Politics & Government

As far as topics go, politics may be as divisive as they come. Still, there's no escaping the role that it plays in our lives. The texts in this collection explore the gamut of how politics shapes and reshapes societies throughout history.

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Place, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Fantasy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance


Publication year 1891

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Society: Colonialism, Society: Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Class, Education, Education, Asian Literature, History: World


Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Race / Racism, History: U.S., Gender / Feminism, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Biography

Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement was written by Barbara Ransby and published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2003. The book is a biography of Ella Baker, the mother of the civil rights movement, whose work ushered in a new pro-democracy era that saw the importance of fighting for one’s civil rights as important to the survival of the democratic project. Ransby follows the winding tale of Baker’s life, chronicling her... Read Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)


Publication year 1863

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Identity: Race

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Race / Racism, American Civil War


Publication year 1999

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: War, Society: Colonialism

Tags History: Asian, WWII / World War II, Politics / Government, Military / War, Asian Literature, History: World, Japanese Literature


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Politics / Government, Self Help, Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Social Justice, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, American Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

Empire of Cotton is a nonfiction book published in 2014 by the German American author and historian Sven Beckert. By chronicling the history of the global cotton trade and its vast network of growers, merchants, and manufacturers, the book explores the origins and evolution of modern capitalism. In a narrative spanning over two centuries, Beckett takes readers through the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, the American Civil War, and the collapse of colonialism following World... Read Empire of Cotton Summary


Publication year 2009

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fame, Society: Community

Tags Sociology, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle is a non-fiction book written by Chris Hedges, published in 2009. This work of cultural criticism focuses on the effects of mass media and popular culture on American society, politics, and economics. Since its publication, Empire of Illusion has been marketed as a work which predicted the forces that ultimately gave rise to the election of Donald Trump in 2016. Author Chris Hedges... Read Empire Of Illusion Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, History: U.S., Addiction / Substance Abuse, Business / Economics, Crime / Legal, Finance / Money / Wealth, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2023

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags History: European, Politics / Government, Sociology, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Education, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Community

Tags Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Sociology, Politics / Government, Health / Medicine, Agriculture, Business / Economics, Class, Climate Change, Social Justice, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy


Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2005

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Immigration

Tags Politics / Government, Social Justice, History: U.S., Immigration / Refugee, Education, Education, History: World, Biography

Enrique’s Journey: The Story of a Boy’s Dangerous Odyssey to Reunite with His Mother is a best-selling nonfiction book by Sonia Nazario, an American journalist best known for her work on social justice. Originally published in 2006, the book is based on Nazario’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Enrique’s Journey” series, which was written in six parts and published in The Los Angeles Times.The book, which has been published in eight languages and adapted for young adults in... Read Enrique's Journey Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Tags Asian Literature, Immigration / Refugee, History: Asian, Korean Literature, History: World, Action / Adventure, Politics / Government, Biography

Escape from Camp 14 is the story of Shin Dong-hyuk, who is the only known person to have been born in and escape from a North Korean labor camp. The book’s author, Blaine Harden, interviewed Shin many times and has also spoken with former camp guards and North Korean traders. His book details Shin’s life both inside and outside the camp, as well as the political landscape in North Korea.As Shin was born in the... Read Escape from Camp 14 Summary


Publication year 1941

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community

Tags Psychology, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Escape From Freedom is a book of social psychology written by Erich Fromm in 1941. A German-Jewish psychoanalyst, Fromm had been a member of Frankfurt’s influential Institute for Social Research before fleeing the Nazis and relocating to the United States. In Escape From Freedom, Fromm uses ideas from both psychology and sociology to explain humanity’s ambivalent relation to freedom, with a particular attention paid to the rise of Nazism in Germany. The first two chapters of... Read Escape From Freedom Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Politics / Government, History: World, Race / Racism


Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Community

Tags Sociology, Social Justice, Poverty, Race / Racism, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, written by Matthew Desmond, a tenured sociology professor at Princeton University, was published in 2016 and won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 2017. In this influential work, Desmond highlights the interconnected issues of extreme poverty and affordable housing in the United States, themes he continues to explore in his more recent book, Poverty, by America. Through an ethnographic study, he follows the experiences of eight... Read Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community

Tags Sociology, Education, Education, History: World, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government

William Deresiewicz’s 2014 nonfiction book Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life examines elite education in America in the 21st century and finds it sorely lacking. By “elite education,” Deresiewicz is referring to the Ivy League schools and a handful of top-tier universities just below the Ivy League. Having spent over two decades in the Ivies as both a student and professor, Deresiewicz speaks from his own... Read Excellent Sheep Summary


Publication year 1942

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Immigration, Society: War, Identity: Race

Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., Incarceration, WWII / World War II, Race / Racism