I’m looking for good books on:

  • logic

  • epistemology

  • Western thought

  • Eastern thought

  • tropes

  • media

  • DIY

  • how to make things

  • how structures work

  • Organizational / Industrial Psychology

  • language and words (not necessarily linguistics but you can throw that in there)

Note: it doesn’t have to be from a Marxist-Leninist or Marxist perspective, but I would like that (but again, to emphasize, it doesn’t have to be).

Note #2: Also, throw in fiction or poetry in there if you have any suggestions.

  • DisabledAceSocialist@lemmygrad.mlEnglish
    1·
    1 day ago

    For fiction I really enjoyed the Earths Children series by Jean Auel, it’s about cavepeople. Book one is about a cro magnon from a matriarchal society trying to fit in to a patriarchal neanderthal society. She rails against the patriarchal system, and eventually leaves. From book 3 onwards it’s set in a communist, matriarchal cro magnon society where everything is shared, even spouses. People get married but sleep with whomever they choose. At the end they discover where babies come from, and the men become possessive and no longer want their wives sleeping around and we see the beginnings of partiarchy in their society.

  • Muad'Dibber@lemmygrad.ml
    9·
    4 days ago

    Cialdini’s the psychology of persuasion is, although not communist, probably one of the best psychology books ever written. Highly recommend it. You can find audiobooks for it on torrents.

    I’m currently in the middle of Gabriel Rockhill’s Who paid the pipers of western marxism, which is wonderful so far, but its quite a slog. It dissects much of the “intellectual world war” on communism, and the tactics used by western intelligence agencies to demonize communism, and platform hollow, individualist, or reformist philosophies, education, and cement pro-capitalist superstructures throughout the entire world.

    • Makan@lemmygrad.mlOPEnglish
      3·
      4 days ago

      Gabriel Rockhill’s book is definitely on my list btw!

      The negative reviews just make me want to read it more lol!

    • Makan@lemmygrad.mlOPEnglish
      3·
      4 days ago

      “persuasion”

      !!!

      Yes, this is definitely what I’m looking for

      I am a Communications major

      trying to get my Master’s or MA soon

  • TabularTuxedo@lemmygrad.ml
    7·
    4 days ago

    For any book:

    • How to Read a Book, by Mortimer Adler (1972 edition or later)
    • Writing To Learn, by William Zinsser

    Logic:

    • How to Prove It, by Daniel J. Velleman. (Skip the introduction if you aren’t comfortable with math)
    • How to Write Mathematics, by Kevin Houston.

    Both books are focused on Logic in Mathematics. You don’t need to necessarily understand the math. You can treat it like examples or test-cases of Logic since Math is one of the best places to practice it.

    Tropes and Media:

    Very lib but very comprehensive. Also has ads.

    Western Thought:

    • Elementary Principles of Philosophy, by Georges Politzer (good place to start)

    Western Thought is a very wide topic. You should avoid non-Marxist philosophers from the 20th century since they tend to be either very hyper-specialized or very non-Materialist.

    How structures work:

    • TabularTuxedo@lemmygrad.ml
      10·
      4 days ago

      Also, please avoid trying to learn everything. I know it’s tempting but you have limited time and it’s way more worthwhile to apply your knowledge in the real world. Oppose book worship.

      Focus on reading Marxist works since they give you a good eye for reactionary thought. Before reading Trotsky, Kautsky, or some bourgeois history book to find insights and historical context, read Marx, Engels, Mao, Lenin, and Stalin. Do not try to challenge or critique reactionaries before doing the work of learning and applying Marxism.

      • Makan@lemmygrad.mlOPEnglish
        3·
        4 days ago

        I agree.

        And, ngl, I honestly disagree with Vijay Prashad when he says “learn everything” and “do everything”

        “Everything counts”

        I disagree with that approach tbh

        Frankly, it would be best if MLs were more… specialized.

        Not everyone has to be a lawyer

        Or has to be a labor organizer

        Or has to study sociology

        Or communications or whatever

        Etc.

        It would be best if we honestly stopped being so… idk, polymathic (?) in our approach to things.

        It’s not really needed.

        When we’re ready, we’re ready.

        We’re not right now.

        Just stick to a few things at first and then maybe move on.

        You’ll appreciate the few things you study or cherish more

        But yeah, I had reservations about this list

        I am actually trying to cut the habit of “doom-scrolling” my own lists in my physical pocket notebooks.

        Or “doom-listing”

        Lmao

    • Makan@lemmygrad.mlOPEnglish
      3·
      4 days ago

      In this day and age of bad reading comprehension and even conversation comprehension, that first one seems topical

      • TabularTuxedo@lemmygrad.ml
        3·
        4 days ago

        Yeah he’s not that great of a guy (if I’m not mistaken, he’s also a transphobe).

        Nevertheless I still think that it’s important to read his work since it helped the creation of Cybersyn.

        • Makan@lemmygrad.mlOPEnglish
          3·
          4 days ago

          Yeah, huge transphobe and too many MLs give him a pass on that

          But I did like his one book, when I was starting as an ML (and before I knew he was a transphobe), where he proved the labor theory of value in the modern day.

          There was also a nice video about it.

  • Makan@lemmygrad.mlOPEnglish
    4·
    4 days ago

    Note: I may read The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie but it seems too dark at this time for me (though I will still probably read it soon).

    I want some light material too. I also mentioned poetry previously.