A primer on Democratic Socialism for those who are extremely skeptical of it.

America is witnessing the rise of a new generation of socialist  activists. More young people support socialism now than at any time  since the labor movement of the 1920s. The Democratic Socialists of  America, a big-tent leftist organization, has just surpassed 50,000  members nationwide. In the fall of 2018, one of the most influential  congressmen in the Democratic Party lost a primary to Alexandria  Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old socialist who had never held office before.  But what does all this mean? Should we be worried about our country, or  should we join the march toward our bright socialist future? In Why You  Should Be a Socialist, Nathan J. Robinson will give listeners a primer  on 21st-century socialism: what it is, what it isn’t, and why everyone  should want to be a part of this exciting new chapter of American  politics.

From the heyday of Occupy Wall Street through Bernie Sanders’ 2016  presidential campaign and beyond, young progressives have been  increasingly drawn to socialist ideas. However, the movement’s goals  need to be defined more sharply before it can effect real change on a  national scale. Likewise, liberals and conservatives will benefit from a  deeper understanding of the true nature of this ideology, whether they  agree with it or not.

Robinson’s charming, accessible, and well-argued book will convince  even the most skeptical listeners of the merits of socialist thought.