on the more economics-y side,
Sweezy's Theory of Capitalist Development would have to be on there (definitely prefer over Baran and Sweezy Monopoly Capital)
I would use Eric Williams Capitalism and Slavery (and possibly Oliver Cox Caste, Class, and Race and/or Walter Rodney's How Europe Underdeveloped Africa)
other possibles:
Harry Braverman Labor and Monopoly Capital Maria Mies Patriarchy and Accumulation on a World Scale Rosa Luxemburg The Accumulation of Capital Rudolf Hilferding Finance Capital Manning Marable How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America Robert L. Allen Black Awakening in Capitalist America Samir Amin Accumulation on a World Scale Angela Davis Women, Race, and Class Mandel's Marxist Economics John Weeks Capital and Exploitation
if an essay is ok, and not just books: Stephen Hymer, "Robinson Crusoe and the Secret of Primitive Accumulation" Monthly Review, 1971, reprinted in E.J. Nell Growth, Profits, and Property, Cambridge U. Press, 1980.
A lot of people like Robert Heilbroner Marxism: For and Against, but I prefer Heilbroner's The Nature and Logic of Capitalism
controversial, I'm sure: Stephen Resnick and Richard Wolff Knowledge and Class
also articles, not books: Heidi Hartmann The Unhappy Marriage of Marxism and Feminism Nancy Folbre A Patriarchal Mode of Production
The first is in that famous collection that could be used...green and black famous marxism/feminism book.. escaping me...i'm sure you know it..Women and Revolution! edited by Lydia Sargent (hey I'm not slipping that fast..) also reminds of Sylvia Walby Patriarchy at Work
for an environmental angle John Bellamy Foster's new one, Marx's Ecology
Rosdolsky's The Making of Marx's Capital if you want secondary discussions of Marx
also decent primers on Marxian economics: Ben Fine, Laurence Harris (separately or together--Rereading Capital), Duncan Foley's Understanding Capital (a little tough at places)
David Harvey The Limits of Capital
gotta run.. have fun
-----Original Message----- From: Kelley [mailto:kwalker2 at gte.net] Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2001 10:28 PM To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com Subject: reading lists
two reading lists i'd like to put together. looking for your in put.
1. introduction to left/marxist thought. or, perhaps, it would be better titled contemporary leftist classics.
if you could list 10-20 books, what would you include on a reading list for someone who wants to know more about leftist/marxist thought.
2. top 10 or 20 books on the best seller and academic best seller lists in that last decade. monographs, essays, anthologies, etc that deal with contemporary cultural issues, current political controversies or cover an historical topic that might illuminate the present.
kelley