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Politics & Society » Page 14

Politics Books

recommended by political scientists and historians

Last updated: May 06, 2025

    The best books on Race and the Law, recommended by Kenneth W. Mack

  • Read
    The best books on Race and the Law - Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History by Rogers M. Smith

    1

    Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History
    by Rogers M. Smith

  • Read
    The best books on Race and the Law - At America's Gates: Chinese Immigration during the Exclusion Era, 1882-1943 by Erika Lee

    2

    At America's Gates: Chinese Immigration during the Exclusion Era, 1882-1943
    by Erika Lee

  • Read
    The best books on Race and the Law - Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America by Mae M. Ngai

    3

    Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America
    by Mae M. Ngai

  • Read
    The best books on Race and the Law - Lift Every Voice: The NAACP and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement by Patricia Sullivan

    4

    Lift Every Voice: The NAACP and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement
    by Patricia Sullivan

  • Read
    The best books on Race and the Law - The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

    5

    The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
    by Michelle Alexander

  • Kenneth W. Mack, the  Lawrence D. Biele Professor of Law at Harvard University, discusses the warring ideals of egalitarianism and exclusion at the heart of US politics and law, from the founding of the nation up to the present day.

  • The best books on Race and the Law - Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History by Rogers M. Smith
  • The best books on Race and the Law - At America's Gates: Chinese Immigration during the Exclusion Era, 1882-1943 by Erika Lee
  • The best books on Race and the Law - Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America by Mae M. Ngai
  • The best books on Race and the Law - Lift Every Voice: The NAACP and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement by Patricia Sullivan
  • The best books on Race and the Law - The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

The best books on Race and the Law, recommended by Kenneth W. Mack

Kenneth W. Mack, the  Lawrence D. Biele Professor of Law at Harvard University, discusses the warring ideals of egalitarianism and exclusion at the heart of US politics and law, from the founding of the nation up to the present day.

The best books on Race and the Law, recommended by Kenneth W. Mack

    The best books on Peace, recommended by John Gittings

  • Read
    The best books on Peace - The Iliad by Homer

    1

    The Iliad
    by Homer

  • Read
    The best books on Peace - The Art of Peace by Erasmus

    2

    The Art of Peace
    by Erasmus

  • Read
    The best books on Peace - Tales of Army Life by Leo Tolstoy

    3

    Tales of Army Life
    by Leo Tolstoy

  • Read
    The best books on Peace - Beyond War by Douglas Fry

    4

    Beyond War
    by Douglas Fry

  • Read
    The best books on Peace - Confronting the Bomb by Lawrence Wittner

    5

    Confronting the Bomb
    by Lawrence Wittner

  • History is usually studied and written from the perspective of war, says veteran journalist John Gittings. It can look very different when viewed from the perspective of peace.

  • The best books on Peace - The Iliad by Homer
  • The best books on Peace - The Art of Peace by Erasmus
  • The best books on Peace - Tales of Army Life by Leo Tolstoy
  • The best books on Peace - Beyond War by Douglas Fry
  • The best books on Peace - Confronting the Bomb by Lawrence Wittner

The best books on Peace, recommended by John Gittings

History is usually studied and written from the perspective of war, says veteran journalist John Gittings. It can look very different when viewed from the perspective of peace.

The best books on Peace, recommended by John Gittings

    The best books on Why Cities Are Good For You, recommended by Leo Hollis

  • Read
    The best books on Why Cities Are Good For You - The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs

    1

    The Death and Life of Great American Cities
    by Jane Jacobs

  • Read
    The best books on Why Cities Are Good For You - Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson

    2

    Where Good Ideas Come From
    by Steven Johnson

  • Read
    The best books on Why Cities Are Good For You - Together by Richard Sennett

    3

    Together
    by Richard Sennett

  • Read
    The best books on Why Cities Are Good For You - Open City by Teju Cole

    4

    Open City
    by Teju Cole

  • Read
    The best books on Why Cities Are Good For You - Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

    5

    Behind the Beautiful Forevers
    by Katherine Boo

  • Half of the world’s population live in cities, and more are moving in. Urbanist Leo Hollis explains how city living makes us smarter and more creative, why slums are set to grow, and what the future of the city holds.

  • The best books on Why Cities Are Good For You - The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs
  • The best books on Why Cities Are Good For You - Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson
  • The best books on Why Cities Are Good For You - Together by Richard Sennett
  • The best books on Why Cities Are Good For You - Open City by Teju Cole
  • The best books on Why Cities Are Good For You - Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

The best books on Why Cities Are Good For You, recommended by Leo Hollis

Half of the world’s population live in cities, and more are moving in. Urbanist Leo Hollis explains how city living makes us smarter and more creative, why slums are set to grow, and what the future of the city holds.

The best books on Why Cities Are Good For You, recommended by Leo Hollis

    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy, recommended by Robert Reich

  • Read
    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The Promise of American Life by Herbert Croly

    1

    The Promise of American Life
    by Herbert Croly

  • Read
    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The New Industrial State by John Kenneth Galbraith

    2

    The New Industrial State
    by John Kenneth Galbraith

  • Read
    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The Wheels of Commerce by Fernand Braudel

    3

    The Wheels of Commerce
    by Fernand Braudel

  • Read
    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville

    4

    Democracy in America
    by Alexis de Tocqueville

  • Read
    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen

    5

    The Theory of the Leisure Class
    by Thorstein Veblen

  • It's not the first period in history that American society has suffered from a crisis of inequality. Former labour secretary, Robert Reich, recommends books to help us understand the response of previous generations to the same kinds of challenges we now face.

  • The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The Promise of American Life by Herbert Croly
  • The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The New Industrial State by John Kenneth Galbraith
  • The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The Wheels of Commerce by Fernand Braudel
  • The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
  • The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen

The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy, recommended by Robert Reich

It’s not the first period in history that American society has suffered from a crisis of inequality. Former labour secretary, Robert Reich, recommends books to help us understand the response of previous generations to the same kinds of challenges we now face.

The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy, recommended by Robert Reich

    The best books on The US Intelligence Services, recommended by Tim Weiner

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - The Art of War by Sun Zi (also written in English as Sun Tzu)

    1

    The Art of War
    by Sun Zi (also written in English as Sun Tzu)

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - The Invisible Government by David Wise and Thomas B Ross

    2

    The Invisible Government
    by David Wise and Thomas B Ross

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - From the Shadows by Robert M Gates

    3

    From the Shadows
    by Robert M Gates

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - The March of Folly by Barbara W Tuchman

    4

    The March of Folly
    by Barbara W Tuchman

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

    5

    Nineteen Eighty-Four
    by George Orwell

  • The job of the intelligence services is to understand others and help leaders act more wisely, says the author of a new history of the FBI. There’s a balance to be struck between liberty and security but when the CIA and FBI do not harmonise their intelligence missions, people die.

  • The best books on The US Intelligence Services - The Art of War by Sun Zi (also written in English as Sun Tzu)
  • The best books on The US Intelligence Services - The Invisible Government by David Wise and Thomas B Ross
  • The best books on The US Intelligence Services - From the Shadows by Robert M Gates
  • The best books on The US Intelligence Services - The March of Folly by Barbara W Tuchman
  • The best books on The US Intelligence Services - Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

The best books on The US Intelligence Services, recommended by Tim Weiner

The job of the intelligence services is to understand others and help leaders act more wisely, says the author of a new history of the FBI. There’s a balance to be struck between liberty and security but when the CIA and FBI do not harmonise their intelligence missions, people die.

The best books on The US Intelligence Services, recommended by Tim Weiner

    The best books on Brothers, recommended by Tim Lott

  • Read
    The best books on Brothers - East of Eden by John Steinbeck

    1

    East of Eden
    by John Steinbeck

  • Read
    The best books on Brothers - A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean

    2

    A River Runs Through It
    by Norman Maclean

  • Read
    The best books on Brothers - Hamlet by William Shakespeare

    3

    Hamlet
    by William Shakespeare

  • Read
    The best books on Brothers - Atomised by Michel Houellebecq

    4

    Atomised
    by Michel Houellebecq

  • Read
    The best books on Brothers - Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller & Tim Lott

    5

    Death of a Salesman
    by Arthur Miller & Tim Lott

  • Novelist Tim Lott, whose autobiographical book Under the Same Stars lays bare a dysfunctional relationship with his brother, tells us about love and rivalry among siblings – and, from Cain and Abel on, the dark, even murderous, impulses that can be engendered between them.

  • The best books on Brothers - East of Eden by John Steinbeck
  • The best books on Brothers - A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
  • The best books on Brothers - Hamlet by William Shakespeare
  • The best books on Brothers - Atomised by Michel Houellebecq
  • The best books on Brothers - Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller & Tim Lott

The best books on Brothers, recommended by Tim Lott

Novelist Tim Lott, whose autobiographical book Under the Same Stars lays bare a dysfunctional relationship with his brother, tells us about love and rivalry among siblings – and, from Cain and Abel on, the dark, even murderous, impulses that can be engendered between them.

The best books on Brothers, recommended by Tim Lott

    The best books on Reportage and War, recommended by Martin Bell

  • Read
    The best books on Reportage and War - Trusted Mole by Milos Stankovic

    1

    Trusted Mole
    by Milos Stankovic

  • Read
    The best books on Reportage and War - The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam

    2

    The Best and the Brightest
    by David Halberstam

  • Read
    The best books on Reportage and War - Scoop by Evelyn Waugh

    3

    Scoop
    by Evelyn Waugh

  • Read
    The best books on Reportage and War - Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

    4

    Heart of Darkness
    by Joseph Conrad

  • Read
    The best books on Reportage and War - The War Poems of Wilfred Owen by Wilfred Owen, ed. John Stallworthy

    5

    The War Poems of Wilfred Owen
    by Wilfred Owen, ed. John Stallworthy

  • The former BBC war reporter picks out essential reading on the Bosnia and Vietnam wars and explains why a book of poetry speaks more to him about the reality of conflict than any other writing

  • The best books on Reportage and War - Trusted Mole by Milos Stankovic
  • The best books on Reportage and War - The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam
  • The best books on Reportage and War - Scoop by Evelyn Waugh
  • The best books on Reportage and War - Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
  • The best books on Reportage and War - The War Poems of Wilfred Owen by Wilfred Owen, ed. John Stallworthy

The best books on Reportage and War, recommended by Martin Bell

The former BBC war reporter picks out essential reading on the Bosnia and Vietnam wars and explains why a book of poetry speaks more to him about the reality of conflict than any other writing

The best books on Reportage and War, recommended by Martin Bell

    The best books on The Gender Trap, recommended by Peggy Orenstein

  • Read
    The best books on The Gender Trap - Pink Brain, Blue Brain by Lise Eliot

    1

    Pink Brain, Blue Brain
    by Lise Eliot

  • Read
    The best books on The Gender Trap - Packaging Girlhood by Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown

    2

    Packaging Girlhood
    by Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown

  • Read
    The best books on The Gender Trap - Packaging Boyhood by Lyn Mikel Brown, Sharon Lamb and Mark Tappan

    3

    Packaging Boyhood
    by Lyn Mikel Brown, Sharon Lamb and Mark Tappan

  • Read
    The best books on The Gender Trap - Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons

    4

    Odd Girl Out
    by Rachel Simmons

  • Read
    The best books on The Gender Trap - Horace and Morris but Mostly Delores by James Howe and Amy Walrod

    5

    Horace and Morris but Mostly Delores
    by James Howe and Amy Walrod

  • From an early age, girls learn to be pretty in pink while boys are marketed a prepackaged masculinity. The author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter explains how parents can give their children a broader, more imaginative outlook

  • The best books on The Gender Trap - Pink Brain, Blue Brain by Lise Eliot
  • The best books on The Gender Trap - Packaging Girlhood by Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown
  • The best books on The Gender Trap - Packaging Boyhood by Lyn Mikel Brown, Sharon Lamb and Mark Tappan
  • The best books on The Gender Trap - Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons
  • The best books on The Gender Trap - Horace and Morris but Mostly Delores by James Howe and Amy Walrod

The best books on The Gender Trap, recommended by Peggy Orenstein

From an early age, girls learn to be pretty in pink while boys are marketed a prepackaged masculinity. The author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter explains how parents can give their children a broader, more imaginative outlook

The best books on The Gender Trap, recommended by Peggy Orenstein

    The best books on Christianity, recommended by Richard Harries

  • Read
    The best books on Christianity - The Confessions by Augustine (translated by Maria Boulding)

    1

    The Confessions
    by Augustine (translated by Maria Boulding)

  • Read
    The best books on Christianity - The Cloud of Unknowing by Anonymous

    2

    The Cloud of Unknowing
    by Anonymous

  • Read
    The best books on Christianity - Moral Man and Immoral Society by Reinhold Niebuhr

    3

    Moral Man and Immoral Society
    by Reinhold Niebuhr

  • Read
    The best books on Christianity - The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

    4

    The Brothers Karamazov
    by Fyodor Dostoevsky

  • Read
    The best books on Christianity - On Christian Theology by Rowan Williams

    5

    On Christian Theology
    by Rowan Williams

  • The former bishop of Oxford tells us about books that explore what it means to be a Christian – from St Augustine and medieval mysticism to grappling with Dostoyevsky and more modern dilemmas. He picks the best books on Christianity.

  • The best books on Christianity - The Confessions by Augustine (translated by Maria Boulding)
  • The best books on Christianity - The Cloud of Unknowing by Anonymous
  • The best books on Christianity - Moral Man and Immoral Society by Reinhold Niebuhr
  • The best books on Christianity - The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  • The best books on Christianity - On Christian Theology by Rowan Williams

The best books on Christianity, recommended by Richard Harries

The former bishop of Oxford tells us about books that explore what it means to be a Christian – from St Augustine and medieval mysticism to grappling with Dostoyevsky and more modern dilemmas. He picks the best books on Christianity.

The best books on Christianity, recommended by Richard Harries

    The best books on Trust and Modern Society, recommended by Bruce Schneier

  • Read
    The best books on Trust and Modern Society - The Penguin and the Leviathan by Yochai Benkler

    1

    The Penguin and the Leviathan
    by Yochai Benkler

  • Read
    The best books on Trust and Modern Society - The Folly of Fools by Robert Trivers

    2

    The Folly of Fools
    by Robert Trivers

  • Read
    The best books on Trust and Modern Society - The Murderer Next Door by David M Buss

    3

    The Murderer Next Door
    by David M Buss

  • Read
    The best books on Trust and Modern Society - The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker

    4

    The Better Angels of Our Nature
    by Steven Pinker

  • Read
    The best books on Trust and Modern Society - Braintrust by Patricia S Churchland

    5

    Braintrust
    by Patricia S Churchland

  • Modern society depends on trust more than we realise, and the basis for that trust is security. The trick, says the security guru, is preserving the forces that allow us to trust one another, while also knowing who not to trust.

  • The best books on Trust and Modern Society - The Penguin and the Leviathan by Yochai Benkler
  • The best books on Trust and Modern Society - The Folly of Fools by Robert Trivers
  • The best books on Trust and Modern Society - The Murderer Next Door by David M Buss
  • The best books on Trust and Modern Society - The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker
  • The best books on Trust and Modern Society - Braintrust by Patricia S Churchland

The best books on Trust and Modern Society, recommended by Bruce Schneier

Modern society depends on trust more than we realise, and the basis for that trust is security. The trick, says the security guru, is preserving the forces that allow us to trust one another, while also knowing who not to trust.

The best books on Trust and Modern Society, recommended by Bruce Schneier
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