- The Communist Manifesto (Illustrated)

The term "communist" or "communism" it thrown around so much by the media and government these days that society has become anesthetized to its true meaning. Marx was a sort of savant. Never worked a day in his life, was educated enough to be dangerous, was fully supported by a wealthy benefactor (for reasons we can only speculate) and had nothing to do all day but think about stuff. So he came up with his idea for a utopian society where everyone worked and everyone shared equally in the proceeds of that work, regardless of how strong or weak one's contribution to that work was. A great idea on paper, maybe, but Marx lacked any grasp of the most basic, critical element that cannot be subdued or subjugated: human nature. Humans are biologically programmed to get as much as they can for themselves by whatever means they can. For most of us it means going to school, developing a career strategy, working hard and growing our income. For some it means scamming the system through deception, thievery or other criminal acts. No truely "communist" nation has ever existed on this planet in modern history - not the Soviet Union, not China, not North Korea, but "communism" is the term we use to describe them. Why? Marx's manifesto itself is not inherently evil, it is just completely unrealistic. But evil people have used it to seize power and create totalitarian states - all in the name of the people who are ultimately subjected to the cruelties of that totalitarian rule. I originally read this in high school (during the height of the Cold War) and wrote my senior thesis on why it would not - COULD not - work (I got an A, but that was before the pro-communists took over our school system). Unfortunately, our schools today try to push Marxist theory on our kids as the best idea since sliced bread. But parents, use book this to teach your kids. It's easy to follow Marx's progression and see how something so mundanely simple could be used to usurp democratic governments and institute totalitarianism all in the name of "The People".

Wow.That's my first impression of The Communist Manifesto (Illustrated) - Chapter One: Historical Materialism.Visually stunning, this up-to-date version of Manifesto captures the energy of the 1888 English edition as Marx's words still fly off the page but now have expert illustrations that somehow capture current events without neglecting the past or losing the original's timeless character.This edition splits up Manifesto into four parts and re-organizes it. It also leaves out what the editors feel are outdated parts of the original, shortening it without impacting the message. This is probably a good thing, as this volume is likely to be many peoples first exposure to Marx and Engels.This volume, Chapter One, starts with a superb introduction by the Editor followed by what I feel is an artistic interpretation of the main point of the Introduction. This part covers about half of the pages and gives some background to Marx and the events of the last century or so without a word from the characters. This section is essential for 21st century readers with preconceived notions of Marx and Communism.The actual Communist Manifesto section is true to the original with no wasted words and seems word for word if my memory serves.Marx's words are as timeless as ever and fit right in with the depictions of modern events. The end leaves you wanting to move on to Chapter 2 instantly.If you've never read Marx, start with The Communist Manifesto. This as-yet incomplete 2010 edition is a fantastic way to get started. The 1888 (NOT 1988) English edition is just as gripping but without the illustrations.Love it or hate it, The Communist Manifesto is one of the most significant books of all time and a must-read for anyone with the slightest interest in Humanity or Politics.Thank you for Chapters One and Two. Now let's see Three and Four!

The book’s text is only about 50 pages total, but the content in those few pages is eye-opening. A short, often terse, and somewhat difficult read, I found myself constantly going back over paragraph after paragraph, not only because of my own lack of understanding of the events of their time, but also due to my own lack of comprehension of the English of that same era.What I found most interesting about Marx and Engels‘ written exultations, in respect to their fervent beliefs in communism and a socialist philosophy, was just how much their vision for worldwide revolution against the Bourgeoisie parallels many of the same beliefs some people share today, almost 180 years later. You can feel their passions, whether you agree with their assertions or not, in the words contained therein. A must read for anyone curious about socialist and communist origins. My personal beliefs could never fall in line with theirs, but I now have a better understanding of the philosophy, and I also now know that I should have, and “why” I should have, read this much earlier in life.