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 2020

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Femininity, Society: Politics & Government

Tags History: World, Politics / Government, Military / War, WWII / World War II, Cold War, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Biography


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Community

Tags Anthropology, Science / Nature, History: World, Anthropology, Business / Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government


Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Politics / Government

The Day of the Jackal is a 1971 thriller by Frederick Forsyth. The novel is centered around a professional assassin, known only as the Jackal, who is hired by a French paramilitary group to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle. Forsyth’s realistic, research-based writing style builds suspense through a detailed account of the cat-and-mouse chase that spans across Europe, showcasing the complexities of security and espionage during a tumultuous political era. The novel has been... Read The Day of the Jackal Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Politics / Government, History: World, Biography, Social Justice


Publication year 1961

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community

Tags Sociology, Urban Development, History: World, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

The Death and Life of Great American Cities is a 1961 non-fiction book written by Jane Jacobs, an American-Canadian journalist, author, and activist with expertise in urban history and theory. This guide refers to the original edition published by the Vintage Books division of Random House. The title references the killing of cities by urban planners and to Jacobs’s ideas about the processes required to breathe new life into them. Jacobs’s overarching aim is to... Read The Death and Life of Great American Cities Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Health / Medicine, Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Poverty, Business / Economics, Sociology


Publication year 1776

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

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

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Revolution, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Declaration of Independence is one of the founding documents of the United States of America. The text was written primarily by Thomas Jefferson in June of 1776 after the Second Continental Congress appointed him the chair of the Committee of Five (the others were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman), a group designated to draft a statement declaring the American colonies independent from Great Britain. Jefferson based his draft on existing... Read The Declaration of Independence Summary


Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: War

Tags Ancient Rome, Politics / Government, History: World, Military / War, History: European, Classical Period, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Finance / Money / Wealth


Publication year 2024

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War

Tags History: U.S., American Civil War, Military / War, History: World, Politics / Government


Publication year 2004

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Sociology, History: U.S., Race / Racism, Immigration / Refugee, Creative Nonfiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Journalism, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Luis Alberto Urrea’s book, The Devil’s Highway, tells the story of a disastrous border crossing between Mexico and The United States. The Devil’s Highway refers to a particularly brutal stretch of desert. In the past, it was not used as often as other routes, but as the story shows, the development and proliferation of the Border Patrol has made it necessary to use this dangerous route. The story is divided into four sections: “Cutting the... Read The Devil's Highway Summary


Publication year 1871

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Family

Tags Satire, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Psychological Fiction, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Russian Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government


Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Politics / Government, Philosophy, Psychology, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy


Publication year 1974

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Nation

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

The Dispossessed tells the story of its protagonist Shevek’s journey from his home on a desolate, isolated moon to the abundant planet around which his society revolves. Shevek is an Odinian physicist from the planet of Urras, a socialist planet without a central government that follows the teachings of the revolutionary Odo. Upon settling Urras, Odinians refused contact with their former home, the planet Anarres: the only exchange between the planets occurs as mined goods... Read The Dispossessed Summary


Publication year 1893

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Sociology, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, Social Science, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

The Division of Labor in Society by Émile Durkheim is a doctoral dissertation first published in 1893. It is most notable for using the scientific method to explain social phenomena, and it is widely considered one of the foundational works in modern sociology. Durkheim, along with other theorists such as Max Weber and Karl Marx, is considered a founder of the field. In The Division of Labor in Society, Durkheim explores how modern societies remain... Read The Division of Labor in Society Summary


Publication year 1919

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Society: War, Society: Economics

Tags History: World, Business / Economics, Politics / Government


Publication year 1852

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags History: European, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Sociology, German Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, French Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1992

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Politics / Government, Philosophy, Business / Economics, History: World, History: European, Sociology, Philosophy

The End of History and the Last Man by political scientist Francis Fukuyama is a widely read and controversial book on political philosophy published in 1992. In it, Fukuyama argues that the end of the Cold War in 1991 established Western liberal democracy as the final and most successful form of government, thus marking the conclusion of “mankind’s ideological evolution.” Since its original release, the book has been updated in 2006 and 2019 with reassertions... Read The End of History and the Last Man Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community

Tags Sociology, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Race / Racism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy