Official Review: Socialism: The Walking Dead by Rafael Polo

[Nonso Samuelson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Socialism: The Walking Dead" by Rafael Polo.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Socialism: The Walking Dead by Rafael Polo discusses socialism and the havoc it has brought on many countries and civilizations. Polo uses a fictional story to express himself and his views.

In this book, there are two narrators. The first narrator met João Sotelo in a flying boat on his way to Manila, Philippines. João, who was a member of the Communist Party, was traveling from Spain to Hong Kong to start a new life. They introduced themselves—the narrator as a contract surveyor and João as a lawyer. During their time together on the voyage, João taught the narrator a lot about the socialist system.

Many years later, the first narrator's grandson is on his way to a history symposium in Manila, Philippines. On his flight, he meets a colleague, Francisco Castro. Both men are Ph.D. holders in History but are on opposing sides as pertains to their political views. While Francisco—popularly called Frank—was in support of socialism, the second narrator hated it and stood against it. They both had great influence from their grandfathers (as Frank's was a staunch socialist) and upheld their beliefs even after they were gone. Aboard their flight, just like his grandfather did with João Sotelo many years ago, they began a debate on socialism in America. There's a ton to learn from the discussions in this book.

Socialism: The Walking Dead was written from the point of view of two nameless narrators. The dialogue in this book gave me insight into many hidden facts about the book's theme. This story was also a sort of exposé that unearthed the significant meanings and motives behind many historical events. A good example was the 2016 American presidential elections. Throughout this book, the author's perspective on socialism was very clear: it is a deprivation of individual freedom.

This book was very educating and upheld morality. Besides the 2016 American presidential elections, I also learned about other historical events. Some of them included the Battle of Midway, Pan American's feat of flying over the Pacific Ocean, Wake Island, etc.

I was thrown off a bit at first by the way the author frequently used the terms socialism, communism, and globalism interchangeably. It did cause some unnecessary pauses while I read. Of course, this was more due to my inexperience concerning the subject matter than it was about the terms. I can imagine that more knowledgeable readers wouldn't see this as confusing. This was the only thing close to a dislike for me, which means that there was nothing I disliked about the book.

What I liked the most about this book was that it was easy to understand. Rafael Polo wrote with clarity and communication as his priorities. He wanted readers to get his message easily, and it worked for me. His expository writing style and the story's pacing all aided in my easy comprehension of this book. Polo also ensured that this book was professionally edited; I spotted only a couple of grammatical errors. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars due to the clarity of the author's writing and the book's professional editing. There was no reason to give it a lesser rating. I would recommend it to readers interested in politics and government.

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Socialism: The Walking Dead
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[Silpi B]

This certainly sounds like a very interesting book. It goes straight to my to-read list. The review is lovely, so well-thought and nicely written. It touches upon all the themes and aspects and gives an insight into the book.

[Jorge Leon Salazar]

The theme of socialism in America captures my attention. Also, the book's focus is interesting. Excellent review.

[Yvonne Monique]

You did a great job explaining what the book is about. Although politics is not my cup of tea, I know some people who would thoroughly enjoy this book.

[onyii_review]

This looks like a book every nationals should read. Thanks for the review.

[Aisha Yakub]

A book on socialism is a great read. Thanks for the review

[EasyMessy]

I think this would be an interesting book to read. As an enthusiast of Philippine history, I would learn a lot. From the short description itself promises an exciting contents. Will give feedback once I'm done reading

[Stevenmusk]

This seems like an interesting book and is very insightful. Thanks for the review

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

I am interested in this book since my country is included. The author's name looks like a Filipino. Or the author has known quite well my country? I'd like to find out. Thanks for your beautiful review!'