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As a uniquely human phenomenon, politics is a truly fascinating subject. Unfortunately, it also makes it incredibly complex, as many politics students experience.
These books aim to give a pluralistic overview if read as a collection, and give politics students the best head-start over their peers. While approachable, they give enough detail without becoming obscure. A perfect example is Politics UK, which is a particular favourite of ours.
Heywood is a brilliant all-rounder when it comes to politics resources, but this book is particularly valuable. An excellent starting point for both undergraduates and A-level students, it avoids the pitfalls often seen in writing on international relations–namely, an over-reliance on abstraction and obscure theories. Instead it is packed full of examples that make the subject accessible and comprehensible.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereEngaging and entertaining, this introductory work brings political theory to life and does an excellent job of balancing breadth and depth. It also explains the context and limitations of current debates paradigms in a clear and open-ended manner, allowing students to see how each of the academic issues he explores does, or does not, relate to the real world.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereThis book is an extremely thorough introduction to the UK and its institutions. It stands out from other offerings for two reasons: it relates the issues to other topics in politics (by connecting the political parties to their ideological traditions, for instance) and each section features commentary that tries to make sense of the huge changes of the last few years.
The last thing a student wants is a textbook that is about to become out of date!
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereFor any undergraduate student of Politics, and particularly international politics, Viotti and Kauppi’s survey provides a solid introduction to and overview of IR theory, from which students can begin to understand and analyze both world events and the evolution of domestic political systems in a wider context. By integrating classic writing that exemplifies various IR theories, Viotti and Kauppi are able to familiarize students with some of the big names and historical eras in political thinking without overwhelming them.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereBecause politics is about messaging, and kids need to understand the art of messaging and persuasion used today to nudge them to form what they think are their own views. In a world where everyone decries the other side as engaging in fake news, we need to equip youth with the tools to weigh and measure messaging for themselves.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereContributors to this article
Jacob Williams Annabel Hertz
Jim Wasserman from YourThirdLife
