What’s the difference between the three ideologies?

What are some good books to read to get a better understanding of them?

I’m not a communist, but I do find it interesting.

Read books by Stalin, Marx, Lenin and Trotsky.

In short, Marx "communist manifesto" & "Kapital" postulates the evolution of political-economy in a series of stages from Feudal Kingdoms through Communism (which is paradise). To do this, industrial workers must unite internationally to form a revolutionary vanguard or communist party which will be democratically run for the benefit of all.

Lenin "Selected Works"- Founding father of the Russian Revolution: Adapted Marxism to an Agrarian economy such as Russia. Refined the idea of a party and Democratic Centralism and Dictatorship of the Proleitariat into a hierarchical system in which Soviets (worker’s committees) elected delegates to successively higher level groups which then were responsible to the Central Committee. He said he agreed with freedom of the press, but said that no paper or ink could be spared to print things that would not benefit workers.

Stalin "- CPSU Chairman: Said it didn’t have to be International, you could have "Socialism in One Country" which meant that he could conquer and rule the world for the benefit of the workers by himself and anyone who thought otherwise would be shot.

Trotsky – read "The Prophet": Was a consumate internationalist and thought Stalin was harsh and that workers democracy and free speech within the party should prevail (which didn’t stop him from jailing the Kronstadt Soviet when they disagreed with him as Defense Minister).