Critical education against global capitalism : Karl Marx and revolutionary critical education /

Allman (Univ. of Nottinghan, UK) has written an important book. Her goal is to lay the groundwork for the practice of what she calls revolutionary critical education in an effort "to form a movement capable of challenging and then transforming capitalism." She begins the book with four chapters that offer an insightful reading of Karl Marx's method of understanding the world and his analysis of how people learn about the world. Unlike all-too-many presentations of Marx's work, hers is neither sterile nor unoriginal. In addition, numerous references to other works provide excellent pointers for further study. Building on this foundation, Allman shows how she has applied the work of Paulo Freire in her 12-year-long experience in adult education. For Freire, education is a dialogue--a dialectic, a struggle for transformation. This chapter is inspiring and yet at the same time disappointing because in the end, increasingly repressive workplace conditions hindered her students' ability to participate. Although this book explores Marx's theory in depth, it is accessible to upper-division undergraduates--perhaps a testimony to the influence of Freire. Allman's work will inspire readers with an interest in Marx, in education, or in social change. Recommended for college and university collections. M. Perelman California State University, Chico