Start free trial
EnglishEnglish
EspañolSpanish
简体中文Chinese
繁體中文Chinese (Traditional)
FrançaisFrench
DeutschGerman
日本語Japanese
PortuguêsPortuguese
ItalianoItalian
한국어Korean
РусскийRussian
NederlandsDutch
العربيةArabic
PolskiPolish
हिन्दीHindi
Tiếng ViệtVietnamese
SvenskaSwedish
ΕλληνικάGreek
TürkçeTurkish
ไทยThai
ČeštinaCzech
RomânăRomanian
MagyarHungarian
УкраїнськаUkrainian
IndonesiaIndonesian
DanskDanish
SuomiFinnish
БългарскиBulgarian
עבריתHebrew
NorskNorwegian
HrvatskiCroatian
CatalàCatalan
SlovenčinaSlovak
LietuviųLithuanian
SlovenščinaSlovenian
СрпскиSerbian
EestiEstonian
LatviešuLatvian
فارسیPersian
മലയാളംMalayalam
தமிழ்Tamil
اردوUrdu
SoBrief
Searching...
Understanding Socialism
by Richard D. Wolff • 2019
The USSR and China were state capitalism, not socialism. The real thing starts with worker co-ops.
4.01
673
Understanding Socialism Summary
Understanding Socialism 90%
The USSR and China were state capitalism, not socialism. The real thing starts with worker co-ops.
by Richard D. Wolff 2019
4.01
673 ratings
The Socialist Manifesto
by Bhaskar Sunkara • 2019
Capitalism was an accident, socialism a response. A history of what followed, and what comes next.
3.62
2k+
The Socialist Manifesto Summary
The Socialist Manifesto 89%
Capitalism was an accident, socialism a response. A history of what followed, and what comes next.
by Bhaskar Sunkara 2019
3.62
2k+ ratings
What Is to Be Done?
by Vladimir Lenin • 1902
Workers alone only win wage fights. A secret vanguard must bring revolutionary thought from outside.
4.11
6k+
What Is to Be Done? Summary
What Is to Be Done? 89%
Workers alone only win wage fights. A secret vanguard must bring revolutionary thought from outside.
by Vladimir Lenin 1902
4.11
6k+ ratings
Socialism Betrayed
by Roger Keeran • 2004
The Soviet collapse wasn't inevitable: a pro-market faction inside the Party dismantled it.
4.37
545
Socialism Betrayed Summary
Socialism Betrayed 89%
The Soviet collapse wasn't inevitable: a pro-market faction inside the Party dismantled it.
by Roger Keeran 2004
4.37
545 ratings
After Capitalism
by David Schweickart • 2002
After capitalism: a blueprint where workers run firms and the public steers investment.
3.98
250
After Capitalism Summary
After Capitalism 89%
After capitalism: a blueprint where workers run firms and the public steers investment.
by David Schweickart 2002
3.98
250 ratings
Against the Web
by Michael Brooks • 2020
Internet 'free-thinkers' rebrand old defenses of hierarchy with pseudoscience and myth.
4.10
2k+
Against the Web Summary
Against the Web 89%
Internet 'free-thinkers' rebrand old defenses of hierarchy with pseudoscience and myth.
by Michael Brooks 2020
4.10
2k+ ratings
Main Currents Of Marxism
by Leszek Kołakowski • 2005
Marxism's own contradictions made authoritarianism inevitable, not an aberration.
4.25
455
Main Currents Of Marxism Summary
Main Currents Of Marxism 89%
Marxism's own contradictions made authoritarianism inevitable, not an aberration.
by Leszek Kołakowski 2005
4.25
455 ratings
Russia's Fate Through Russian Eyes
by Heyward Isham • 2019
Russians who dismantled communism discovered that building its replacement was the harder half.
Russia's Fate Through Russian Eyes Summary
Russia's Fate Through Russian Eyes 89%
Russians who dismantled communism discovered that building its replacement was the harder half.
by Heyward Isham 2019
Reconstructing Karl Polanyi
by Gareth Dale • 2016
Polanyi didn't want a friendlier market. He wanted democracy to rule the economy outright.
3.75
8
Reconstructing Karl Polanyi Summary
Reconstructing Karl Polanyi 89%
Polanyi didn't want a friendlier market. He wanted democracy to rule the economy outright.
by Gareth Dale 2016
3.75
8 ratings
The People’s Republic of Walmart
by Leigh Phillips • 2019
Big corporations already plan like socialist states. The final step is not computing but democracy.
3.88
2k+
The People’s Republic of Walmart Summary
The People’s Republic of Walmart 89%
Big corporations already plan like socialist states. The final step is not computing but democracy.
by Leigh Phillips 2019
3.88
2k+ ratings
The Moral Economists
by Tim Rogan • 2017
Capitalism's best critics fought for its moral toll, not its material one. We lost that fight.
3.59
41
The Moral Economists Summary
The Moral Economists 89%
Capitalism's best critics fought for its moral toll, not its material one. We lost that fight.
by Tim Rogan 2017
3.59
41 ratings
The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism
by Bertrand Russell • 1920
Russell expected a workers' paradise. He found a religion enforced by secret police.
3.99
411
The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism Summary
The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism 89%
Russell expected a workers' paradise. He found a religion enforced by secret police.
by Bertrand Russell 1920
3.99
411 ratings
Un espectro recorre el mundo. Sobre el Manifiesto comunista
by China Miéville • 2022
A novelist on the Communist Manifesto as a live spell and the moral case for class hatred.
3.97
1k+
Un espectro recorre el mundo. Sobre el Manifiesto comunista Summary
Un espectro recorre el mundo. Sobre el Manifiesto comunista 88%
A novelist on the Communist Manifesto as a live spell and the moral case for class hatred.
by China Miéville 2022
3.97
1k+ ratings
The Revolution Betrayed
by Leon Trotsky • 1937
Not socialism, not capitalism. Trotsky charts the third system the Russian Revolution produced.
4.09
2k+
The Revolution Betrayed Summary
The Revolution Betrayed 88%
Not socialism, not capitalism. Trotsky charts the third system the Russian Revolution produced.
by Leon Trotsky 1937
4.09
2k+ ratings
Secondhand Time
by Svetlana Alexievich • 2013
A civilization vanished with the USSR, leaving millions unprepared for the freedom they craved.
4.46
22k+
Secondhand Time Summary
Secondhand Time 88%
A civilization vanished with the USSR, leaving millions unprepared for the freedom they craved.
by Svetlana Alexievich 2013
4.46
22k+ ratings
The Communist Manifesto and Other Writings
by Karl Marx • 2005
History is class struggle, and the bourgeoisie forged the weapons now aimed at its own throat.
3.63
2k+
The Communist Manifesto and Other Writings Summary
The Communist Manifesto and Other Writings 88%
History is class struggle, and the bourgeoisie forged the weapons now aimed at its own throat.
by Karl Marx 2005
3.63
2k+ ratings
Slow Down
by Kōhei Saitō • 2020
Capitalism cannot go green. Marx's late notebooks show he understood why, and what must replace it.
3.92
3k+
Slow Down Summary
Slow Down 88%
Capitalism cannot go green. Marx's late notebooks show he understood why, and what must replace it.
by Kōhei Saitō 2020
3.92
3k+ ratings
Democracy at Work
by Richard D. Wolff • 2012
Capitalism's crises are by design. The only fix: workers run the company.
3.95
2k+
Democracy at Work Summary
Democracy at Work 88%
Capitalism's crises are by design. The only fix: workers run the company.
by Richard D. Wolff 2012
3.95
2k+ ratings
A People's Guide to Capitalism
by Hadas Thier • 2018
The dirty secret of every price tag: profit comes from work that was never paid for.
4.28
1k+
A People's Guide to Capitalism Summary
A People's Guide to Capitalism 88%
The dirty secret of every price tag: profit comes from work that was never paid for.
by Hadas Thier 2018
4.28
1k+ ratings
Karl Marx
by 50Minutes • 2015
Profit is unpaid labor: Marx's case that capitalism exploits workers and is headed for collapse.
Karl Marx Summary
Karl Marx 88%
Profit is unpaid labor: Marx's case that capitalism exploits workers and is headed for collapse.
by 50Minutes 2015
The Society of the Spectacle
by Guy Debord • 1967
Life is no longer lived but watched. A 1967 diagnosis of how images replaced reality.
4.03
24k+
The Society of the Spectacle Summary
The Society of the Spectacle 88%
Life is no longer lived but watched. A 1967 diagnosis of how images replaced reality.
by Guy Debord 1967
4.03
24k+ ratings
The Power of the Powerless
by Václav Havel • 1978
Tyranny runs on the lies ordinary people perform each day. Refuse one, the structure trembles.
4.22
4k+
The Power of the Powerless Summary
The Power of the Powerless 88%
Tyranny runs on the lies ordinary people perform each day. Refuse one, the structure trembles.
by Václav Havel 1978
4.22
4k+ ratings
Wobblies and Zapatistas
by Staughton Lynd • 2008
What the Zapatistas and the Wobblies got right that both Marxists and anarchists keep missing.
3.89
473
Wobblies and Zapatistas Summary
Wobblies and Zapatistas 88%
What the Zapatistas and the Wobblies got right that both Marxists and anarchists keep missing.
by Staughton Lynd 2008
3.89
473 ratings
Rebel Cities
by David Harvey • 2012
Capitalism doesn't just happen in cities. It happens through them, and the rent is coming due.
3.92
2k+
Rebel Cities Summary
Rebel Cities 88%
Capitalism doesn't just happen in cities. It happens through them, and the rent is coming due.
by David Harvey 2012
3.92
2k+ ratings
Hegemony and Socialist Strategy
by Ernesto Laclau • 1985
Consensus is a mirage. Conflict is ineradicable; any left project that forgets this fails.
3.82
1k+
Hegemony and Socialist Strategy Summary
Hegemony and Socialist Strategy 88%
Consensus is a mirage. Conflict is ineradicable; any left project that forgets this fails.
by Ernesto Laclau 1985
3.82
1k+ ratings
The Sociology of Anthony Giddens
by Steven Loyal • 2003
Giddens built his sociology around individual freedom. It was always politics dressed as theory.
4.31
16
The Sociology of Anthony Giddens Summary
The Sociology of Anthony Giddens 88%
Giddens built his sociology around individual freedom. It was always politics dressed as theory.
by Steven Loyal 2003
4.31
16 ratings
Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism
by Kristen R. Ghodsee • 2018
East German women had more orgasms. The reason: they didn't need men's money.
3.98
8k+
Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism Summary
Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism 88%
East German women had more orgasms. The reason: they didn't need men's money.
by Kristen R. Ghodsee 2018
3.98
8k+ ratings
The Post-Corporate World
by David C. Korten • 1999
Capitalism isn't the market; it's a disease. The cure is taking root in local communities.
3.77
132
The Post-Corporate World Summary
The Post-Corporate World 88%
Capitalism isn't the market; it's a disease. The cure is taking root in local communities.
by David C. Korten 1999
3.77
132 ratings
Glimpses of Utopia
by Jess Scully • 2020
A fair society is not theoretical. Its pieces are already running in cities across the world.
3.97
110
Glimpses of Utopia Summary
Glimpses of Utopia 88%
A fair society is not theoretical. Its pieces are already running in cities across the world.
by Jess Scully 2020
3.97
110 ratings
Marx
by Peter Singer • 1980
Why Marx's critique of capitalism still explains inequality, globalization, and the climate crisis.
3.71
3k+
Marx Summary
Marx 88%
Why Marx's critique of capitalism still explains inequality, globalization, and the climate crisis.
by Peter Singer 1980
3.71
3k+ ratings
Deliverance and Spiritual Warfare Manual
by John Eckhardt • 2014
No market, no prices. No prices, no economic calculus. That's why socialism devours its own capital.
4.63
345
Deliverance and Spiritual Warfare Manual Summary
Deliverance and Spiritual Warfare Manual 88%
No market, no prices. No prices, no economic calculus. That's why socialism devours its own capital.
by John Eckhardt 2014
4.63
345 ratings
Archaeologies of the Future
by Fredric Jameson • 2005
Utopia's function is not to predict the future but to prove the present is not inevitable.
4.04
596
Archaeologies of the Future Summary
Archaeologies of the Future 88%
Utopia's function is not to predict the future but to prove the present is not inevitable.
by Fredric Jameson 2005
4.04
596 ratings
It Didn't Happen Here
by Seymour Martin Lipset • 2000
Marx bet on America going socialist. Its political system, unions, and immigrants had other plans.
3.60
105
It Didn't Happen Here Summary
It Didn't Happen Here 88%
Marx bet on America going socialist. Its political system, unions, and immigrants had other plans.
by Seymour Martin Lipset 2000
3.60
105 ratings
The Relevance of the Communist Manifesto
by Slavoj Žižek • 2018
The Communist Manifesto foresaw virtual money, debt bondage, false choices. But offered no way out.
3.57
822
The Relevance of the Communist Manifesto Summary
The Relevance of the Communist Manifesto 88%
The Communist Manifesto foresaw virtual money, debt bondage, false choices. But offered no way out.
by Slavoj Žižek 2018
3.57
822 ratings
Inventing the Future
by Nick Srnicek • 2015
Small protests fail. The left needs automation, a guaranteed wage, and a long-term vision.
3.97
3k+
Inventing the Future Summary
Inventing the Future 88%
Small protests fail. The left needs automation, a guaranteed wage, and a long-term vision.
by Nick Srnicek 2015
3.97
3k+ ratings
Bullshit Jobs
by David Graeber • 2018
Up to 40 percent of workers believe their jobs are pointless. They are probably right.
4.02
35k+
Bullshit Jobs Summary
Bullshit Jobs 88%
Up to 40 percent of workers believe their jobs are pointless. They are probably right.
by David Graeber 2018
4.02
35k+ ratings
What Is Property?
by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon • 1840
Every defense of private property, from first occupation to labor, logically requires its abolition.
3.78
2k+
What Is Property? Summary
What Is Property? 88%
Every defense of private property, from first occupation to labor, logically requires its abolition.
by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon 1840
3.78
2k+ ratings
Beyond Money
by Anitra Nelson • 2022
Money is not a neutral tool. It is a growth engine incompatible with a living planet.
2.96
24
Beyond Money Summary
Beyond Money 88%
Money is not a neutral tool. It is a growth engine incompatible with a living planet.
by Anitra Nelson 2022
2.96
24 ratings
The Acquisitive Society
by R.H. Tawney • 1920
When property rights outrank social purpose, owners collect without contributing. The diagnosis.
4.09
110
The Acquisitive Society Summary
The Acquisitive Society 88%
When property rights outrank social purpose, owners collect without contributing. The diagnosis.
by R.H. Tawney 1920
4.09
110 ratings
Capitalist Realism
by Mark Fisher • 2009
Capitalism won by making its alternatives unthinkable, and its dysfunctions feel like facts of life.
4.21
41k+
Capitalist Realism Summary
Capitalist Realism 88%
Capitalism won by making its alternatives unthinkable, and its dysfunctions feel like facts of life.
by Mark Fisher 2009
4.21
41k+ ratings
Free and Equal
by Daniel Chandler • 2023
Forget who you are, design society. Rawls did; the result might be our fairest system.
3.95
439
Free and Equal Summary
Free and Equal 88%
Forget who you are, design society. Rawls did; the result might be our fairest system.
by Daniel Chandler 2023
3.95
439 ratings
Socialism
by Friedrich Engels • 1880
Socialism is not a dream: it is the scientific endpoint of capitalism's own contradictions.
4.26
9k+
Socialism Summary
Socialism 88%
Socialism is not a dream: it is the scientific endpoint of capitalism's own contradictions.
by Friedrich Engels 1880
4.26
9k+ ratings
The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism
by Gøsta Esping-Andersen • 1989
Three welfare-state logics, not one spectrum; three distinct futures for work, class, and conflict.
3.93
352
The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism Summary
The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism 88%
Three welfare-state logics, not one spectrum; three distinct futures for work, class, and conflict.
by Gøsta Esping-Andersen 1989
3.93
352 ratings
The Good Society
by Robert N. Bellah • 1991
Individualism gutted our institutions. Repair begins where the myth ends: we need each other.
3.66
105
The Good Society Summary
The Good Society 88%
Individualism gutted our institutions. Repair begins where the myth ends: we need each other.
by Robert N. Bellah 1991
3.66
105 ratings
The Case Against Socialism
by Rand Paul • 2019
Why socialism always ends in bread lines and body counts, from Venezuela to Mao's China.
4.18
1k+
The Case Against Socialism Summary
The Case Against Socialism 88%
Why socialism always ends in bread lines and body counts, from Venezuela to Mao's China.
by Rand Paul 2019
4.18
1k+ ratings
The Conquest of Bread
by Pyotr Kropotkin • 1892
Plenty exists for everyone. The state and the wage are the only things in the way.
4.06
10k+
The Conquest of Bread Summary
The Conquest of Bread 88%
Plenty exists for everyone. The state and the wage are the only things in the way.
by Pyotr Kropotkin 1892
4.06
10k+ ratings
Capitalism Unbound
by Andrew Bernstein • 2009
Before capitalism, life expectancy was under 35. The moral case for freedom starts with that number.
4.36
50
Capitalism Unbound Summary
Capitalism Unbound 88%
Before capitalism, life expectancy was under 35. The moral case for freedom starts with that number.
by Andrew Bernstein 2009
4.36
50 ratings
How to Change the World
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 2011
The regimes that claimed Marx fell. After 2008, his analysis of capitalism became inescapable again.
3.88
988
How to Change the World Summary
How to Change the World 88%
The regimes that claimed Marx fell. After 2008, his analysis of capitalism became inescapable again.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 2011
3.88
988 ratings
The Making of the English Working Class
by E.P. Thompson • 1963
Not steam but struggle: how riots, chapels, and radical printers built the English working class.
4.21
4k+
The Making of the English Working Class Summary
The Making of the English Working Class 87%
Not steam but struggle: how riots, chapels, and radical printers built the English working class.
by E.P. Thompson 1963
4.21
4k+ ratings
Friendship in an Age of Economics
by Todd May • 2012
The way we treat our friends is a political act, and market logic is quietly corrupting it.
3.72
29
Friendship in an Age of Economics Summary
Friendship in an Age of Economics 87%
The way we treat our friends is a political act, and market logic is quietly corrupting it.
by Todd May 2012
3.72
29 ratings
Home
Swipe
Library
Get App
Try Full Access for 3 Days
Listen, bookmark, and more
Compare Features Free Pro
📖 Read Summaries
Read unlimited summaries. Free users get 3 per month
🎧 Listen to Summaries
Listen to unlimited summaries in 40 languages
❤️ Unlimited Bookmarks
Free users are limited to 4
📜 Unlimited History
Free users are limited to 4
📥 Unlimited Downloads
Free users are limited to 1
Risk-Free Timeline
Today: Get Instant Access
Listen to full summaries of 26,000+ books. That's 12,000+ hours of audio!
Day 2: Trial Reminder
We'll send you a notification that your trial is ending soon.
Day 3: Your subscription begins
You'll be charged on Jul 25,
cancel anytime before.
Consume 2.8× More Books
2.8× more books Listening Reading
Our users love us
600,000+ readers
Trustpilot Rating
TrustPilot
4.6 Excellent
This site is a total game-changer. I've been flying through book summaries like never before. Highly, highly recommend.
— Dave G
Worth my money and time, and really well made. I've never seen this quality of summaries on other websites. Very helpful!
— Em
Highly recommended!! Fantastic service. Perfect for those that want a little more than a teaser but not all the intricate details of a full audio book.
— Greg M
Save 62%
Yearly
$119.88 $44.99/year/yr
$3.75/mo
Monthly
$9.99/mo
Start a 3-Day Free Trial
3 days free, then $44.99/year. Cancel anytime.
Unlock a world of fiction & nonfiction books
26,000+ books for the price of 2 books
Read any book in 10 minutes
Discover new books like Tinder
Request any book if it's not summarized
Read more books than anyone you know
#1 app for book lovers
Lifelike & immersive summaries
30-day money-back guarantee
Download summaries in EPUBs or PDFs
Cancel anytime in a few clicks
Scanner
Find a barcode to scan

We have a special gift for you
Open
38% OFF
DISCOUNT FOR YOU
$79.99
$49.99/year
only $4.16 per month
Continue
2 taps to start, super easy to cancel
Settings
General
Widget
Loading...
We have a special gift for you
Open
38% OFF
DISCOUNT FOR YOU
$79.99
$49.99/year
only $4.16 per month
Continue
2 taps to start, super easy to cancel