One's understanding of the world is developed over a lifetime, with education coming in many forms. Some get it through academic study, others through years in the labor force, while all, on some level, earn it through the various frictions of everyday life. 

As the new academic year begins, we encourage all readers to find the texts that will expand, challenge, and help develop their worldview.

This year, we're offering:
30% off all Verso titles, site-wide
20% off gift memberships to the Verso Book Club
20% off Verso Gift Cards

As a friendly reminder: Verso Book Club members enjoy 50% off all titles year-round on all our books! It's the best way to support the future of Verso's radical publishing and our authors!

Ten Books Every Student Should Read

Whether you’re just starting out, or you’ve been a lifelong student, these are books you need to read to build an understanding of how capitalism began, how it shaped every facet of our lives, and how we fight back. Shop the full list

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Decolonize Your Bookshelf

Decolonization was the major historical process of the twentieth century. Its unfinished projects continue to shape our present. These books challenge imperial narratives and offer a history of anti-colonial, anti-racist struggle. Shop the full list

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Student Reading – Essential Theory

Critique your critical theory reading with this crucial list of books, including Anna Kornbluh’s analysis of contemporary cultural style, Marx’s writings on Indigenous communism, and never forgetting Henri Lefebvre's richest, most prescient work about modern capitalism. Shop the full list

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Student Reading – Essential Philosophy

Whether you are au fait with the heady conundrums of philosophical thought, or are are just starting down the road, this reading list is designed to introduce new ideas and intervene in key philosophical debates. Shop the full list

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Student Reading – Essential History

For radicals, the best guide to the present is our past successes and failures. Use this list to navigate our wide array of books on global histories of revolutions, colonial plunder, and class struggle. Shop the full list

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Author Bookshelves

Walter Rodney: A Lightning Rod of Black Working Class Power

Nancy Fraser: Reframing our Understanding of Marxist Theory

Theodor Adorno: A Leading Figure of the Frankfurt School

Ellen Meiksins Wood: Groundbreaking Marxist Historian and Political Thinker 

Erik Olin Wright: The Greatest Marxist Sociologist of His Time 

Mike Davis: Prophetic Marxist Historian and Activist

Walter Benjamin: An Indispensable Philosopher-Critic

Fredric Jameson: A Giant of Literary and Cultural Theory

All print book purchases will include the bundled ebook edition for free! See all our ebook FAQs here.

Some older titles are not yet available in ebook format. We're working on it!

If you experience any issues please email: orders@versobooks.com (for US and Canada customers) or orders@verso.co.uk (for UK, Europe and Rest of World customers).

Filed under: student-reading