Abstract

For anyone wishing to understand the modern world, Marx's Capital is indispensable. It is also, unfortunately, a difficult book to read. Some of these difficulties are inevitable since the ideas are unfamiliar and complex, but it seems more forbidding than it really is and the reader who persists will find it worth the effort. The Guide is intended to be read in conjunction with Capital (though it can be read on its own). It goes through Marx's masterpiece, chapter by chapter, setting each in the context of the whole and picking out the main threads of the argument. Each of Marx's technical terms if explained when it is first used and is also defined in the glossary for easy reference. The introduction outlines the development of Marx's thought and relates it to the philosophical, political and economic ideas of his time. The Guide does not take sides for Marx or against him. Its aim is to contribute to a better understanding of his work.