a brief music career, to a hard life direction all the way to Crowley and beyond, you get a clear picture of how his choices on things come forward. There are a few magick moments in the book, but like many stories of practiced magick, it could go wither way, it ~could~ have been real, or it could have just as easily been chance or imagination or strong desire. But that is up to the reader on that. There are fun moments throughout, very well written! One of my favorite parts is the `mentally mooning' of bragging psychics and/or mystics. I love that, too funny. Expect fun moments like that. To me in the end it was a brief book of reflection on self discovery for posterity. No stale braggadocio here, or impossibly naïve claims of power like so many others. The author lays out his achievements and faults to bring together quite an interesting progressive story. I've read it several times. I have no patience or continued focus on boring things. A testament to the writer for an excellent read. Because of this book I've looked into other books by this author.



2. I feel this is Mr. DuQuette's best work. It describes his early struggles and how he came to be a magician. I feel his advice could help any aspiring magician, especially his practical approach to evocation.



3. A good read for a lazy Sunday or a long train/airplane ride. A nice light writing style carries the reader through without being tedious or ponderous. It is a 'give-me-glimpse' book for the curious of and beginners to magik. 4 stars for the entertainment value.



4. I have read this book mostly to learn about Lon DuQuette's experiences with the angelic (Enochian) magick. What I found only confirmed my opinion that modern "magickians" are to the old-days magi like third-graders doing science experiments to the professional scientists using a university laboratory. It is not just that DuQuette apparently believes in the efficacy of the Golden Dawn and Crowleyan rituals which bring results roughly at a par with those of school science experiments. He also displays an uninformed and rather crude contempt for Christianity, not only in its American fundamentalist form which would be somewhat understandable, but in general. No wonder than that instead of Dee's angelic visitors he conjures up simian creatures throwing mud in their crotches.
   
   On the other hand, DuQuette is an outstanding comedian and I truly congratulate him on his excellent and often self-deprecating sense of humor. "My life with the spirits" is a hilarious read and that's what the three stars are for.



5. Very interresting book and very usefull for some, who work with magic.

5 comments about MUCHAS VIDAS, MUCHOS MAESTROS (Coleccion Edicion Limitada).

1. this book it was great I learned about what the people experiments when they die its amazing....If you want to know about that this book can you help.



2. A la edad de 19 anos mi primer novio se murio en un accidente de carros y atraves de los libros de brian me han motivado a creser y madurar y ver su muerte en otra perpestiva.. adoro su forma de escribir y este libro es amazing..



3. No seré yo quien quite la ilusión de quien necesite de otra vida para llevar mejor la presente. Pero analizado con sentido crítico, este libro presenta numerosos signos de ser totalmente inventado:
   - Alondra, la primera reencarnación, afirma estar en el añor 1863 antes de Cristo. ¿Desde cuando el CALENDARIO CRISTIANO SE UTILIZÓ ANTES DE NACER CRISTO? Y dejando aparte este pequeño detalle, ¿cómo Catherine -la persona que supuestamente Weiss estudió- puede llegar a saber el año al instante? ¿realmente se piensa Weiss que la humanidad ha tenido siempre tan presente el AÑO en el que vivía? - otra cosa son las estaciones dentro de un periodo anual- . Decir la fecha parece sencillamente a un recurso narrativo para impresionar al lector, pero que no tiene ningun sentido en el caso acontecido.
   - El libro cae en tópicos que en una novela serían incluso detalles "malos". Por ejemplo, ¿por qué la vida que Catherine vivió a mediados de siglo XX ha de ser, precisamente, piloto de guerra alemán? ¿Por qué no era campesino en la India, o habitante de Brasil, o cualquiera de los millones de europeos que no tuvieron nada que ver con la guerra mundial? Es un detalle que le quita veracidad a la narración!
   - La teoría de que las almas viajan en grupo es absurda. La población mundial, hace 30 años, era la mitad que la de ahora. Por tanto, estadísticamente es imposible que las almas viajen en grupos sencillamente por que hace 30 años existían la mitad de las personas. Lo mismo se puede decir de las típicas encarnaciones en la civilización egipcia: Egipto tenía varios miles de veces menos población que el mundo actual, por lo que sería dificilísimo encontrar un reencarnado que hubiese vivido en Egipto!!. En cambio, Weiss parece haber encontrado uno a la primera!!
   - Weiss se plantea pero inmediatamente descarta la posibilidad de si la memoria es heredada. ¡¡El simplemente hecho de plantearse tal aberración muestra que no tiene ni idea de, ni cómo funciona la memoria, ni cómo funciona la herencia!! Aparte...las vidas pasadas NO son de hijos o nietos... Por tanto, no podría tener nada que ver con la herencia!
   - El calendario cristiano, actualmente, es seguido por 1/5 de la población mundial. Por tanto, estadísticamente de nuevo, sólo un quinto de las vidas pasadas podrían haber expresado las fechas en este calendario. En cambio, TODAS las encarnaciones que son capaces de expresar la fecha lo hacen en este calendario.
   Hay mas detalles que hacen dudar muchísimo de la veracidad de lo que cuenta Weiss. En numerosas ocasiones es traicionado por su falta de visión del mundo, de lo que es y de lo que fué. Tampoco fué el primero en hablar de regresiones mediante hipnosis: a principios de siglo era una práctica de moda en círculos esotéricos.
   Lo siento, pero si por un remoto casual existiesen vidas pasadas, creo que Weiss puede aportar al asunto menos que yo: yo no puedo aportar nada, pero él sólo confusión.



4. Este libro y todos los del Doctor Weiss nos muestran de que venimos a esta vida a aprender, que no todo se termina con la muerte,si no que es un ciclo mas, he estado aprendiendo mucho con estos libros, te recomiendo todos los libros del Doctor Weiss, si estas en busca de ti mismo, y le tienes miedo ala muerte o no entiendes cual es la finalidad de tu existencia estos libros te ayudarn enormemente como lo hicieron conmigo, quiza todos tenemos diferentes maneras de asimilar la verdad, pero el Doctor Weiss nos muestra como el, siendo un Psiquiatra con bases ceintificas descubrio la verdad de muchas cosas y situaciones que los cientificos jamas podran explicar con sus teorias, definitivamente una serie de libros muy interesantes y llenos de mensajes que te llenaran de paz y esperanza.....



5. I read this book in one or two days. It is simply fascinating! It's a story told by a psychiatrist, who, while conducting psychoanalysis with a troubled young lady, accidentaly uncovered her past lives. Her current problems in her relationships and health (she suffered from anxiety and depression) turned out to be rooted not to problems in her childhood but to problems and events of her previous lives. Catherine also discovered an amazing ability to talk to the "masters" when being hypnotized. The book is definitely worth the read!

5 comments about The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great Thinkers.

1. I liked the book, clearly written, full of anecdotes and with the history of economic thought flowing from Adam Smith to nowadays.
   Economics made simple and with an easy to understand linkage to the events that shaped the world.



2. This author managed to write an interesting economics book. The book contains the history of economic thought, and details about the quirky lives of famous economists. The author believes in the "no wasted sentences" style of writing.
   He writes in a Will Durant type style where every page is a mixture of fact, opinions and wit. After every chapter, a reader can feel that He really learned something. Purists would say it is better to read the original text by the economist, Then use this book to find out what economist to pursue. I really enjoyed this book, that provides a lot of bang for the buck, Knowledge nuggets ripe for the picking.



3. Skousen has written an interesting but badly flawed history of economic thought from a libertarian pespective .There are many anecdotes about the peculiarities and foibles of many of the economists he covers that are worth the purchase price of the book alone.All major economists of the last 300 years are covered in a greater or lesser fashion.
   
   The first serious intellectual problem with this book is that Skousen has read only bits and pieces of Adam Smith[Wealth of Nations(WN),1776] and John Maynard Keynes(General Theory,1936).Contrary to Skousen,Adam Smith is not a libertarian.Smith is a conservative, in the sense of Hamilton,Washington,Franklin,Madison,and the Adams brothers.This group is called the Federalists in American history.This group supported a strong federal government ,independent central bank,revenue and retaliatory tariffs,etc..Smith would be an opponent of the Anti -Federalists(Mason,Randolph,Jefferson,Paine,Henry,etc.,supported a weak cental government,no central bank,and no tariffs for any reason)Skousen is an Anti-Federalist.The anti federalists are,of course,libertarians.Skousen essentially covers the first 100-150 pages of the WN.He skips about 800 pages.The following facts will be discovered by readers who actually read WN in its entirety.First,Smith favored the establishment of an all powerful,independent,central bank so that it could set a low,fixed rate of interest, permanently in the long run,at what would today be the prime rate of interest.No rate greater than the prime rate could be charged.Second,Smith combined this policy with the condition that projectors(Keynes's speculators of chapters 12,17,and 22 of the GT),prodigals,and unwise risk takers be prevented from obtaining credit/bank loans so that the savings savers had put in the banks, to loan out for future investment, were loaned out for productive,physical investment that would add to the wealth of nations and not the speculative finance of Wall Street brokers,bankers,and stock market analysts whose activities ,according to Smith,waste and destroy the savings by the creation of bubbles which,when they crash,cause severe negative,undepletable externalities and spillover effects that destroy the wealth of nations.Second,Smith was always a proponent of both retaliatory tariffs, as long as there was any probability greater than 0 of getting the offending country-industry to repeal the tariff,and revenue fariffs.Third,Smith was a proponent of progressive taxation.Fourth,Smith understood the severe problems of free market failure,insufficient public goods provision by the private market sector,and insufficient expenditures on education,which would be provided free of charge by Smith to all who could not afford it.Finally,Smith's system of moral sentiments condemned the libertarian philosophy advocated by Skousen.It is not surprising that a reader of Skousen's book will find NONE of this to read in the book.Skousen has very stong a priori beliefs that were possibly passed down to him by his libertarian father,Cleon Skousen.These beliefs are not testable.Skousen's views are ultimately anti scientific because he refuses to consider as empirical evidence the work actually done in economics by Keynes and Smith.Skousen has his own private interpretation.
   
   The chapter on Keynes is as bad intellectually as the chapter on Smith. For example,Keynes never supported any kind of deficit financing/increase in the national debt at all at any time in his life .Economists who believe this are similar to the flat earth believers still around today.Keynes's major policies,explicitly discussed in chapters 22,23,and 24 of the GT ,are directly founded on the wisdom of Adam Smith-Fix the interest rate on loans at a low permanent level.Period.Keynes was an opponent of expansionary fiscal and monetary policies because they would increase the uncertainty in which firms and entreprenuers operated.Finally,it is the uncertainty of the future that creates the sub optimal outcomes that can be observed to occur periodically in the amount of investment and the capital stock.True Keynesian policies seek to create institutions which reduce this uncertainty as much as possible.Only Daniel Ellsberg,with his 2001 exposition in "Risk,Ambiguity,and Decision",has advanced technically and intellectually upon the systematic exposition of uncertainty presented by Keynes in chapters 6 and 26 of the A Treatise on Probability.This exposition serves as the foundation for Keynes's macroeconomics in chapters 5, 12,17,and 22 of the GT,as well as Keynes 's summary of his GT in a 1937 article published in the Quarterly Journal Of Economics.



4. It has its problems and there is some annoying stuff but it is immensely valuable just by spelling it all out and naming so many names.



5. I'm using this book in my courses on History of Economic Thought. My students love it. They are first attracted to the unique, off-beat style of the book that starts each chapter with music selections to put you in the mood that is suitable for each character, each philosophy, and each period of history. The students love the quirky twists in the lives of each of these personalities, making them all very real and human. This is important because too many books of this genre extol historical figures as superhuman or supertrash. Instead, all of these figures come alive as real folk, ones with whom any student could feel comfortable engaging in discussion. I recommend the book highly for class or for just being entertained while delving into the grand issues and debates that are the foundation of current public policy. It is a fun fair for the intellectual.

5 comments about The Big Three in Economics: Adam Smith, Karl Marx, And John Maynard Keynes.

1. A very good an clear book. The author is a fan af Adam Smith and across the book everything is measured through the lenses of Smithian economics.
   The author is capable of rendering the dismal science an exciting subject.
   I recommend this book to all interested in understanding how economics ideas are intertwined with history and with everyday's life.



2. It is not that there are three big mistakes, it is just that the title would be cool. I dont think the book is bad, but I was kind of disappointed with it, since its economics are very limited and simple. I am sure it is a great book for people interested in Econ, but not for an Econ major.
   
   
   =)



3. Skousen has really accomplished something with this book. If the average college professor could convey the information in their field of study with this kind of penetrating clarity, a lot more people would really understand what they learn, rather than just preparing to parrot it back for a test.
   
   This book captures a broad cross-section of the ideas and history behind modern economic thought and ties it all neatly together by linking everything with the simple idea of relating it to Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes. It's brilliant in its simplicity. Skousen starts by saying these are the three you really need to know. Then he says they aren't created equal and ranks them out: #1 Smith, #2 Keynes, #3 Marx. Seems like nothing, but all of a sudden you have a simple and solid mental framework from which to hang the rest of what Skousen tells you.
   
   For each of Skousen's three main characters, you learn about the thinkers that laid the foundation for each of them (or in Smith's case, the lack thereof). You also learn about the historic events that spurred each of them to come up with their theories. You learn each of their theories, then finally - and so critically - you learn in plain English the shortcomings of each of the theories (fatal in two cases).
   
   All of a sudden, you have a deeper understanding of the history and ideas of economics than a lot people who majored in the subject. And because of Skousen's entertaining writing style, you never really noticed how much you were learning.
   
   Kudos to Mark Skousen. I wish more people (myself included) could write like this.
   
   If you've ever had even the slightest interest in economics, do yourself a favor and read this book. You'll be glad you did.



4. Enhanced throughout with charts and photos, "The Big Three In Economics: Adam Smith, Karl Marx, And John Maynard Keynes" by academician and economist Mark Skousen is a history of modern economics as represented by the contributions of the three most influential economists in world history. Adam Smith expounded a revolutionary new doctrine in the 18th century that a nation of rich and poor could flourish under laissez faire and an unfettered market; Karl Marx inspired disenfranchised workers and intellectuals in the 19th century to end the exploitation of the underprivileged by the powerful; and in the 20th century, British economist John Maynard Keynes sought to stabilize a crisis prone market system through activist fiscal and monetary government policies. A work of impeccable scholarship that draws from both biographical and historical data to showcase the lives and ideas of three men who shaped economic theory and practice form three centuries, and whose contributions continue to influence economists in the 21st century, "The Big Three In Economics" is very strongly recommended reading for both students of Economics and non-specialist general readers with an interest in economic history and theory.



5. The author Mark Skousen explains the differences of three schools of
   economics real well plus its an easy read.
   Bob Rivera

5 comments about Freud for Beginners.

1. promt delivery. recommended by one of my tutors at university. frank easy to read, some of the illustrations made me smile but i found them easy to remember.



2. The 'xxx for beginners' are marvellous not just because they give you a valuable grounding in forbidding subjects, allowing you to approach primary texts with more confidence, but because they are so entertaining, even in subjects you have little interest in. Though this book is a much-needed introduction to and exposition of Freud's basic theories, making you feel clever as you join the dots you always knew were there but for the intimidating jargon, the real joy is in the irreverent presentation, especially the illustrations. These are full of in-jokes about Freud's life and times which are not always treated explicitely in the text, as well as being technically expert, imaginative and, sometimes, bracingly shocking. So while it is pleasing, in these anti-Freudian times, to be reminded of the man's incalculable importance and influence, the illustrations offer an in-built critique that puts everything in perspective. Great fun.



3. This book is just a book, but a better book than its successor of the same title by Richard Osborne. Mostly because it does not hang onto the relationship between Jung and Freud as long and focuses more on the theories of Freud. In fact, what I really enjoyed about this book is that gave a good round about summary of most of Freuds theories inside each book. Certainly acts a good stepping stone for those who need to know Freud in a hurry and wants the gist of his work. Richard Appignanesi displays good understanding of Freuds work and summarizes it well and concise. Reccomended for the prodigal psychologist.



4. (See page 79 for explanation and a very funny illustration of the second stage of psychosexual development). This book, in addition to being very informative, is also incredibly funny. Very well written and drawn; though in the form of a comic book, it is nevertheless a splendid introduction to Freud's life and work. The author and illustrator are quite witty as well as knowledgeable, and in this book they have succeeded at what should be the goal of all beginners' book writers: piqued my interest in the subject and made me want to learn more. Would be a great supplementary text in a course on Freud or on psychology/psychoanalysis in general. Highly recommended!



5. The pictures were fun (especially pg. 79) and the text clear and informative. This book has explained some Freudian concepts better than some of my classes in college have! Fun and stimulating at the same time... what more could someone ask for?

2 comments about Freud: A Life for Our Time.

1. This book describes Freud`s life with deep insight, and you can review the European history at around late 19th century to the beginning of 20th century through Freud's life. Very well done.



2. If you have minimal knowledge about the father of psychoanlaysis, or if you hold strong opinions about the "Prof" as his students and colleagues referred to him deferentially and affectionally, this work by Peter Gay will highlight the peaks of Freud's dazzling insights, and provide plenty of background for his all too human failings. Freud is presented as a man struggling with issues of family, career, and the inevitablity of death. Gay is able to condense and summarize key Freudian concepts and place them in the context of the life and cultural time of the father of psychoanalysis. For students of psychology as well as observers of our current cultural and political delusions, Gay neatly captures the details as well as the broad scope of Freud's shadow on the 20th Century and beyond.

5 comments about The Innocent Anthropologist : Notes from a Mud Hut.

1. Suffering is the proper word. Anthropology should be totally, completely fascinating -- it's the study of human cultures, for heaven's sake -- but it's often a dry-as-dust class for college students.
   
   This book is not dry. In fact, it's probably the only anthropology book that can bring the reader to tears of laughter.
   
   Which is not to say that the book is a comedy. It's not. The book is a sympathetic and interesting take on the writer's study of the Dowayo people. But the Dowayo people -- like any other ethnic group or people -- have quirks that the people themselves cannot see. Nigel Barley lives among the Dowayo and documents their lives, tells how he does anthropology, and manages to do so in a way that makes the book one I sometimes pick up, open at random, and enjoy.



2. Stumbling upon this book was total luck! The only motive I had to get this book was a desire to learn more about Anthro as informal as possible- yet have it be completely nonfiction.
   
   I just want people to know that this is my first actual review. That being said, everyone who reads this review should understand that I liked this book SO much that I not only sent it from my house in Japan to a friend in the states, but I also came back here to write a short blurb on it.
   
   I promise any future reviews won't be such a waste of everyone's time! Take a chance and get this book!



3. I borrowed this book in the early 90s from a British friend (thanks Mark!) and it fast became one of my favorites (a close second to Brave New World). Witty, touching, and hilarious - I would love to have Nigel Barley over for a dinner party! I just wish he had written more books like this one!



4. Nigel Barley is a social anthropologist and this is his account of his first fieldwork, a year living and studying the Dowayo people of Cameroon. Social and cultural anthropologists (also known as ethnographers) travel to exotic locales (sometimes in our own backyard) and live among a group of people for a year or more in order to come to know their way of life intimately and write about it. Most every Ph.D. student in the field will face this "rite de passage" in order to become "a real anthropologist," and is generally given precious little guidance in the matter, which seems cloaked in mystery and is therefore commonly a source of considerable anxiety. In recent years, the situation has been partially remedied with the publication of some texts on methods and techniques, as well as the development of courses on field research methods, but there is still little written on the human dimension - namely, what is life like "in the field"? This book joins a small club, which includes Malinowski's diary and Return to Laughter. What sets Barley's book apart is his wit. He faces some serious problems but - in retrospect at least - laughs at them. It is a very entertaining read. You will learn a lot about what to expect in the field. It will also be useful for anyone who will be living in Africa and possibly other developing regions, such as Peace Corps volunteers and missionaries. I was, however, uncomfortable throughout the book because the author seems to be very distant and detached from the people he lived with and studied. It is hard to find anything very positive about the Dowayo, and the book therefore serves to reinforce negative stereotypes about Africa and bolster Western superiority. I prefer the eloquence and wisdom of Return to Laughter.



5. This is a budding anthropologist's account of his experience with an obscure and previously unstudied people in the Cameroons. If you thought you might want to be an anthropologist, this will either inspire you or turn you to some more comfortable calling. The innocent Englishman describes in hilarious detail his dealings with bureaucrats, missionaries, village chiefs, and rainmakers, while trying to maintain anthropological distance. You learn a little bit of anthropology from the book; you learn much more about the anthropologist. He may have embellished his story in places, but he probably didn't need to. It would make a great film, but don't wait for that. It's one of the funniest books you'll ever read.

5 comments about Marx for Beginners.

1. I bought "Marx for Beginners", a cartoon introduction to Marx written by Mexican political cartoonist Eduardo del Rio ("Rius"), not so much because I needed an introduction to Marxism but to see how the theory can be summarized as pithily and shortly as possible. And indeed, Del Rio has done an admirable job on this. The reader is guided through all aspects of Marx' work as well as biography, even including an extraordinarily rapid overview of the history of philosophy and of the early socialists. Of the economic theories of Marx only the basics are explained, but nevertheless sufficient to get the point of what Marx tried to show in "Capital", if not how he proved it.
   
   As far as the political side goes, Del Rio usefully emphasizes the limitations of social-democracy and its inability to get beyond the exploitation of capitalism, as well as many quotations from Marx showing how he opposed this tendency. As criticisms, one could remark that Engels gets short shrift in this book - admittedly it is titled "Marx for beginners", but one wonders why not "Marx & Engels for beginners"? Also, Del Rio seems to take the connection between Marx and Lenin as a natural progression for granted, even including in the (otherwise very handy) vocabulary of terms under Marxism-Leninism: "theory of the proletarian liberation movement". Hardly something uncontested.
   
   The drawings are clear and funny, if a bit on the juvenile side compared to the content that he is trying to convey. This might have a good effect on younger people reading it though, making it possibly useful as a high school text on Marx, if there ever is a capitalist country brave enough to allow it. Due to the requirements of Del Rio's purpose, some of the summaries of earlier thinkers are so simple as to be simplistic, but this can't be helped. Overall, a practical and well-done introduction to Marx for the complete novice.



2. Unfortunately some of the comments concerning historical developments are more dogmatic than historically factual. A serious problem for people who like facts to be presented as facts and interpretations as that ant not facts.



3. I will save you from having to buy this book. In a nutshell, here's socialism, Communism, Marxism, and the rest:
   
   "We self-styled privileged intellectuals know best how to spend your money, therefore we have to right to take anything you produce and redistribute it as we see fit, whether you like it or not. You were born to serve the state; we are the state. You do not have the right to your own life; you are property that belongs to the collective. Who controls the collective? We control the collective. Do as you are told or else we are justified in taking your life or making your life so miserable that you wish we would take it. Everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others; some = we the self-styled intellectual elite. Censorship is necessary to prevent bad ideas from being spread. Who determines what ideas are good and what ideas are bad? We the self-style intellectual elite will be the arbiters of that, as you cannot be trusted to think for yourself. If you have greater ability than your neighbor, then you are beholden to him. Why? Because he needs your help and, as we mentioned previously, you have no right to what you produce. Don't worry, we will bring you Utopia on Earth or you will die trying! Any inconvenience, be it a food shortage or lack of access to medical care, is only temporary; we have a five-year plan to fix the problem, and if it doesn't work it's only your life, not ours, and we can always come up with another five-year plan. Do not ask questions; simply obey."



4. Good to see this worthy little work back on the shelves. Sure, it's easy to ridicule a popularizied version of any weighty academic subject, especially one making use of cartoon humor. But the true measure should be how well the central ideas are rendered. In that key respect, Rius's primer serves very well as an introduction to the sociology of Marxism, less well to the economics (the determinist, breakdown element is severely underplayed), while the philosophical aspects are dealt with manfully, but are likely too complex for even the best efforts. The work's special virtue lies in dealing with those aspects of Marx's thought most appealing to a general readership: exploitation, surplus value, property relations, class struggle... in short, those aspects that impinge most directly on daily life. Prospective readers can gain real insight into the power of Marx's thought through these more prosaic topics.
   
   A key caveat -- as another reviewer points out, Lenin is either wittingly or unwittingly presented as Marx's historical successor, a move which elevates the role of the communist party in Marxist theory at the expense of the more libertarian strand represented by Rosa Luxemburg. Given the collapse of the soviet bloc and its Leninist legacy, this aspect should be kept in mind. Still and all, it's ironic that at a time when the reformist era of welfare economics and middle-class prosperity is surrendering to renewed polarization and social Darwinism, that Marx is treated as passe. If anything, his analysis of capitalism's intractable nature appears more timely than ever.



5. Interesting book. If you want to read about Marx in a digestible form, definitely read this book. It's really funny too.