Today, Marx"s name means different things to different people. For some, it conjures images of the repression suffered under failed socialist regimes such as that of Soviet Russia. Others see his ideas as a vital means of understanding our own capitalist society following the economic crises of recent times. A uniquely concise and accessible guide to this much misunderstood philosopher, "Introducing Marx" challenges these preconceptions, demonstrating how the Soviet bloc model of socialism is one that Marx would neither have recognized nor approved of, and showing that in today"s world of unregulated free-market economies, he is more relevant than ever.