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 2022
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Identity: Race
Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Southern Literature, Immigration / Refugee, History: World, Travel Literature, Politics / Government
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter, Gender / Feminism, Sociology, Social Justice, Politics / Government
So You Want to Talk About Race is a 2018 non-fiction book written by Ijeoma Oluo, an American author of Nigerian descent whose columns and news articles on race have appeared in The Guardian, The Stranger, and Jezebel, among other places. This guide refers to the first edition published in 2018 by Seal Press. The title gestures to the discourse that is necessary to combat racial oppression in the United States. The book made Bustle’s... Read So You Want to Talk About Race Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags History: European, Politics / Government, British Literature, Animals, Grief / Death, Depression / Suicide, Class, Relationships, Journalism, Bullying, History: World, Biography
Publication year 1775
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism
Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Revolution, Colonial America
Publication year 1588
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Politics & Government
Tags History: European, Military / War, Politics / Government
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class, Natural World: Animals
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor, Politics / Government
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Nation, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, History: U.S., African American Literature, Sociology, History: World
Publication year 2016
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music
Tags African American Literature, History: U.S., Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Black Lives Matter, Race / Racism, Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government
Ibrahim Kendi’s comprehensive history of racial thought in the US, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, was published in 2016 and won the National Book Award for Nonfiction. Kendi has also collaborated author Jason Reynolds (Long Way Down, Ain't Burned All the Bright) on a young adult "remix" of Stamped from the Beginning titled Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You, and is well known for his 2019 book, How to... Read Stamped From the Beginning Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Black Lives Matter, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Race / Racism, Children's Literature, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government
Jason Reynolds’s Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (2020) is a nonfiction book by the American authors Jason Reynolds and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. It is a self-described “remix” of Kendi’s 2016 National Book Award winner Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. An award-winning writer of young adult fiction and poetry, Reynolds frames America’s history of racist ideas for an audience of middle school and high school readers. Reynolds’s remix... Read Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Community, Identity: Gender
Tags Science / Nature, Philosophy, History: World, Politics / Government, Animals, Education, Diversity, Disability, Food, Health / Medicine, Internet Culture / Social Media, Military / War, Race / Racism, Religion / Spirituality, Social Justice, Technology, Philosophy
Publication year 2003
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags History: European, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography
Stasiland, by Anna Funder, originally published in 2002, is the true account of life in East Germany during the Communist regime, from 1949 to 1990. It tells the stories of those who resisted and engaged in what has been called the most perfected surveillance state of all time.First, Funder visits Leipzig, Germany, to meet with Miriam Weber, a woman who was arrested by the Stasi, brutally interrogated, and who later tried to escape over the... Read Stasiland Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Science / Nature, Technology, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Politics / Government
American author Michael Crichton’s thriller novel State of Fear (HarperCollins Publishers, 2004) dramatizes the debate surrounding global warming. Set in the contemporary world, the novel tells the story of a group of characters attempting to thwart eco-terrorist threats. The plot exudes intrigue and action—including shootouts, deadly crocodiles, deceptive agents, and the faked death of George Morton, the man who links the characters together. State of Fear is also a polemic casting doubt on the theory... Read State of Fear Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Social Justice, History: World
Publication year 2016
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Sociology, Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Literature, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Social Justice
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right (2016) is an in-depth exploration of the rise of the Tea Party movement in Louisiana by sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild. In an effort to understand the Tea Party and bolster her empathy for political opinions oppositional to her own, Hochschild spent five years getting to know residents and conducting interviews in and around Lake Charles, Louisiana. Hochschild argues that by understanding one another’s... Read Strangers in Their Own Land Summary
Publication year 1997
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Tags Education, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Crime / Legal, Education, History: U.S., History: World, Politics / Government
Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and academic Edward J. Larson is a work of historical non-fiction first published in 1997 that discusses the history of the Scopes trial, the events surrounding it, and the aftermath. The 2006 edition includes a new afterword by the author.Larson begins by describing the geopolitical environment in the United States at the time of the 1925... Read Summer for the Gods Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Relationships, Arts / Culture, History: European, Politics / Government, British Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Romance
Sweet Tooth is a 2012 novel by Ian McEwan. Set in the 1970s, it tells the story of one woman’s involvement with MI5 and the world of literature. Themes include the balance of power, navigating lies and deceit, and conditional versus unconditional acceptance.Plot SummarySerena Frome grows up in a small, uninteresting English city. In the 1960s, her mother encourages her to study mathematics at Cambridge University even though Serena (a keen reader) would rather study... Read Sweet Tooth Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Society: Economics
Tags History: World, Social Justice, Poverty, Politics / Government, History: U.S., Class, Sociology, Race / Racism
Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation is a 2017 non-fiction collection of 36 essays, poems, and short stories edited by former Granta editor John Freeman and including contributions by Rebecca Solnit, Sandra Cisneros, Edwidge Danticat, Julia Alvarez, Joyce Carol Oates, Ann Patchett, Annie Dillard, Roxane Gay, and more. The text crosses disciplinary boundaries, covering sociology, history, racial and ethnic studies, and gender studies.The personal essays, stories, and poetry in Tales... Read Tales of Two Americas Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Collection of Letters, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Colonialism
Tags Race / Racism, Education, Gender / Feminism, Politics / Government, Leadership/Organization/Management, Education, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice