About this title: THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO (1848) examines the rise of the working class and its inevitable revolution. It eloquently describes capitalism's widespread influence and eventual demise, and sets forth the basis of Marxism. One of the most influential writings in history, it remains highly relevant to contemporary economic and political systems.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date Published: 1985
ISBN-13:9780140444780ISBN:0140444785
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. 1985 Penguin paperback. NOT EX LIB! Bright, clean pages with light reading wear, spine is barely creased, light edgewear & there is some cover scuffing mostly on the back cover. Glued binding. 12a p. Penguin Classics. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date Published: 1985
ISBN-13:9780140444780ISBN:0140444785
Description: Fair. No dust jacket as issued. Softcover; tight binding; Printed Text is VG but approx. 1/2" of right side of front cover is cut off; a marker mark on Title Page and on right edge; (shelf G126); "First published in 1848, this book is the very essence of Communism"; read more
Edition: A Gateway edition
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: H. Regnery Co., Chicago
Date Published: 1954
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Normal yellowing to pages. Shelfwear but minor. Considering age of book it is in fantastic shape. xli, 82 p.; 18 cm. Topics 19th Century; Classroom Adoption; Communism; Communism & Socialism; Economic Conditions; France; Germany; History & Theory; Non-Fiction; Political Ideologies; Political Science; Socialism "A Gateway Edition. " "WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE! " read more
Binding: Perfect Bound Paper
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Date Published: 1970
Description: Good + to Very Good- Mass Market Paperback. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. Light wear, age yellowing, PON on FEP. Some highlighting, underlining. Binding tight, pages clean. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Bantam Classics
Date Published: 1992
ISBN-13:9780553214062ISBN:0553214063
Description: Good. Slight cover wear with minor scuffing to edges. Moderate markings and underlining on pages. GoodwillnyBooks is committed to providing each customer with the highest standard of customer service. You may return new items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harlan Davidson
Date Published: 1955
ISBN-13:9780882950556ISBN:088295055X
Description: Very Good. Slight shelf wear along with pages 8-11 underlind. GoodwillnyBooks is committed to providing each customer with the highest standard of customer service. You may return new items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Harlan Davidson
Date Published: 1955
ISBN-13:9780882950556ISBN:088295055X
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. name written on book edge and iniitialls on other edges. Text in English, German. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 128 p. Yu Liang Ts'ung Shu. Audience: General/trade. read more
"Karl Marx should have taken Psychology 101 before writing out this Manifesto. People, by nature, want to succeed and they tend to measure their success compared to that of those around them. Taking away the property of the individual and making it the property of the state creates a power vacuum that opens the door for dictatorship--
Oh, wait. That already happened.
I wanted to like this book. After reading it, I can see how it could excite the oppressed laborers tired of being oppressed by the bourgeoisie. He even gives them a fancy name. 'Yeah, bitch. I'm proletariat.'
Reading this book didn't really leave me with the desire to rebel against the Man, though--unless said Man happened to be named Karl Marx. To me, communism seems like a pipe dream. And not even a particularly interesting one at that. For a man writing to the common people, he certainly used a lot of bourgeois, flowery language.
Oh, sure. Communism is a good idea in theory. But there are plenty of other flops that could boast the same thing."
"Let me first say how pleased I was to find out that I am not a Communist! While pretty accurate in their critique of capitalism (I can't find one prediction that hasn't come to pass yet), the ideals advocate a return to a more feudal sensibility. The manifesto says that the three classes (proletariat, bourgeoisie, and aristocracy) cater only to the bourgeois, essentially keeping down the proletariat. I am a little taken aback at the notion that the middle class is the problem, when the existence of aristocracy is rarely, if ever questioned.
I was also shocked at the hubris of the bias towards German socialists. The German form of communism is referred to as "true communism," which would normally not be so outlandish coming from 2 German writers 170 years ago. However, it is put forth as "true" because the Germans took French socialist ideals from the revolution and were able to look at it without the emotional distraction of a revolution. Engels and Marx feels that the complete conceptualization and theoretical birth of communism make it the true form! This is like saying a structure's blueprint is more true than the building itself.
Short but dense, the manifesto is a quick read of 40 some pages. I think it is essential reading for anyone who takes either side in any conversation where the terms "communism" or "socialism" appear."
"THIS IS A CLASSIC! After reading this, I suggest: Chairman Moa's Little Red Book (Mao Tse-Tung) "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations" (Adam Smith) or "World Communism Today" (Martin Ebon, 1948)
This and the later ideas that were set out for society in the early to mid 20th century were so void of pragmatism that it's laughable. Idealism is worked into "practical examples" and each of these works, no matter how well intentioned, failed miserably (the most recent of these being capitalism).
I like to discuss this book with religious Christians, who often cringe when I tell them I think that if Jesus Christ had one favorite book to pick (excluding the Bible, I suppose), he'd go for the Communist manifesto, as it is set up, ironically, after what He was supposed to stand for: helping the less fortunate to find their purpose in a society meant to include all "the People". In Communism thought, the farmers are as integral to the functionality of a nation as a governor. The irony really kicks in when religion becomes excluded and frowned upon once these ideals are put into place.
"I am going to preface this with the statement that I am not a Communist, I just think people don't understand Communism, Capitalism or Politics enough to have sensible discussions about them. I am going to speak more on the Manifesto but first I need to read it again and take notes so that I can help these reviewers understand it. Most of those who have already reviewed it didn't actually understand what they read. This is sad because Marxism is already really understudied and misunderstood. Marx has had a profound impact on the world and we all must understand what he did both right and wrong. Part of the reason his theory has taken so long to become a reality is the fact that it impacted the system. Just like in quantum mechanics the observer had an effect on the outcome. The United States of America has made some socialist changes to remove many of the negative effects of capitalism. This was in part due to the works of Marx. This is delaying the problems that will undo capitalism. Marx did predict many of the changes that are taking place right now in most of Western Europe which seems to be on a Neo-Marxist path. Many of the countries currently associated with Communism or Marxism never actually began with the ability to become communist due to their attempt to transition from Feudalism to Communism when Feudalism did not have the means of production to support the evolution into Communism. Communism can only be brought into being following Capitalism due its nature as a hyper-producer. Bringing Communism into being through a totalitarian dictatorship is also difficult to do since Communism is inherently a democratic economic form. Marx's greatest sin as a philosopher was oversimplifying history, going the historical dialectical materialist route was too self serving for his philosophical purposes. Anyway, I am rambling but the point is that most of you reviewers are confused and didn't understand what you read. I will write a paper and submit it to this website when I get the time. Thank You!"
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