A concise and comprehensive introduction to MarxÕs social, political and economic thought for the beginning student. Jon Elster surveys in turn each of the main themes of marxist thought: methodology, alienation, economics, exploitation, historical materialism, classes, politics, and ideology, in a final chapter he assesses Ôwhat is living and what is dead in the philosophy of MarxÕ. The emphasis throughout is on the analytical structure of MarxÕs arguments and the approach is at once sympathetic, undogmatic, and rigorous.