book review: Capital From Zero - Reading Marx in the Age of Climate Catastrophe by Kahei Saito

⭐️  5/5

Thank you Astra for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

Kohei Saito’s Capital From Zero: Reading Marx in the Age of Climate Catastrophe is both timely and accessible. Though designed at its core as an introduction to Marx in an effort to make his work more approachable, this volume is valuable for readers with varied purpose, current stance on political theory, or familiarity with Marx. For those wanting to understand some of the terms being thrown around in political debates — such as capitalism, socialism, communism, neoliberalism, association etc. — Saito breaks down these concepts in layman’s terms. He thoughtfully outlines the viewpoints of not only Marx, but other important philosophers as well. This allows the reader to confidently participate in future discussions in a more knowledgable way, come to their own decisions whether they ascribe to some of the negative connotations attached to some of these terms, and whether some of the ideas may be a path forward, either in piece or in whole. It is a compelling standalone read for anyone just beginning to contemplate an option other than capitalism, as well as an excellent springboard for those planning to read Marx’s work.