A short and sweet introduction to Marxism from a late Belgian Trotskyist intellectual. Useful and well-written, but it can still meander and show its age despite its small size.
economics
A PEOPLE’S GUIDE TO CAPITALISM – Hadas Thier
This is a great companion if your plan is to bone up on a bunch of Marxist economic texts, and an accessible summary of Marx’s views on capitalism if you’d rather not read ten more books on the subject.
UNDERSTANDING MARXISM – Richard Wolff
A simple, short, and accessible introduction to what Marx thought of how capitalism worked – its virtues & perils, and what should come next.
THE UNWINDING: An Inner History of the New America – George Packer
George Packer, an award-winning journalist of the Iraq War, turns his gaze homeward. From the Carolinas to Silicon Valley, from factories to Occupy Wall Street, he sees our national decline unfold.