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 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Immigration / Refugee, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2017

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Politics / Government, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Immigration / Refugee, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, History: World, Social Justice

What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City (2018) is pediatrician, scientist, and public health advocate Mona Hanna-Attisha’s (Dr. Mona) debut book that provides an in-depth look at the government’s poisoning of Flint residents and subsequent coverup. This story, according to Dr. Mona, is also about much deeper crises that the broader American society is currently facing: a breakdown in local democracy; misguided austerity policies; environmental injustices... Read What the Eyes Don’t See Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Family, Society: Nation

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Love / Sexuality, Military / War, History: European, Politics / Government, History: World, Irish Literature


Publication year 2024

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Education, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Humor, Politics / Government, Arts / Culture


Publication year 1852

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Civil War, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

In “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?,” otherwise known as “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro,” Frederick Douglass outlines a careful argument against the institution of slavery and more specifically the Fugitive Slave Act. Weaving together ethical, religious, and sociopolitical threads of argument, Douglass points out the ironies of American values, particularly regarding the existence of an economic system based on slavery. Originally drafted and given as a speech in... Read What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? Summary


Publication year 1989

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags History: Asian, Vietnam War, Immigration / Refugee, Politics / Government, Military / War, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, Gender / Feminism, Politics / Government, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

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

Tags Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter, Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Biography

When They Call You a Terrorist is a nonfiction memoir published in 2018 by the American authors and activists Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele. Subtitled A Black Lives Matter Memoir, the book chronicles Cullors’s early life in Los Angeles and her role in cofounding Black Lives Matter, a decentralized racial justice movement established after George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the Trayvon Martin shooting. The book’s title refers to accusations of terrorism lobbed at Cullors and her... Read When They Call You a Terrorist Summary


Publication year 1967

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Race / Racism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2009

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Society: War

Tags Military / War, War On Terrorism / Iraq War, Sports, History: World, Biography, Politics / Government

Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman is a nonfiction book published in 2009 by the American journalist Jon Krakauer. It details the true story of Pat Tillman, a professional American football player who left his sports career to enlist in the army after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In 2004, Tillman died in Afghanistan as a result of friendly fire. Krakauer is known for his Outside magazine articles and several... Read Where Men Win Glory Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Crime / Legal, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Politics / Government


Publication year 1996

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Education, Education, Sociology, History: World, Race / Racism, Crime / Legal, Politics / Government, Social Justice, History: U.S.


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Black Lives Matter, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Politics / Government

Published in 2018, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo received critical acclaim and became a New York Times Bestseller for explaining how white people should address racism in the moment and how they can move into a new, healthier, less racist paradigm. DiAngelo holds a PhD in multicultural education and specializes in critical racial and social justice education.Plot SummaryDiAngelo stresses that all white people play... Read White Fragility Summary


Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era is a 2006 nonfiction book by Shelby Steele, a Black conservative author who specializes in the study of race relations in the US. This guide refers to the e-book published in 2009 by HarperCollins. The title points to the book’s central theme: white guilt—the loss of moral authority—and the damaging responses it elicited in Black and White Americans in the... Read White Guilt Summary


Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, Sociology, History: World


Publication year 1989

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

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

Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Self Help, Politics / Government


Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags Sociology, Politics / Government, Black Lives Matter, Race / Racism, History: U.S., History: World, Social Justice

Carol Anderson's 2016 nonfiction book, White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide, looks at the way African-American progress has been halted and repressed, again and again, by a powerful cocktail of economic self-interest, fear, and hatred on the part of America's white elites, a philosophy she calls "white rage." The book’s five chapters examine five crucial turning points in the African-American struggle for freedom and equality: Reconstruction and the abolition of slavery, the... Read White Rage Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Place, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government


Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags Sociology, History: U.S., Class, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

IntroductionIn White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America, Nancy Isenberg documents the historical and contemporary disdain of the upper and middle classes in America for the white poor and the resultant staying power of a class hierarchy. Isenberg, an award-winning historian, uses her expertise to contribute this non-fictional work to the academic literature on social class. Originally published in 2016, the book became a New York Times bestseller and was a finalist... Read White Trash Summary