H. G. Wells 
This Misery of Boots 

‘This Misery of Boots’ is a compelling non-fiction book by H.G. Wells. The book uniquely and entertainingly puts forth the virtues of socialism and criticises working conditions in 20th Century Britain. Wells uses the symbol of the boot as a striking example of the various ‘preventable miseries’ that British citizens suffered at that time. This book is not simply a repeat of what other celebrated socialist thinkers such as Marx wrote, but a thought-provoking and well-balanced new vision. Wells argues that private property should be disbanded for essential services such as transport but argues against armed revolution. Wells argues that ‘it lies in the power of men to cure’ society’s ills and his ideas received praise from other great authors such as George Bernard Shaw. ‘This Misery of Boots’ remains relevant as many of the miseries Wells discusses still plague society to this day and it should be read by people interested in socialism and politics.-