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In this section we will feature reviews of a variety of Marxist and socialist texts and literature.
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The Jungle
By Upton Sinclair. Published in 1906, this book articulates the struggle of the working
class in early twentieth century Chicago. The city was dominated by the meat packing
industry, and as the inudstrial revolution developed, machines reduced immigrants to
slaves of capitalism. For his novel, Upton Sinclair was considered one of the most
influencial "muckrakers" of his time. Rumor has it that As a consequence to the
horrors of common factory life, the Pure Food and Drug Act was established. The Jungle
exposed the descrepency between the standards of living of the proletariat and
bourgeoisie. This instigated the end of child labor, the 8 hour work day, improved working
conditions, and employee injury compensation. This book demonstrates the evils of
capitalism. (Introduction by Rachel Small)
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The Revolution Betrayed - A Marxist Classic
The Revolution Betrayed is one of the most important Marxist texts of all time. It is the only serious Marxist analysis of what happened to the Russian Revolution after the death of Lenin. Without a thorough knowledge of this work, it is impossible to understand the reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union and the events of the last ten years in Russia and on a world scale. For Marxists, the October Revolution of 1917 was the greatest single event in human history. If we exclude the brief but glorious episode of the Paris Commune, for the first time the working class succeeded in overthrowing its oppressors and at least began the task of the socialist transformation of society. By Alan Woods. (June 6, 2001)
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