# The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

3 Hacker News commenters recommended The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and 3 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a short, seminal classic worth reading to know what you argue against. Critics call it too simple and more political ad than analysis.

## Why people recommend it

- Short, seminal classic worth reading (2 comments): "The Communist Manifesto is the seminal work. It’s fairly short." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47002385)) "The Communist Manifesto is an oldie but goodie." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48901075))
- Useful for knowing opposing arguments (1 comments): "I suggest reading the Communist Manifesto, so you know what to argue against if nothing else." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46108451))

## What people warn about

- Too simple as an argument (1 comments): "the manifesto is far too simple" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47175488))
- Written as political advocacy (1 comments): "it was written more as a political ad, if you will." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47002667))
- Claims the reader rejects (1 comments): "also not agree to the claims of the Communist Manifesto" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50246143))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes](https://hackerapproved.com/p/leviathan.md): 11 recommend
- [Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher](https://hackerapproved.com/p/capitalist-realism.md): 7 recommend
- [The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli](https://hackerapproved.com/p/prince.md): 5 recommend
- [The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay](https://hackerapproved.com/p/federalist-papers.md): 4 recommend
- [Politics by Aristotle](https://hackerapproved.com/p/politics.md): 3 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0857088769?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780857088765) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels", https://hackerapproved.com/p/communist-manifesto/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).