As the global finance crisis started Europeans began buying «Das Kapital» by Karl Marx. For example, Germany reports of triple increasing this book’s sales as compared to 2005. Specialists say Europe citizens are disappointed in capitalist economy because of the latest problems. There’s no such boom around Karl Marx’s creation in Russia.
What books should Russians read to manage the crisis? May they help to solve the problems? AiF.Ru has asked the specialists:
Mikhail Veller, writer:
- The best Russian economic anatomist currently is, as far as I know, Mikhail Delyagin.
But crisis cannot be created by wrong books and even by wrong decisions. It appears because everything depends on the cyclic change rule. I suppose people who want to understand the reason and very core of this crisis needs to read serious philosophy books. That’s essential for the general world understanding.
But I guess the crisis reason lies in the overheated modern civilization where lots of people live in an incredible comfort and they do not produce anything useful. Someday when they get to a certain level of prosperity the card-castle falls, it’s fatal. And this is the time when one should read the New Testament, and remember that in the sweat of his face one shall eat bread by doing something useful. And if you want to read books like «How to kill the crisis?», this wouldn’t help. This kind of manuals usually means nothing important in real life.»
Eugenie Chichvarkin, businessman:
- What book should we read to win in the crisis?
- «Atlas Shrugged» by Ayn Rand. It’s to be read till the end.
- Why do you recommend it?
- You just need it. That’s all.
NOTE
Ayn Rand’s book (the author's real name is Alisa Rosenbaum) is presented as the market Bible. This is a 3-book novel released in 1957 for the first time. It’s been reprinted a lot since that time. The book tells how populists came to rule and brought US to chaos, hunger and civil war.
Alexander Peskov, performer:
- I think this is the time when one should reread «The Financier». At least you’ll get some clever thoughts of how you can avoid collapse and earn some money. If I only have this commercial talent as Frank Cowperwood had, I’d be drinking mojito at Majorca beach. But I’m ok, I live my life here and do not bother about money. My managers do.
Sergey Smirnov, Doctor of Science, Economics, Moscow State Economics High College principal:
- Reading is always necessary, but now I’d recommend listening more. When your head is tired you should listen. What to listen? Timur Shaov’s wonderful songs filled with his hopefulness. I guess he wrote everything about crisis: about 1998 events, about the country’s politics. So you only have to listen and you feel better.
The other man to listen to is Mark Freidkin. He’s a great Russian songwriter who’s got a lot of politic songs. He usually expresses his thoughts in distinct terms and with a bog amount of optimism. And he uses explicit words only when they are really needed.
I guess we’ll handle the crisis only when we start treating everything with a smile. If we treat the crisis easily and calmly, if we do not make a tragedy of it, we’ll have more hope and get through this time easier.
Do not rush into banks. Take care of your nerves, you’ll live more. You need to watch and listen only to those who call for hopefulness. You need to think only about eternal things, not worldy ones. Today we have crisis, tomorrow it’ll be gone. And we, Russians, Earth inhabitants, we’ll keep going!
Russian version
