What Shall We Do?


Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt

(5 stars; 31 reviews)

A vivid description of wealth and poverty in Russia in Tolstoy's day, an inquiry into the root causes of economic inequality, and a vision of a more just way of living.

Tolstoy recounts his own disturbing encounters with extreme poverty in Moscow, his initial idea of making the problem disappear by generous financial contributions, and his subsequent realization that the problem of poverty was much more intractable than he had imagined. He concludes that poverty is fundamentally linked with the luxurious lifestyle to which he and his class were accustomed, and that both are detrimental both to the rich and to the poor. He goes on to investigate the roots of power imbalances, both in the state and in markets, and to make suggestions for a fundamental social and economic reform in the interest of justice and well-being. Both his social critique and his proposed reforms are grounded in a deeply held and somewhat unorthodox religious faith, as well as in a vigorously applied but somewhat unconventional view of science.

Unfortunately he also expresses some views on the role and duties of women and the use of birth control which some readers may find offensive. This material is mostly contained in Chapter 40, the last chapter. (Summary by Joanna Michal Hoyt) (11 hr 0 min)

Chapters

Epigraph 2:59 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter I 8:35 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter II 14:28 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter III 13:30 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter IV 6:36 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter V 9:05 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter VI 7:02 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter VII 6:32 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter VIII 12:42 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter IX 6:05 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter X 12:05 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XI 6:51 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XII 9:36 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XIII 16:13 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XIV 14:12 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XV 13:55 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XVI 11:12 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XVII 21:03 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XVIII 30:08 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XIX 14:04 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XX 28:32 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXI 36:38 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXII 11:41 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXIII 8:03 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXIV 27:59 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXV 20:56 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXVI 17:18 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXVII 18:00 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXVIII 11:29 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXIX 17:27 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXX 20:34 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXXI 14:35 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXXII 10:39 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXXIII 6:18 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXXIV 23:42 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXXV 3:38 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXXVI 19:59 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXXVII 15:45 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXXVIII 45:01 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XXXIX 36:05 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt
Chapter XL 29:04 Read by Joanna Michal Hoyt

Reviews

As always Tolstoy has the creative gift to touch my soul.


(5 stars)