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SoBrief
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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 90%
Russell expected a workers' paradise. He found a religion enforced by secret police.
by Bertrand Russell 1920
3.99
411 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? 90%
Workers alone only win wage fights. A secret vanguard must bring revolutionary thought from outside.
by Vladimir Lenin 1902
4.11
6k+ ratings
The Foundations of Leninism
by Joseph Stalin • 1924
The manual Lenin left behind: why imperialist decay demands a new kind of revolutionary party.
4.05
2k+
The Foundations of Leninism Summary
The Foundations of Leninism 90%
The manual Lenin left behind: why imperialist decay demands a new kind of revolutionary party.
by Joseph Stalin 1924
4.05
2k+ ratings
October
by China Miéville • 2017
Ten months, one empire, and a revolution that no one had written the ending for.
3.91
7k+
October Summary
October 90%
Ten months, one empire, and a revolution that no one had written the ending for.
by China Miéville 2017
3.91
7k+ 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 90%
Not socialism, not capitalism. Trotsky charts the third system the Russian Revolution produced.
by Leon Trotsky 1937
4.09
2k+ ratings
پاسخ به تاریخ
by Mohammed Reza Pahlavi • 1979
The Shah's final word: clerics, communists, and allies who abandoned him. Three millennia ended.
3.91
634
پاسخ به تاریخ Summary
پاسخ به تاریخ 90%
The Shah's final word: clerics, communists, and allies who abandoned him. Three millennia ended.
by Mohammed Reza Pahlavi 1979
3.91
634 ratings
Iran Between Two Revolutions
by Ervand Abrahamian • 1982
Iran's two revolutions share the same roots: communal rivalries, foreign pressure, class conflict.
4.13
2k+
Iran Between Two Revolutions Summary
Iran Between Two Revolutions 89%
Iran's two revolutions share the same roots: communal rivalries, foreign pressure, class conflict.
by Ervand Abrahamian 1982
4.13
2k+ ratings
Russia
by Antony Beevor • 2022
Revolution promised bread. It brought secret police, grain theft, and a famine that killed millions.
3.90
3k+
Russia Summary
Russia 89%
Revolution promised bread. It brought secret police, grain theft, and a famine that killed millions.
by Antony Beevor 2022
3.90
3k+ ratings
Khomeinism
by Ervand Abrahamian • 1993
The Islamic Republic was never fundamentalist. It was populist, and that explains everything.
3.89
171
Khomeinism Summary
Khomeinism 89%
The Islamic Republic was never fundamentalist. It was populist, and that explains everything.
by Ervand Abrahamian 1993
3.89
171 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
King of Kings
by Scott Anderson • 2025
A deluded king, a blind superpower, and the cassette tapes that toppled a dynasty.
4.33
5k+
King of Kings Summary
King of Kings 89%
A deluded king, a blind superpower, and the cassette tapes that toppled a dynasty.
by Scott Anderson 2025
4.33
5k+ ratings
Che Guevara Reader
by Ernesto Che Guevara • 1997
Winning the war is step one. Che Guevara's collected writings on what revolutions do after victory.
4.08
359
Che Guevara Reader Summary
Che Guevara Reader 89%
Winning the war is step one. Che Guevara's collected writings on what revolutions do after victory.
by Ernesto Che Guevara 1997
4.08
359 ratings
Kremlin Rising
by Peter Baker • 2005
Putin didn't seize Russia. Russians handed it to him, desperate for order after a decade of chaos.
3.90
332
Kremlin Rising Summary
Kremlin Rising 89%
Putin didn't seize Russia. Russians handed it to him, desperate for order after a decade of chaos.
by Peter Baker 2005
3.90
332 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
Dressed Up for a Riot
by Michael Idov • 2018
a GQ editor's Moscow: protests fill squares, Pussy Riot faces trial, and cheese turns patriotic.
3.62
274
Dressed Up for a Riot Summary
Dressed Up for a Riot 89%
a GQ editor's Moscow: protests fill squares, Pussy Riot faces trial, and cheese turns patriotic.
by Michael Idov 2018
3.62
274 ratings
The Return of the Russian Leviathan
by Sergei Medvedev • 2017
Governance traded for spectacle: how resentment and distorted history built Putin's Russia.
4.06
337
The Return of the Russian Leviathan Summary
The Return of the Russian Leviathan 89%
Governance traded for spectacle: how resentment and distorted history built Putin's Russia.
by Sergei Medvedev 2017
4.06
337 ratings
Unhumans
by Jack Posobiec • 2024
The playbook that toppled societies from Robespierre to Mao is now targeting the West.
3.99
1k+
Unhumans Summary
Unhumans 89%
The playbook that toppled societies from Robespierre to Mao is now targeting the West.
by Jack Posobiec 2024
3.99
1k+ ratings
Treacherous Alliance
by Trita Parsi • 2007
Israel and Iran wage a cold war for regional dominance, not an ancient religious feud.
4.12
555
Treacherous Alliance Summary
Treacherous Alliance 89%
Israel and Iran wage a cold war for regional dominance, not an ancient religious feud.
by Trita Parsi 2007
4.12
555 ratings
States and Social Revolutions
by Theda Skocpol • 1979
Revolution is a structural event: foreign pressure breaks the state, and the peasants rise.
3.85
559
States and Social Revolutions Summary
States and Social Revolutions 89%
Revolution is a structural event: foreign pressure breaks the state, and the peasants rise.
by Theda Skocpol 1979
3.85
559 ratings
Lenin
by Robert Service • 2000
How a bookish, emotionally stunted provincial became the ruthless architect of the Soviet state.
3.84
2k+
Lenin Summary
Lenin 89%
How a bookish, emotionally stunted provincial became the ruthless architect of the Soviet state.
by Robert Service 2000
3.84
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 89%
Consensus is a mirage. Conflict is ineradicable; any left project that forgets this fails.
by Ernesto Laclau 1985
3.82
1k+ ratings
Strongmen
by Ruth Ben-Ghiat • 2020
Authoritarians from Mussolini to Trump run the same playbook. A century of evidence shows how.
4.27
5k+
Strongmen Summary
Strongmen 89%
Authoritarians from Mussolini to Trump run the same playbook. A century of evidence shows how.
by Ruth Ben-Ghiat 2020
4.27
5k+ ratings
Putinism
by Walter Laqueur • 2015
Oil wealth, Orthodox faith, and a KGB veteran filled the vacuum the Soviet Union left behind.
3.32
260
Putinism Summary
Putinism 89%
Oil wealth, Orthodox faith, and a KGB veteran filled the vacuum the Soviet Union left behind.
by Walter Laqueur 2015
3.32
260 ratings
The Storm Before the Calm
by George Friedman • 2020
Every eighty years America's government breaks; every fifty, its economy. Now both arrive at once.
4.05
3k+
The Storm Before the Calm Summary
The Storm Before the Calm 89%
Every eighty years America's government breaks; every fifty, its economy. Now both arrive at once.
by George Friedman 2020
4.05
3k+ ratings
The Case for Colonialism
by Bruce Gilley • 2023
Start new colonies from scratch. The controversial solution to a century of post-colonial disaster.
4.32
191
The Case for Colonialism Summary
The Case for Colonialism 89%
Start new colonies from scratch. The controversial solution to a century of post-colonial disaster.
by Bruce Gilley 2023
4.32
191 ratings
End Times
by Peter Turchin • 2023
Ten millennia of data point to two conditions for state collapse. America now meets both.
4.06
3k+
End Times Summary
End Times 89%
Ten millennia of data point to two conditions for state collapse. America now meets both.
by Peter Turchin 2023
4.06
3k+ ratings
The Royalist Revolution
by Eric Nelson • 2014
Americans rebelled for the king, not against him. The presidency became the crown they were denied.
4.12
116
The Royalist Revolution Summary
The Royalist Revolution 89%
Americans rebelled for the king, not against him. The presidency became the crown they were denied.
by Eric Nelson 2014
4.12
116 ratings
Republic, Lost
by Lawrence Lessig • 2011
America's government answers to funders, not voters. The corruption is legal, and it's by design.
4.18
3k+
Republic, Lost Summary
Republic, Lost 89%
America's government answers to funders, not voters. The corruption is legal, and it's by design.
by Lawrence Lessig 2011
4.18
3k+ 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 89%
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 Dictator's Handbook
by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita • 2011
All politics comes down to one number: how many backers a leader must satisfy to survive.
4.25
11k+
The Dictator's Handbook Summary
The Dictator's Handbook 89%
All politics comes down to one number: how many backers a leader must satisfy to survive.
by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita 2011
4.25
11k+ ratings
The Bloomsbury Companion to Arendt
by Peter Gratton • 2020
Why totalitarianism aims to make humans unnecessary, and the public acts that can stop it.
The Bloomsbury Companion to Arendt Summary
The Bloomsbury Companion to Arendt 89%
Why totalitarianism aims to make humans unnecessary, and the public acts that can stop it.
by Peter Gratton 2020
Dedication and Leadership
by Douglas Arnold Hyde • 1956
An ex-Communist exposes the methods that let a tiny minority capture a third of the world.
4.18
275
Dedication and Leadership Summary
Dedication and Leadership 88%
An ex-Communist exposes the methods that let a tiny minority capture a third of the world.
by Douglas Arnold Hyde 1956
4.18
275 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 88%
Marxism's own contradictions made authoritarianism inevitable, not an aberration.
by Leszek Kołakowski 2005
4.25
455 ratings
50 Politics Classics
by Tom Butler-Bowdon • 2015
Fifty political classics, one digest: the ideas on power and freedom that still shape the world.
3.99
297
50 Politics Classics Summary
50 Politics Classics 88%
Fifty political classics, one digest: the ideas on power and freedom that still shape the world.
by Tom Butler-Bowdon 2015
3.99
297 ratings
Reflections on the Revolution in France
by Edmund Burke • 1790
Rights without custom, property, or faith: why the French Revolution ended in tyranny, not liberty.
3.73
7k+
Reflections on the Revolution in France Summary
Reflections on the Revolution in France 88%
Rights without custom, property, or faith: why the French Revolution ended in tyranny, not liberty.
by Edmund Burke 1790
3.73
7k+ ratings
Agonistics
by Chantal Mouffe • 2013
Consensus is the liberal dream. Real democracy thrives on adversaries and a good fight.
3.87
351
Agonistics Summary
Agonistics 88%
Consensus is the liberal dream. Real democracy thrives on adversaries and a good fight.
by Chantal Mouffe 2013
3.87
351 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
Patriot
by Alexei Navalny • 2024
Poisoned by the state, arrested on return, dead at 47. His prison cell testament.
4.51
17k+
Patriot Summary
Patriot 88%
Poisoned by the state, arrested on return, dead at 47. His prison cell testament.
by Alexei Navalny 2024
4.51
17k+ ratings
Citizens
by Simon Schama • 1989
Modernizing France crashed into revolution, and bloodshed was its engine, not its accident.
4.03
6k+
Citizens Summary
Citizens 88%
Modernizing France crashed into revolution, and bloodshed was its engine, not its accident.
by Simon Schama 1989
4.03
6k+ ratings
The Shah
by Abbas Milani • 2007
A CIA-backed restoration, a forced march into modernity, and the revolution it made inevitable.
4.23
1k+
The Shah Summary
The Shah 88%
A CIA-backed restoration, a forced march into modernity, and the revolution it made inevitable.
by Abbas Milani 2007
4.23
1k+ ratings
The Great Debate
by Yuval Levin • 2013
Burke and Paine split over human nature and justice. Their argument became right and left.
3.87
1k+
The Great Debate Summary
The Great Debate 88%
Burke and Paine split over human nature and justice. Their argument became right and left.
by Yuval Levin 2013
3.87
1k+ 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
Why Civil Resistance Works
by Erica Chenoweth • 2011
The most effective weapon against a dictator is not a gun: 200,000 people refusing to cooperate.
3.98
729
Why Civil Resistance Works Summary
Why Civil Resistance Works 88%
The most effective weapon against a dictator is not a gun: 200,000 people refusing to cooperate.
by Erica Chenoweth 2011
3.98
729 ratings
The Last Shah
by Ray Takeyh • 2021
Two Pahlavi kings tried to drag Iran into modernity by force. Both died in exile.
3.90
202
The Last Shah Summary
The Last Shah 88%
Two Pahlavi kings tried to drag Iran into modernity by force. Both died in exile.
by Ray Takeyh 2021
3.90
202 ratings
The Black Jacobins
by C.L.R. James • 1938
The slaves who built France's wealth took the French Revolution's ideals and destroyed an empire.
4.39
8k+
The Black Jacobins Summary
The Black Jacobins 88%
The slaves who built France's wealth took the French Revolution's ideals and destroyed an empire.
by C.L.R. James 1938
4.39
8k+ ratings
Demanding the Impossible
by Peter H. Marshall • 1992
Self-rule predates the state. Anarchist thought from ancient Taoism to the modern era.
4.12
1k+
Demanding the Impossible Summary
Demanding the Impossible 88%
Self-rule predates the state. Anarchist thought from ancient Taoism to the modern era.
by Peter H. Marshall 1992
4.12
1k+ ratings
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 88%
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
Back on the Road (Otra Vez)
by Ernesto Che Guevara • 2000
Guatemala fell while he watched. In Mexico, Castro asked him to join a revolution.
3.72
861
Back on the Road (Otra Vez) Summary
Back on the Road (Otra Vez) 88%
Guatemala fell while he watched. In Mexico, Castro asked him to join a revolution.
by Ernesto Che Guevara 2000
3.72
861 ratings
The Politics of Collective Violence
by Charles Tilly • 2003
Violence isn't chaos; it's politics, shaped by regimes and the relationships leaders exploit.
3.85
151
The Politics of Collective Violence Summary
The Politics of Collective Violence 88%
Violence isn't chaos; it's politics, shaped by regimes and the relationships leaders exploit.
by Charles Tilly 2003
3.85
151 ratings
Always With Honour
by Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel • 1963
The White Army's last commander: rebuilding in Crimea, one final campaign, and exodus by sea.
4.47
614
Always With Honour Summary
Always With Honour 88%
The White Army's last commander: rebuilding in Crimea, one final campaign, and exodus by sea.
by Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel 1963
4.47
614 ratings
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