Have you been looking for a brief but insightful and humorous read covering the fundamentals of socialist politics? Do you want to discuss common questions about the world we live in and how to create a better one with new friends in Chicago?

Socialism…Seriously: A Brief Guide to Surviving the 21st Century is a warm and witty introduction to the radical traditions of protest and politics that stretch from Karl Marx through today’s movements for democracy, equality, and a livable planet. In this thoroughly revised and expanded edition, Danny Katch uses humor and imagination to take an unflinching look at the rising threats posed by climate change, billionaire oligarchs, and the far right—and makes a compelling case that a socialist world is both necessary and possible.

Haymarket is hosting a four part conversation about Socialism… Seriously on Thursday evenings in May and early June.

We will share some discussion questions for each session ahead of time but this is a space where participants will guide the conversation and are asked to actively read with us and bring ideas to the group. While it is not required that folks attend all sessions we hope that you can join us for the whole series as we build a community of readers around this invaluable text. Here are the details for each session:

Session 1, “Can we imagine a different world?”: We will focus on pages 1-43.

Session 2, “What is capitalism and why does it suck so much?”: We will focus on pages 47-90.

Session 3, “What is socialism and how is it supposed to happen?”: We will focus on pages 93-163.

Session 4, “Where have we been and where are we going?”: We will focus on pages 165-214.

We ask that all participants are masked during the discussion and we will provide light refreshments afterwards. Weather permitting, we hope to hold the later events outside.

You can get a copy of Socialism...Seriously for 30% off here.