“This book is brilliant, incisive, honest and deserves to be read with attention. It is an important event in the Marxist theoretical production.” —Politique Hebdo “A remarkable essay, whose merit is not only theoretical, but also historical, because it examines unknown aspects of the evolution of young Marx’s thinking.”—Politis In the 1840s, the young German journalist Karl Marx developed ideas about modern society that remain as relevant today as when they were first developed. Here Löwy shows the lasting force of Marx’s early writings on alienation and emancipation. Michael Löwy is research director in sociology at the Centre National de la Recherché Scientifique, Paris. He is the author of many books, including Romanticism Against the Tide of Modernity.