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 2004

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: War, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Education, Education, Philosophy, Arts / Culture


Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags History: U.S., Mystery / Crime Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Politics / Government


Publication year 1960

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Politics / Government

In 1960 Richard Neustadt’s Presidential Power, which constitutes the first eight chapters of the work discussed here, set forth an analysis of the US presidency that argued for presidents to focus on the prospective enhancement and conservation of their own power in terms of politics as they actually occur. The book became a classic, representing the entry of presidential studies into modern political science. It was soon read by individuals holding the office and their... Read Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags History: Middle Eastern, Incarceration, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World, Religion / Spirituality, Politics / Government, Biography

Prisoner of Tehran is a memoir by Marina Nemat that recounts her harrowing experiences in an Iranian prison post-1979 revolution, highlighting The Impact of Political and Ideological Repression. Through her narrative, Nemat explores The Challenges Faced by Women Under Authoritarian Regimes, illustrating the severe constraints and injustices they endured. Despite these adversities, her story is a testament to The Resilience of the Human Spirit, which showcases her journey of survival and defiance against oppressive forces.This... Read Prisoner of Tehran Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World, by Tim Marshall, was published in 2015 and became a New York Times bestseller and a Sunday Times #1 bestseller. The book describes how geography—mountains, plains, rivers, coastlines, climate, and natural resources—shape the fate of nations. Each chapter explains geography’s effects on a particular country or region. The book also considers how other influences—religion, culture, language, ethnicity—interact with local geography.Chapter 1 explores Russia, where... Read Prisoners of Geography Summary


Publication year 2001

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Social Justice, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Politics / Government, Disability, Education, Education, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology


Publication year 1955

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Profiles in Courage articulates and argues for the significance of the idea of "political courage" in American political history. Through four parts, the author, President John F. Kennedy argues that the preeminent value of a senator is "political courage," which he defines from drawing from the lives of eight former American senators.The first of these Senators is John Quincy Adams, the son of President John Adams. Considering an embargo against Britain over its aggression on... Read Profiles in Courage Summary


Publication year 1879

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Business / Economics, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Poverty, Social Justice, Urban Development, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Arts / Culture, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Food, Grief / Death, History: U.S., History: World, Immigration / Refugee, Incarceration, Military / War, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Social Justice


Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Society: Education

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


Publication year 1813

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: War

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Christian literature, Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Mythology, Fantasy, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Military / War, History: World, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, Health / Medicine, Philosophy, Food, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1942

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Society: War, Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, History: Asian, WWII / World War II


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Race

Tags Technology, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Philosophy, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Technology, Sociology, Politics / Government


Publication year 2001

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government

Tags History: U.S., American Civil War, Race / Racism, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, American Literature, Military / War, History: World, Politics / Government

Race and Reunion by David W. Blight was published in 2001. It is about the history of American Civil War memory, specifically focusing on the 50-year period (1865-1915) after the war’s conclusion. It centers the competing themes of racial equality and sectional reunion. The book won numerous awards, including the Frederick Douglass Prize, the Merle Curti Award, the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize, the Bancroft Prize, and the James A. Rawley Prize. Another work by this... Read Race and Reunion Summary


Publication year 1986

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

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


Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Education, Identity: Race, Society: Community

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


Publication year 1999

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

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

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

Published in 1999 by historian and professor Timothy B. Tyson, Radio Free Dixie is a work of biographical nonfiction about the life of civil rights leader Robert F. Williams. A controversial figure within the movement, Williams is best remembered for his advocation of armed self-defense in the struggle for Black liberation. In Radio Free Dixie, Tyson charts Williams’s rise to prominence against the sociopolitical and cultural influences that guided the evolution of the civil rights... Read Radio Free Dixie Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: War, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Gender / Feminism, History: Middle Eastern, Politics / Government, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Biography

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books is a memoir by Iranian American author Azar Nafisi, first released to widespread critical and popular acclaim in 2003. The memoir recalls Nafisi’s experiences living and teaching in Iran after the 1979 revolution that created the Islamic Republic of Iran, until her eventual exile in the United States in 1997. At the center of the memoir is Nafisi’s account of a secret book club she hosted during... Read Reading Lolita in Tehran Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics

Tags Business / Economics, Russian Literature, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography

When Bill Browder’s 2015 nonfiction book Red Notice begins, he is a naive investor; when it ends, he is a crusader for human rights. In between is a narrative of ambition, greed, corruption, violence, death, and, finally, retribution and justice. Red Notice chronicles the life of a financier and his quest to repair the terrible damage done to him and his business team by Russian operatives, and, most of all, to get justice for Sergei... Read Red Notice Summary


Publication year 1790

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags History: European, Education, Education, History: World, French Literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France, first published in 1790, is written as a letter to a French friend of Burke’s family, Charles-Jean-François Depont, who requests Burke’s opinion of the French Revolution to date. Burke is a well-connected politician and political theorist of the late eighteenth century, though this tract would become his first significant work on the subject. In Reflections on the Revolution in France, Burke speaks at length on the development... Read Reflections On The Revolution In France Summary