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 2001

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags Politics / Government, Military / War, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy


Publication year 1951

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger

Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Sociology, Social Science, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (1951), by Eric Hoffer, is a philosophical treatise that explores the question of why ordinary people join mass movements and become fanatical devotees of what they perceive as a holy cause. Hoffer argues that prospective fanatics—the soon-to-be true believers—experience personal frustration so intense that their strongest desire is to lose their individuality altogether by surrendering to something greater than themselves. Mass movements exploit this frustration... Read The True Believer Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Tags Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Biography, Politics / Government, History: U.S., Gender / Feminism


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Sociology, Social Justice, Education, Education, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy


Publication year 2010

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Globalization

Tags Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Social Science, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Finance / Money / Wealth


Publication year 2020

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Immigration, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Immigration / Refugee, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Race / Racism, History: World, Biography


Publication year 368

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Immigration

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

The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You is a 2019 memoir by novelist Dina Nayeri. It is her first nonfiction book and a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the Clara Johnson Award for Women’s Literature. While Nayeri chronicles her childhood escape from post-revolution Iran and her struggle to build an identity, she interweaves modern tales of refugees mired in uncaring asylum systems.SummaryThe author and first-person narrator of... Read The Ungrateful Refugee Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment

Tags Science / Nature, Climate Change, History: World, Politics / Government

The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming is a 2019 non-fiction book by the American journalist David Wallace-Wells. Subtitled Life After Warming, the book explores the projected meteorological, sociological, and psychological consequences of climate change over the course of the 21st century. A New York Times bestseller, The Uninhabitable Earth appeared on numerous best books of the year lists, including those of The Economist, Time, and NPR. It is adapted from Wallace-Wells’s 2017 New York magazine... Read The Uninhabitable Earth Summary


Publication year 1940

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Satire, Lyric Poem, Politics / Government, WWII / World War II, Education, Education


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Nation

Tags Business / Economics, History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Literature, Journalism, Sociology, History: World, Biography

The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America is a 2013 work of contemporary political science and history by the American journalist George Packer. It won the National Book Award in 2013 and was a finalist for the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Award. The book explores the trajectory of the United States from 1978 to 2012 and argues that those years saw a diminishing of the institutions, promises, and social connections that had... Read The Unwinding Summary


Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Business / Economics, History: U.S., Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography


Publication year 2024

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Teams, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Politics / Government, History: World, Military / War


Publication year 1905

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Nation

Tags Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, American Literature, Education, Education, Military / War, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

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


Publication year 1776

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics

Tags Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

The Wealth of Nations—first published in 1776, during the Scottish Enlightenment and Agricultural Revolution—is the seminal work of Adam Smith, a Scottish economist, philosopher, author, and public intellectual. Born in Scotland, Smith studied at University of Glasgow, Balliol College, and Oxford, and lectured at the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh and Glasgow University. While The Wealth of Nations is a pioneering, revolutionary work on economics, his other principal writing, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, is a... Read The Wealth Of Nations Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Social Justice, Crime / Legal, Politics / Government

The 2016 novel The Whistler by American author John Grisham is a legal thriller that centers on an investigation of corrupt business operations involving Native American gaming. The novel is based on the real-life corruption of US casinos in which entities outside the Native American community illegally offer financial incentives in exchange for long-term profit.This is the 29th of Grisham’s adult novels, which are primarily legal thrillers but also include contemporary and humorous fiction. In... Read The Whistler Summary


Publication year 1979

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags History: U.S., Journalism, Politics / Government, Arts / Culture, Class, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography


Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Colonialism

Tags Business / Economics, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Poverty, Politics / Government

The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good is William Easterly’s investigation and critique of international development, foreign aid, and Western intervention, including the histories and effects of colonialism and imperialism. Easterly comes with decades of experience as a development economist working with global institutions such as the World Bank and on projects across the developing world, which is reflected in his... Read The White Man’s Burden Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Psychology, Philosophy, Social Justice, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help, Politics / Government


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Immigration

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Class, History: World, History: The Americas, History: U.S., Immigration / Refugee, Military / War, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Music, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism