Summer reading list (pre)

03.30.2005

Someone recently asked me about some "non-fiction" readings for the summer, specifically related to political science. So I'm thinking about a "top 12" list to suggest. Any of you polisci types out there wanna chime in w/ a suggestion or two, let me know. I'll post the list later this week, along w/ a short blurb on each book.

I'm leaning towards some Dahl (of course), Linz, Huntington, perhaps even Lijphart or Skocpol. Other title/author suggestions welcome. The list should cast a rather wide net (covering several areas of political science), but not be so "academic" that they're not amenable to summer relaxed reading.

In completely unrelated news: I may be moving — into my old (magnificent) apartment (the one that had a "reading room").

Posted by Miguel at 04:17 PM

Comments

I try to read my wonderful photography books as non-fiction books over the summer.
More related to Political Science but somewhere between fiction and non-fiction I will hopefully read Slavenka Drakulic's book "Cafe Europa" about life after communism in Eastern Europe.
Well and then the dissertation related stuff on comparative legislative government and legislative recruitment.

Posted by: Melli at March 30, 2005 10:07 PM

Not strictly PSCI but closely related/intertwined:

"Inside the Nuremburg Trial: A Prosecutor's Comprehensive Account", by Drexel Sprecher.

Strongly recommended. Nuremburg is precedent to the Intl Crim Ct, the international tribunals of Yugo and Rwanda, and other international adjudications. The two volume set is very readable and accessible. And absolutely fascinating.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0761812849/qid=1112247633/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-5500340-6687958?v=glance&s=books

Posted by: tom at March 31, 2005 12:43 AM

The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust by Iris Chang. Sobering.

Harold D Lasswell's Propaganda Technique in World War in which Lasswell spells out the 4 objectives of propaganda, and lists examples of the follies the germans did in the 2 wars and what the brits did right, and how both camps tried to influence US , etc. A semi-academic book, intriguing read.

I would also suggest Edward Said's Orientalism and Ernest Gellner's Nationalism.

Posted by: stephanie at March 31, 2005 05:58 AM

The kind of books I had in mind are along these lines:

Robert Dahl, Democracy and Its Critics
Juan Linz & Alfred Stepan, Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation
David Held, Models of Democracy
Bernard Manin, The Principles of Representative Government

also:

Mancur Olson, The Logic of Collective Action
Arend Lijphart, Patterns of Democracy
Samuel Huntington, The Third Wave or Clash of Civilizations

Posted by: Miguel [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 31, 2005 08:39 AM

Given the above list, this is probably not what you had in mind. But here goes: How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Golbablization by the New Republic's Franklin Foer.

Posted by: John at March 31, 2005 09:05 AM

The Pentagon's New Map, by Thomas P.M. Barnett, the man has a vision. It's a great read that provides an "operationg theory of the world", quite interesting to say the list. Should you feel inclined to know more about him before committing 20 something bucks for the hardcover (though paperback should be coming out soon) checkout http://www.thomaspmbarnett.com/weblog/
or see a clip on c-span's booknotes http://www.c-span.org/Search/basic.asp?ResultStart=1&ResultCount=10&BasicQueryText=thomas+barnett

enjoy

Jonathan

Posted by: Jonathan at March 31, 2005 11:56 AM