BY ARLENE RUBINSTEIN 
ATLANTA — Socialist workers in the International Association of Machinists (IAM) are making the most progress in selling and placing Capitalism's World Disorder where they are deeply involved in the resistance of workers and farmers.

In San Francisco, members of the IAM at United Air Lines are part of a group of workers in the union organizing support for the strike by members of the Teamsters at Basic Vegetable Products in King City, California. Larry Lane offered some sound advice based on their experiences: "First join the struggle as a co-fighter, then start to talk about the book. Not in the reverse order."

So far, socialist workers have sold four copies of Capitalism's World Disorder at United. A Basic Vegetable striker also bought the book after discussions on the picket line, and participated in an educational conference sponsored by the Young Socialists in Santa Cruz November 6–7.

In other cities, involvement in the national strike by the Teamsters union against Overnite Transportation, in the fight by locked-out Steelworkers at Kaiser Aluminum, and in the struggles of working people in the countryside are yielding similar results.

When we ask those we meet in and around these struggles for help in placing Pathfinder books, we often get an enthusiastic response. They follow what we do and have a sense of accomplishment when a bookstore or library makes an order.

Socialist workers in the IAM are also teaming up with members of other unions in the campaign, taking advantage of the opportunity to learn what workers in other industries face. Volunteering for one of the national teams taking the campaign to the coalfields is one of the best ways to learn about the new social movement of union and nonunion miners in defense of health benefits, pensions, and union rights, and to bring those experiences back to our co-workers.

Studying and discussing the book is also becoming more tied to some of the questions that have come up in the Machinists union. IAM officials are helping to organize a rally in Seattle on November 30 against the World Trade Organization. This action is consistent with their program for "defending American jobs" and supporting the protectionist demands of the bosses. The speeches by Jack Barnes printed in Capitalism's World Disorder have a different starting point — that of internationalism and working-class solidarity.  
 

Rail workers place books in working-class areas

Once we started going out more often and talking to book buyers, we began to get results. We picked up some industry terms. The book buyer for a library is called a "selector," for example, and the book company that libraries order from is a "jobber." We found that it helps to call at the beginning of the week to find out what the book buyer's schedule is.

Our promotion of Capitalism's World Disorder helps place other Pathfinder books as well. We've learned that it is important to check the computer or card catalog for Pathfinder titles before meeting the selector.

A number of book buyers not only liked going through the books but also hearing about some of the authors. The photos in Capitalism's World Disorder demonstrate that this is a new, up-to-date book that addresses the big events in the world today. By proceeding confidently, with order form at the ready on the assumption that the buyer will be interested, socialist rail workers have placed 14 copies of the book over the last two weeks, and 71 other titles. Among them were 13 copies of Capitalism's World Disorder purchased by two bookshops near a rail yard and by a train station.  
 
 
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