Another forwarded message from Phil Ferguson

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Apart from reading Marx himself - and this is a must - one of the best
books to go to is I.I. Rubin, "Essays on Marx's Theory of Value".

Rubin was a Bolshevik economist and taught economics after the revolution
at Moscow University (I think it was Moscow).  He was 'disappeared' under
Stalin because of his association with David Riazonov, denounced as a
'Menshevik' etc.

"Essays on Marx's Theory of Value" was first published in English by a
small leftie Detroit publisher, Red and Black, around 1972.  It includes a
very good essay on commodity fetishism by Fredy Pearlman.

Incidentally, Rubin's university course which looks at the history of
political economy before Marx, is also available in English, published by
Pluto Press (although unfortunately containing a lengthy afterword essay,
by some French academic asserting Marx's work was subject to a 'logical
flaw').  This book is called 'History of Economic Thought' and, apart from
being fascinating and valuable in its own right, makes an excellent
companion to 'Theories of Surplus Value'.

Philip Ferguson

Louis Proyect
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