Could anyone help? Give some tips? I really want to read Capital, then move on to stuff like State/Revolution, Governance, etc.
I’m not really a fan of audiobooks (mostly because they’re so monotone feeling… maybe I’ve not found the right ones?), but if I can’t figure anything else out, I might go down that road.
My main issue is really just focus. I’ll read a few paragraphs and enjoy it, then as I continue I slowly start drifting, no longer understanding the text, rereading over and over…
Anyways, I imagine some of you may have had this problem before, with how the internet and social media fucked our attention spans and all. Maybe if I could ever read Capital and all that, I could make comprehensive video versions for those like me…
Thanks in advance.
but they also do this kind of excessive thing where they take turns explaining something you only need one person to explain but always pause to enthusiastically agree with each other
LMFAO :agony:
This is brutally accurate, but it is still a GREAT pod. I highly recommend the episode about On Contradiction.
Well congrats, you can at least say you’re more well read on theory than Jordan Peterson
I often have the same problem, here’s what works for me:
1: Capital might be especially challenging, it’s very thick and dense. You don’t need to have read it to understand other theory, as long as you know the basic concepts. Maybe start with something lighter, and work your way up to Capital? Though, I understand why you might not want to do this.
2: Read it one chapter per day, make it a part of your routine, never skip a day. Take short notes while reading.
3: Buy a physical copy of the book. I find that reading it on a screen causes me to get distracted or to stop paying attention. You can get old theory for very cheap, my Capital was like five euros.
I have found that I just get way too angry and excited when I read theory. I want to tell everyone about it to help educate them, but that often just means pouring my soul into the soulless slot machine that is Facebook.
I use an app called VoiceDreamReader to read ebooks to me while I walk. A premium voice costs $5 and does a better job than most professional readers. You can also slow them way the hell down to really absorb a text. It can feel almost like I’m floating on air when I get really into something good and am also walking at the same time. (And yes, VoiceDreamReader just cut me a check. Actually they didn’t. Or did they?)
Theory-based podcasts like Revolutionary Left Radio, Red Menace, Red Library, Cosmopod, and others, are also immensely helpful, I find.
I also just put together a short ebook of theory, written as plainly as possible. Feel free to download it: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z28f6z9cmqsz0ic/AABDz8zNawOEjNSIxRFdNDi3a?dl=0
Also, when it comes to theory, the journey of learning never really ends. I learn new leftwing shit every single fucking day. So please don’t beat yourself up if you’re unable to consider yourself an expert.
