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 2016
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice
Publication year 1884
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation
Tags Anthropology, Anthropology, Gender / Feminism, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
Publication year 2002
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Education, Education, Science / Nature, Social Science, History: World, History: European, Politics / Government
Publication year 1996
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Urban Development, Race / Racism, History: U.S., Class, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government
Publication year 1951
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class
Tags Politics / Government, Philosophy, History: World, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Hannah Arendt’s 1951 The Origins of Totalitarianism is an examination of the origins and ideologies of Nazism and Stalinism in the first half of the 20th century through an examination of antisemitism, imperialism, and totalitarianism. Arendt charts the emergence of the Nazi and Bolshevik totalitarian regimes and how those regimes operated as governments. Arendt asserts that imperialism, not nationalism, created the framework for the success of totalitarian movements, and she claims that totalitarian movements capitalized... Read The Origins of Totalitarianism Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags History: World, History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, History: European, Colonial America
The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America (First Mariners Books edition 2017) by Andrés Reséndez, a Mexican historian working at the University of California Davis, won the 2017 Bancroft Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Award. In this book, Reséndez dispels the myth that only African slaves faced enslavement in the Americas. He focuses on Indigenous slaves in the Caribbean, central and northern Mexico, and the American Southwest... Read The Other Slavery Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Business / Economics, Journalism, Politics / Government, Crime / Legal, American Literature
The Pelican Brief is a 1992 novel by the American writer John Grisham. The legal thriller tells the story of Darby Shaw, a young law student who uncovers a vast conspiracy. The book was adapted into a film in 1993 starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.Plot SummaryAn assassin named Khamel kills two Supreme Court Justices. Though the Justices were seemingly at different ends of the political spectrum, the same mysterious figure pays Khamel to kill... Read The Pelican Brief Summary
Publication year -1
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Fathers, Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Play: Tragedy, Ancient Greece, Play: Historical, Military / War, History: European, Politics / Government
Written and first performed in 472 BC, the ancient Greek tragedy The Persians by Aeschylus is the oldest extant example of the genre. Known as the father of Greek tragedy, Aeschylus was also a veteran of the Greco-Persian wars, on which The Persians is based. Because it depicts recent events, The Persians stands out from other plays of the genre, which for the most part focus on the distant past or mythological heroes. The approach was a... Read The Persians Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government
Tags History: European, Politics / Government, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, British Literature
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Jewish Literature, American Literature, Historical Fiction, Politics / Government
Philip Roth’s 2004 alternative history novel, The Plot Against America, is a reimagining of the years immediately preceding America’s entry into World War II. In 1940, in Roth’s version of events, Nazi sympathizer Charles Lindbergh wins the presidency and quickly begins instituting policies and attitudes that will shape the lives of all American Jews. Philip Roth is a child during the events of the book, and recounts the events that overtook his family during the... Read The Plot Against America Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government
Tags History: U.S., Food, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography, Health / Medicine
Publication year 1998
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Sociology, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2008
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Politics / Government, History: World, Business / Economics, Sociology
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Future, Identity: Femininity
Tags Gender / Feminism, Science / Nature, Politics / Government, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Influenced by the dystopian futuristic vision of Margaret Atwood’s landmark 1985 feminist work The Handmaid’s Tale, Naomi Alderman’s 2016 novel The Power fuses genre elements of speculative fiction with the traditional historical novel. Part allegory, part satire, the novel depicts a near-contemporary world in which women move into positions of real power through an inexplicable genetic anomaly: they develop an extra braid of muscle along their collarbones that enables them to shoot devastating jolts of... Read The Power Summary
Publication year 1940
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Colonialism
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Religion / Spirituality, Class, Politics / Government, Poverty, British Literature, Christian literature, History: World
Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory (originally published in 1940) recounts the tragic story of the whisky priest. His religion has been outlawed, his faith shattered, and his history—like his name—all but erased. He’s relentlessly pursued by the lieutenant, whose secular beliefs are as passionate as others’ spiritual beliefs. The priest’s mere presence endangers those he once served, and he constantly struggles to fulfill his duty to bring comfort and absolution to others at... Read The Power and the Glory Summary
Publication year 1974
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags History: U.S., Urban Development, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, History: World, Biography
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York is a 1974 biography of American urban planner Robert Moses, written by journalist Robert Caro. The book charts the rise of Moses in the New York political system, illustrating how he came to shape the city according to his own designs. The book was widely praised by critics and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1975, though Moses and his associates disagreed with several points... Read The Power Broker Summary
Publication year 1956
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class
Tags Sociology, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Climate Change
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Politics / Government, Health / Medicine, History: U.S., Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World
Publication year 2013
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Crime / Legal, Children's Literature, History: World, Biography