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Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?
- Narrated by: Russell Brand
- Length: 2 hrs and 48 mins
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Publisher's Summary
After 1989, capitalism has successfully presented itself as the only realistic political-economic system - a situation that the bank crisis of 2008, far from ending, actually compounded. The audiobook analyses the development and principal features of this capitalist realism as a lived ideological framework. Using examples from politics, films, fiction, work, and education, it argues that capitalist realism colours all areas of contemporary experience. But it will also shows that, because of a number of inconsistencies and glitches internal to the capitalist reality program capitalism in fact is anything but realistic.
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What listeners say about Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Nick
- 05-15-21
Completely Unsubstantial
I was excited to read this book, hoping it would be a pragmatic analysis of possible alternatives to capitalism. It is far from that. This book is actually just shallow, anecdotal criticism of 'Capital Realism'. Capital Realism is the author's misleading brand of post modernism (A nefariously abstract and vague rabbit hole). The only insight this book offers is borrowed from other texts, which the author traps with his rhetorical and anecodtoal rants. While constantly pointing at 'Capital' as some malevolent entity that is the root of all modern adversity, the only solution the author offers is that neoliberalism is not the the answer. This is a feel good book for psuedo-intellectuals who want to get off on flowery rhetoric, not for anyone who seriously wants to explore the space.
27 people found this helpful
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- E. Stacy Creamer
- 02-20-21
A tour-de-force analysis of our current political/ social situation
Brilliant, incisive, riveting, unexpected. A must-listen for anyone concerned with our present and future—which I hope would be everyone. Fabulous narration by Russell Brand.
12 people found this helpful
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- Wayne
- 08-02-21
Stupid BS with horrid narration
I cannot believe I listened to the this crap. I was hoping that it would start to make sense but it never did.
8 people found this helpful
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- Robert Ross Jr.
- 05-20-21
A Wonderful Primer
Capitalist Realism serves a great way for those who are beginning their entrance into anti-capitalist thought to see and understand how the cultural and political forces of today are shaping the world.
5 people found this helpful
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- evan harris
- 05-06-21
A good book for left leaning peoples
Loved the short, to the point, progressive narrative. While the text is full of many intimidating references to films and events outside the text mark contextualizes and explains them enough to support his points. Russell Brand’s narration is good but sometimes hard to understand to these American ears, this is because of his accent mostly. Just be aware of that before you buy this book and listen to the sample. This text is short but a lot of thought provoking concepts and explorations. Also you will get a lot of great films to add to your watch list if you have not seen the many many films referenced in the text.
5 people found this helpful
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- Michelle Eldridge
- 07-13-21
Disapointing
This book was widely recommended but ultimately a disappointment. Although I think Fisher makes some good observations,, much of the book is wild speculation of the "kids these days" variety. It's as much the rantings of a frustrated educator as a critique of the culture of modern capitalism.
4 people found this helpful
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- Midnighter
- 06-29-21
What a Sad ending to a kindred soul
The weaving of significant movies with cultural philosophies and social commentaries provided great Ha holds for this reader, as the messages were abstract; notably Children of Men and The Parallax View analyses. RIP
3 people found this helpful
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- TheFrozenBiscuit
- 05-03-21
Very Good
Fisher lays out some excellent points and is spot on in illuminating the dystopian post history era that we live in. I disagree with a few of his conclusions throughout the book, but overall its well worth a read, because what he gets right is vitally important and not spoken about enough.
2 people found this helpful
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- Blake Cristobal
- 04-26-21
required reading
Mark Fisher's description of the modern political landscape is revelatory for any leftist who wants to understand the failures of the left.
1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-06-22
Precisely zero insights
I'll save you the listen:
No alternative is presented.
Would be zero stars if that was an option.
5 stars on narration for Russell Brand's lovely voice, -1 for how much it sounds like he actually believes this nonsense.
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- Lewis Goodwin Akers
- 05-04-21
Great book and brilliant narration
Really enjoyed Mark Fisher. Listened to him before on YouTube but interesting listening to his book. Really loved Russell Brands style of narration and the emphasis he puts on certain words.
2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 05-31-21
Why is this man not taught about at university's?
While being a student, bibliophile and a autodidact this book is amazing when studying the basics of both culture and modern economics for those who don't understand ether. Honestly this book should be in more university's. He is so right about students and so much more. I can relate to so much of this book and when he writes about the things that I didn't understand it was made more clear and digestible by his very articulate descriptions of events and subjects,
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 06-22-22
Cor blimey capitalist realism
Been meaning to get round to this book for a while now as Fishers ideas have obviously been quite influential. The book didn’t disappoint and explored what Fisher meant by capitalist realism well, drawing on contemporary culture to explain his ideas. I particularly like the narrator of the audiobook too - it’s nice to have a normal accent to listen to which made the book seem quite easy going despite containing some complicated ideas.
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- N16
- 03-29-22
Stunning thesis. Interesting choice of narrator.
This is an incredibly important thesis on Capitalism broken into digestible chunks with some useful film and literary analogies. It freaked me out a bit hearing Brand narrate this as I normally associated his views with “the fringe” and now I imbue him with a knowledge that comes from hearing him narrate this book that’s written in the first person!
I was sad to learn this book has existed since 2009 when it might have influenced my last six years of study rather than the next six. I was even sadder to learn that Mark took his own life in 2017.
This is a short but powerful and necessary book.
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-17-21
Required reading for the eternally appalled
Hard work at some points but this merely indicates depth of understanding and its detailed delivery.
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- RJ
- 03-06-21
Just as timely as when first published
An essential read/listen now even though the world has turned again since its publication. Accesible but resonates beyond its brevity.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-06-21
this book oozes a diverse swath of extra reading.
I have never read nor heard a book that so seamlessly and entertainingly integrated it's sources.
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 07-11-21
Thought provoking
This [audio] book is a challenging venture into the systems of organization that we humans associate ourselves with. The way Fisher articulates is superb. I am left pondering the human condition; the juxtaposition of essential needs and the treachery of endless wants, what we value and why, the stupendous volume of noise that subconsciously feeds into our minds and culture. When crises of a global scale affect more of the world, will we have the capacity and strength to rationalize our existence, or will the addiction of a few maintain their dominance?
1 person found this helpful
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- Gerard Forrest
- 05-30-22
What was the alternative?
For a book subtitled “Is there no alternative?” one would either expect the author to argue “Yes, there is no alternative” or “No, here are some alternatives”, and yet this book manages to do neither. I’ve never heard someone say so little while using so many words.
Would recommend just reading Žižek yourself as he’s quoted essentially every second sentence.
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- Anonymous User
- 02-25-22
Excellent content but Russell Brand???
Amazing content that deserved so much better than being read by Russell Brand.
A great analysis of late capital and how it keeps us trapped in apathy, while keeping us in a system that is against our actual class interests.
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- Anonymous User
- 07-03-21
outstanding!
Life changing stuff really. Succinct and thought provoking, this is a goliath 21st century lit. RIP to a real one