Karl Marx, part of the Library of World Biography Series, explores the Industrial Revolution by detailing the life and work of Karl Marx. The text is aimed primarily at undergraduates with little or no background knowledge of Marx or his theories. This book covers the important aspects of his life and the major theoretical arguments of his work. It also explores the Industrial Revolution through the lens of Marx's view of socialism, not simply as an ethical idea but also as a way of framing the industrial system and its impact on workers.

Each interpretive biography in the Library of World Biography Series focuses on a person whose actions and ideas either significantly influenced world events or whose life reflects important themes and developments in global history.