Socialism...Seriously

A Brief Guide to Human Liberation

By: Danny Katch

Narrated by: Dara Rosenberg

Opinion polls show that many people in the US prefer socialism to capitalism. But after being declared dead and buried for decades, socialism has come to mean little more than something vaguely less cruel and stupid than what we have now. That's not exactly going to inspire millions to storm the barricades.

Danny Katch brings together the two great Marxist traditions of Karl and Groucho to provide an entertaining and insightful introduction to what the socialist tradition has to say about democracy, economics, and the potential of human beings to be something more than bomb-dropping, planet-destroying, racist fools.

©2015 Danny Katch (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Seriously Entertaining and Seriously Sincere

This is hands down the most entertaining socialist manifesto you will ever hear, well, since "Lenin's little known Big Bathroom Book of Bolshevik Jokes."

Danny Katch will do his best to persuade you that Socialism is not only a good system in theory, it's a real world alternative to capitalism. As a writer, he is bold and funny, and might convince "today's daydreamers and whiners" to embrace a different economic model.

Narrator, Dara Rosenberg delivers Danny's book with the comic timing of a seasoned stand-up comic. She hears every note of sarcasm and of real feeling. A+ job.

An approachable orientation to modern socialism.

Socialism is undergoing an intellectual renaissance, and readers new to the topic might easily wonder where to begin. For those inclined to start with Marx, is it relevant to today read "The Communist Manifesto," or realistic to dive into the three volumes of "Capital?" Does one seek out the writings of Leon Trotsky, now a century deceased?

In "Socialism... Seriously," Danny Katch offers a new option, delivering an approachable "orientation" to modern socialism. Katch's book is light on economic theory and heavy on ideals, which fits with her theme that allies can and should argue over methods in pursuit of common cause. She provides a degree of historical context with references to the Paris Commune and a brief look into the origins and early structure of the Soviet Union, and she paints a reasonable picture of what life might look like under socialism in the future. Technical terminology is rendered a minimum, and while readers will be reminded that the word "socialism" pre-dates Marx, Katch makes clear that it is Marxism she advocates, not earlier Utopian ideals of the sort advanced by Robert Owen. Katch also readily denounces the horrors of Stalinism, and argues that that bleak, authoritarian reality of Soviet life after the consolidation of power in the 1930s was not only not socialism at all but also totally unlike the freedom that preceded it under early Bolshevik ideology.

The case is uncompelling, but it is not meant to be. Katch is seeking to inspire people today to look to the future with an appreciation for the lessons of the past. Few today deny Stalin was a monster or that his "socialism in one country" was a terror state; Katch's insight is that Stalinism shared its worst traits with capitalist history, and that we need to be conscious of the true costs of a world driven by and for profit. She gives limited attention to cooperative business and points out the flaws in democratic systems clearly subordinated to capital interest. To her, reform is a dead end, and revolution is a necessity, although mass violence is not necessarily the form of a successful revolution. The goal of the book seems as much to inspire as to educate, and on that level, it works reasonably well. I recommend this book to those interested in the subject, with the caveat that it is best for those who are newcomers.

Capitalists, you won't like it.

If you lean Left politically and you are just beginning to venture into the world of discovering what Socialism is all about, this book will provide a positive and honest sketch. If you have been raised with the dogmatic view of rugged individualism or are just looking for a "fair and balanced" perspective that isn't too hard on capitalism, you will hate this book. If you're a proponent of the prosperity doctrine, this book ain't for you. If you are someone who is easily triggered by language that is LGBTQIA+ friendly this book may make you uncomfortable at times. If you are a well-studied Marxist-Leninist, well versed in the depths of complex nuance that all of the variations of far Left ideology has to offer, this book will get on your nerves, because it really is an introductory level, basic book for beginners.

If you are a Democrat who is realizing that your beloved party is completely inadequate, or intentionally dishonest about its agenda, you will find this book somewhat uplifting at times and thoroughly disheartening at others. If you are a Libertarian who is looking into Socialism for the first time, you may be surprised at the intersectionalities you run into occasionally if this author's style of humor is palatable to you. I enjoyed it, but as you may have already noticed from the many one-star reviews, it is a biased perspective. Nevertheless, if it's something you can lean into, the message is a hopeful one by the time you get to the end. Hope this helps.

Oh and the narrator is great. Her intonation, timing and rhythm are truly exceptional, a rarity actually.

Informative.

Anyone looking for a view on socialism. From the peoples prespective. This is worth the read.

The last hour was the best

The voice is good but it was almost too much rambling and made me lose focus . The last hour pretty summarized everything and I agree .

Amazing

A great introduction into some of the basic segments for socialism and the core of its philosophy in simple layman language

nothing new as concept of socialism

it's like rewrite Marks and Engels , I like it but Socialism is a political , social and economic physiology right ? So the author didn't show me more than this point of socialism where I imagine this system ( if this is the correct definition ).

Most difficult book to finish, yet could not stop

The jokes were horrendous and took away from the material. No doubt change is needed. Troubled because capitalism was bashed on incessantly rarely recognizing how much it has benefitted the world. Also no mention of one's ability to move throughout the different classes by one's own actions. Learned alot but the whiny sarcastic tone was unbearable.

Insightful, Fun to listen to, humorous, easily understandable

Insightful, Fun to listen to, humorous, easily understandable, I would listen to this book again and recommend it to friends.

Corny

It's just an extended opinion on 'socialism'. Great performance and easy to listen. I wouldn't listen it again.