“Rick Wolff puts the social back in socialism by centering the people, the places and the passions that other economists strip out. In a time in which socialism is more popular than capitalism among the young, we now have a strong and powerful case for why socialism is what radical democracy looks like.” “Richard Wolff’s book is the best accessible and reliable treatment we have of what socialism is, was, and should be.

It analyzes the successes and defeats of those countries, the world’s reactions to them (anti-socialism and fascism), and how all of those factors offer important lessons for the building of a 21st century socialism. Understanding Socialism explores how socialist theory was used and applied to shape the histories of countries like Russia and China principally, and many other countries in smaller but important ways. Understanding Socialism not only explains what socialism is and has meant to various proponents, it also looks at the past transition from feudalism to capitalism as a model to help us visualize the next transition out of capitalism. A blend of history, analysis and opinion, Understanding Socialism is an honest and approachable text that knocks down false narratives, confronts failures, and offers a path to a new socialism based on workplace democracy.

Understanding Socialism tackles the taboos and unveils the often hidden histories of socialism, but most importantly it offers a way forward: a socialism built on democracy in the workplace.

Richard d wolff understanding socialism