Books like The ABCs of Socialism by Bhaskar Sunkara

Lijia Zhang, a factory worker, reflects on her disillusionment with China’s socialist ideals.

"Once upon a time, people yearned to be free of the misery of capitalism. How could their dreams come true? This little book proposes a different kind of communism, one that is true to its ideals and free from authoritarianism. Offering relief for many who have been numbed by Marxist exegesis and given headaches by the earnest pompousness of socialist politics, it presents political theory in the simple terms of a children's story, accompanied by illustrations of lovable little revolutionaries experiencing their political awakening. It all unfolds like a story, with jealous princesses, fancy swords, displaced peasants, mean bosses, and tired workers--not to mention a Ouija board, a talking chair, and a big pot called 'the state.' Before they know it, readers are learning about the economic history of feudalism, class struggles in capitalism, different ideas of communism, and more. Finally, competition between two factories leads to a crisis that the workers attempt to solve in six different ways (most of them borrowed from historic models of communist or socialist change). Each attempt fails, since true communism is not so easy after all. But it's also not that hard. At last, the people take everything into their own hands and decide for themselves how to continue. Happy ending? Only the future will tell. With an epilogue that goes deeper into the theoretical issues behind the story, this book is perfect for all ages and all who desire a better world"--Publisher description.

*Wobblies and Zapatistas* offers the reader an encounter between two generations and two traditions. Andrej Grubacic is an anarchist from the Balkans. Staughton Lynd is a lifelong pacifist, influenced by Marxism. They meet in dialogue in an effort to bring together the anarchist and Marxist traditions, to discuss the writing of history by those who make it, and to remind us of the idea that “my country is the world.” Encompassing a Left-libertarian perspective and an emphatically activist standpoint, these conversations are meant to be read in the clubs and affinity groups of the new Movement. The authors accompany us on a journey through modern revolutions, direct actions, antiglobalist counter-summits, Freedom Schools, Zapatista cooperatives, Haymarket and Petrograd, Hanoi and Belgrade, “intentional” communities, wildcat strikes, early Protestant communities, Native American democratic practices, the Workers’ Solidarity Club of Youngstown, occupied factories, self-organized councils and soviets, the lives of forgotten revolutionaries, Quaker meetings, antiwar movements, and prison rebellions. Neglected and forgotten moments of interracial self-activity are brought to light. The book invites the attention of readers who believe that a better world, on the other side of capitalism and state bureaucracy, may indeed be possible. (Source: [PM Press](https://www.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=56))

Sovyetler Birliği'nin çöküşünün üzerinden yirmi yıla yakın süre geçti. Bu çöküş, yaşanmış olan en önemli sosyalizm deneyiminin sonunu ifade ediyordu; dolayısıyla tarihin en kritik uğrak noktalarından birini oluşturdu. Aradan geçen süre içerisinde, çöküşün arka planı ve dinamikleri üzerine çeşitli çalışmalar yapılmakla birlikte, bu uğrak noktasının enine boyuna değerlendirilmesi, sosyalizmin geleceği için ciddi bir ihtiyaç olmayı sürdürüyor. ABD'li yazarlar Roger Keeran ve Thomas Kenny'nin yapıtı hem bu açıdan hem de Sovyetler Birliği deneyiminin kimi yönlerini özgün biçimde ele alması nedeniyle son derece yararlı, geçmişe ve geleceğe ışık tutan bir çalışma.