He called us stupid about 4 times and was overall pretty brash and haughty. However, I wound up liking the class overall. Despite it having Marx in the title, I think Brenner mentioned Marx all of twice the entire quarter. It's more a historically backed takedown of Adam Smith which I truly appreciated.

This class was the easiest A I have ever had. at the same time, it was horribly boring. The class spent the first 6 weeks discussing 2 handouts on feudalism... Attendance is mandatory and if you have half a brain you can understand the readings, which are handouts he wrote, the lectures are just repeating the information on the handouts. If you go to class and do the readings you will succeed.

I felt like a chicken with its head cut off most of the time in this class; a lot of what the professor says is him repeating what he said previously but in a round about or different way; the charts that he made and prepared for the class were phenomenal; I felt like I didn't understand what was going on in the class for most of the time but every three weeks everything would make sense because he would incorporate everything back together; he held an additional lecture, and I felt like we were being punished for his disorganization or because he let that one student basically disrupt the class when he could have gone in during office hours to ask; most of his lectures are kind of ramblings or a stream of consciousness rather than an actual lecture, but I am pleasantly surprised that I actually learned something in the class and understand it now at the end of the quarter; the midterm was pretty easy since the TA Chloe totally helped us understanding what the question was asking during the Review Session (I got 100% on the midterm) and the final was like the midterm but it was take home (I got 90%). Attendance is mandatory and you don't really need to read the book he assigns The Capital Vol. 1, but act like you read it because Brenner calls it "The Bible."

He reiterates the important points a lot, which basically relieves you of bulks of readings; and if you understand the ideas you will be fine at the exam. His lecturing may not be very easily understood (that's why he repeats every important point just as many other great lecturers do), but he is a real good teacher, has a good sense of humor and cares a lot for students to actually learn (so long as you are willing to). As long as you always attend the lectures you will do good.

Prof. Brenner was a nice guy I guess but wasn't very available - tried to meet with him once in office hours and he told me not to come and to just talk to him after class, which was impossible since he always let us out late. He takes attendance which I guess is necessary for him since going to class is pointless: he sums up all the topics in his handouts. Lecture is painful. If you can, try to just sign the attendance sheet and leave. The midterm is kind of tricky I guess since it was 75 true/false questions, but it doesn't count for very much of your grade. The final is worth most of your grade and he gives you the exact exam beforehand anyway. I haven't gotten my grade yet but I think it's a pretty easy A, you pretty much just have to memorize and go to the review sessions. Also, don't buy the book because you probably will be like me and never open it once all quarter. In the end, through all the nonsense, I think I probably learned a lot of information that might come in handy later.

Professor Brenner is a nice guy. He lectures well but sometimes he is repetitive but that is basically so students can remember what he is saying. Its good for remembering. Other than that midterm was true/false which were pretty tricky so pay attention to the questions as much as possible. The final exam was long but they were short answer, sometimes you just need to write a word or two and not even answer in complete sentences in some cases. If the T.A. has a review session, GO TO IT!!!! He basically goes over the study guide, which is basically the final exam itself except a little tweaked around. The concepts are not that hard to understand anyways. Professor Brenner might make it sound like the subject is hard, but in reality if you really listen its very simple. Good class.

This was my last class ever at UCLA, and I'm sad to report that it was a royal waste of time that made me want to tear my hair out.

I am (was) your average UCLA student - I'm not some bookworm that attends every class no matter how useless, nor am I some slacker that misses vital lectures. That being said, this class was both useless in terms of academic stimulation and vital in terms of your grade, which basically made it a living hell.

The material taught in the class is easy enough, but Brenner has a way of speaking in which he complicates and contorts everything so that it is barely recognizable. If it wasn't for the TA laying everything out in a life-saving review session, I would have been sitting there for hours trying to decipher all the redundant lectures in which Brenner said the same things, but in a different enough way to make you question your sanity. Which I did, numerous times.

I really can't believe his difficult rating is below a 5 because his class was the hardest one I've had at UCLA. The last poster put that his midterm is multiple choice making it sound easy but it's actually 75 True/False questions which are worded to trick you and he doesn't curve it at all. The final was short answer I guess but it was 20 questions that had 4 or 5 parts each so it added up to over 100 short answer questions and by the time you're finished you will fill up at least half of a blue book. He takes roll every lecture and if you miss one or two he holds it against you. When you ask a question in class he asks for your name making me think that if you speak up and he remembers your name then he gives those people better grades. He never really explains what his grading scale is because I think he bases it on if he remembers you, how often you came to class, and if you can answer questions exactly how he wants you to. He is extremely boring which makes it difficult to show up and stay the whole time. I don't usually review teachers but I felt I had to so I could warn people to stay away from this class. Don't listen to the people that say it's easy because they probably either had a previous class about Marxism or spoke up in class and got graded easier or studied like crazy or are really good at memorizing things exactly how Brenner said them. Compared to any other history class you'll take at UCLA this one is a 10 in difficulty.

He was awesome. Repeats things a lot but he really hammers down his point. You have to go to every single lecture but he is entertaining and his a good sense of humor so its not extremely boring. He basically gives you the answers for the midterm and the final. The midterm is multiple choice and the final is short answer.