Reviews

Systemsturz. Der Sieg der Natur über den Kapitalismus by Kōhei Saitō

tjbacon's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

phubbard's review against another edition

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5.0

I think everyone should read this. Chapter 6 alone is worthwhile for its amazing summary of and innovation in traditional Marxist thought, and Saito in general makes a compelling case on many fronts. I am predisposed to agree with whatever conclusions a book like this (Marxist, environmentalist, anticapitalist) might make, but even if one did not have that prior leaning it is still a valuable and convincing read. I also agree that green Keynesianism is an insufficient and laughably inadequate solution to climate crisis, but Saito’s ‘takedown’ of it is a tad sparse and anecdotal (my only criticism of this work). Once he gets into real theory and discursion, the book shines.

vervoeging_van_de_maand_maart's review against another edition

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hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

setcab's review

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challenging hopeful informative medium-paced

4.0

marissab's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

estrogenism's review against another edition

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fast-paced

2.75

books_ergo_sum's review against another edition

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reflective

5.0

Obsessed. This is it. This is THE book. 

A thorough solution to climate change that would 1) totally work and 2) be both anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist. I feel like I’ve been searching for this book my whole life and now I’ve found it and I don’t really know what to do with myself 😅

It was:
✨ part analysis of all the major economic models on climate justice (the above Aaron Bastani’s included)
✨ part EPIC Marx scholarship

Saito’s critiques were all spot on and I’m in awe of how he took inspiration from unpublished archival drafts of Marx’s later works. It was mind blowing, approachable, and just… right, I think.

Also this is a translated work, originally published in Japanese. And I think it’s a good reminder that maybe we should look outside the Anglo-sphere for solutions to climate change.

starlingx's review against another edition

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informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

amourdevin's review against another edition

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4.0

A quick and easy read which utilises research into Marx’s notes from his final years to create something that might sound inflammatory and bonkers (who among the general populace looks at Marx with admiration after all?), but in the end has concrete, achievable steps to steer us away from complete catastrophe whilst also increasing happiness. This is a bit like the hippy-dippy ‘eat local, buy local’ writ large, with an expansive list of socialised common goods (water, power, housing, etc) and a focus on breaking the consumerist habit.
Food for thought. I will certainly be evaluating my own lifestyle and habits in light of this.

painter's review against another edition

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informative reflective fast-paced

4.0