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Science & Society reviews two books by the late Samir Amin: “The Long Revolution” & “Only People Make Their Own History”

samir amin

The Long Revolution of the Global South: Toward a New Anti-Imperialist International
480 pp, $30 pbk, ISBN 978-1-58367-773-5
By Samir Amin

Reviewed by Molly Giedel for Science & Society, vol. 84, no. 3, July 2020

“In The Long Revolution of the Global South, preeminent Marxist economist Samir Amin has posthumously given readers two gifts: his sweeping insights into the global political–economic developments of the last 50 years, and a colorful, sometimes curmudgeonly account of his experiences during those years advising governments and leftist organizations throughout the global South. While it picks up around 1970 where his first memoir A Life Looking Forward leaves off, Long Revolution departs dramatically from the elegant linear narrative of that volume. This memoir is organized geographically, with nation-by-nation subsections making up regional sections. Each subsection contains Amin’s assessment of the titular nation—its developmental path, the authenticity and strength of its popular movements, and its possibilities for socialism—but is also punctuated by sharp observations and often funny anecdotes about Amin’s experiences in those nations as he advised leaders and gave talks and seminars….”

Read the entire review at Science & Society, pp. 428-30

Only People Make Their Own History: Writings on Capitalism, Imperialism, and Revolution
246 pp, $21 pbk, ISBN 978-1-58367-769-8
By Samir Amin

Reviewed by Chris Vials for Science & Society, vol. 84, no. 3, July 2020

Only People Make Their Own History is a sampling of Samir Amin’s late essays, recently published by Monthly Review Press, that commemorate the life and work of this prolific Marxist scholar and activist. This well-curated collection spans the last 20 years of his writing and serves as an excellent introduction for readers unfamiliar with his contributions, especially since the essays persistently reference his earlier scholarship and reassert its conclusions, generally unchanged….”

Read the entire review at Science & Society, pp. 430-33

The Long Revolution of the Global South: Toward a New Anti-Imperialist International by Samir Amin

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