Thank you so much for your perspective! I definitely agree 100% with all of your reasoning for why each of these works is beneficial, you nailed exactly why I included them, and the order as well! I think, however, that Why Socialism? is still probably better as a standalone than a necessary stepping stone. I do agree that it’s useful, and the perspective of liberals favoring Einstein is good, but is a liberal going to read a self-described Marxist-Leninist reading list to begin with? I see it more useful to drop into liberal chatrooms and the like than necessary as a pre-organizing cadre preparedness course, as this list is essentially trying to do.

“Tankies” as well also directly challenges the user’s opposition to Stalin and Mao, as they appear in this list, but so does Why Marxism? That’s my biggest hangup, I don’t strictly need them in here, even if they do add to the course the time-cost is frankly something I question. This list isn’t a compendium of essays and books I like, it’s missing works I consider essential like Capital and Wretched of the Earth. In that sense, everything that’s here needs to need to be here.

I’m not dead-set either way, I am waiting for more feedback before I trim.