Politics and government Books

Book SynopsisFrom 1926 onward, Sinn Féin, which had been instrumental in the revolutionary period of 1919–23, faded into oblivion. This book unravels a chapter of history that has not been dealt with in detail until now, although the operation of the party raises fundamental questions on issues such as democracy and the role of history in the construction of a national narrative. Through a close analysis of newspaper reports, fortnightly Standing committee minutes, and interviews carried out by the author, it looks at the manner in which the party operated and put itself forward as the guardian of Republicanism in Ireland. The book offers a valuable insight into the meaning of Republicanism, and its narrative represents an integral part of the political and social fabric of contemporary Irish society, which will be of relevance to academics and to all readers with an interest in Irish republicanism.Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Pragmatism versus principles, 1923–322. Oblivion, 1932–19453. The Funds Case, 1941–19484. Sinn Féin, 'political wing' of the IRA, 1948–69Index

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Book SynopsisMore than three decades after her election to Parliament, Diane Abbott is still racking up firsts. The first black woman elected to Parliament, she also recently became the first black person to represent their party at PMQs. Abbott came to fame in the 1980s as part of a new generation of Labour activists, quickly dubbed the 'loony left' by right-wing tabloids. Decades later she is still a divisive figure. Inside the Brexit echo chamber she is treated with unparalleled contempt. Yet for her supporters she is a trailblazer, someone who has remained true to her principles and her community after thirty years in 'the belly of the beast'. Based on interviews with her colleagues, her political opponents and friends from school and university, as well as extensive archival research, Diane Abbott: The Authorised Biography traces Abbott's path from London, via Cambridge University, through the media and radical politics into Parliament, and then to the top of Jeremy Corbyn's shadow Cabinet.Trade Review"Diane is a fearless trailblazer whose record of breaking down barriers, overcoming obstacles and fighting injustice is truly inspirational. When I entered Parliament, Diane was the only other black woman in the Commons, and I have had the honour and privilege of working alongside her in fighting for justice and equality over many years. I'm delighted that her amazing story is finally being showcased, and it is beautifully captured in this brilliant book." - Dawn Butler MP "When someone is talked about as much as Diane Abbott is, it's easy to assume you know everything about her. But after this compelling read many will find they knew little at all. Diane earned the title trailblazer long before she stepped into the political arena, and her achievements far exceed the frequent misrepresentations. In this meticulously researched political biography, the story of the first black woman elected to Parliament is not only brought to life, it's brought into context." - Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP "As this excellent biography shows, Diane's story is about staying power in the best traditions of the Caribbean community. Proud of her Jamaican working-class background, she made it to Cambridge, worked in media and the unions and was elected a councillor and MP. At every stage of her life she has defied the odds. She has suffered more racist abuse and vilification than anyone else but she always holds her principles and integrity aloft. An inspiration to this and succeeding generations!" - Jeremy Corbyn

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Book SynopsisAged fifteen, armed with a credit card stolen from his father, Jonny Oates ran away from home and boarded a plane to Addis Ababa. His plan? To save the Ethiopian people from the devastating 1985 famine. Discovering that demand for the assistance of unskilled fifteen-year-old English boys was limited, he swiftly learned that you can't change the world by pure force of will - a lesson that would prove invaluable in politics. I Never Promised You a Rose Garden charts Oates's journey from his darkest moments alone in Ethiopia, struggling with his sexuality and mental health, to the heart of Westminster, where, as Nick Clegg's chief of staff, he grapples with the compromises and concessions of coalition. Shot through with a captivating warmth and humour, this heart-stoppingly candid memoir reflects on the challenges of balancing idealism and pragmatism, illustrating how lasting change comes from working together rather than standing alone.

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Book SynopsisPacked with insight into contemporary issues and analysis of the latest developments in UK and US Politics, including the 2019 UK General Election and 2020 US election, this textbook is specially designed to help your students perform to the best of their abilities in the AQA Politics Paper 1 and Paper 2 exams. This Student Textbook:- Strengthens your students'' understanding of comparative politics through dedicated comparative politics chapters and synoptic links throughout- Builds your students'' confidence by highlighting key terms and connections between different topics in the specification- Develops your students'' skills of analysis and evaluation through activities, debates and exam-style questions- Provides answer guidance for exam-style questions online at www.hoddereducation.co.uk

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Book SynopsisThe U.S. Constitution was written more than 230 years ago for a new country on the periphery of the world. Two centuries later, it governs the most powerful nation on earth, and its meaning is constantly debated. The U.S. Constitution in Five Minutes presents fifty-nine essays on subjects central to the meaning and application of the U.S. Constitution. Written by scholars, these essays cover origins; institutions, processes, and structural features; civil rights and liberties; and modes of interpretation and address common questions and misunderstandings about the Constitution, such as: • Can the president start a war? • Does the Constitution protect hate speech? • Does the Second Amendment give everyone the right to have a gun? • Does the Constitution protect noncitizens? • How can we tell what the Constitution means? Intended for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the underlying principles of the U.S. political system, the book will also be a valuable supplement to political science courses. As with all the “Five Minutes” books, the essays are written in lively and accessible prose and are brief enough to be read in five minutes.Table of ContentsPreface Origins Why do we have a Constitution? James Todd (Palm Beach Atlantic University) Who wrote the Constitution? Madison Shanks and Kirk A. Randazzo (both at University of South Carolina) Human nature and the Constitution David Lay Williams (DePaul University) Racism in the Constitution Leslie F. Goldstein (University of Delaware) Emulation and innovation in the constitutional system A.K. Shauku (SUNY Buffalo) How can we tell what the Constitution means? Sara C. Benesh (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee) Is the Constitution what the justices say it is? Joseph L. Smith Congress and the States What can states do? John D. Nugent (Connecticut College) What is ‘commerce among the several states,’ and why does it matter? H. W. Perry (University of Texas, Austin) What can’t states do? Joseph L. Smith How can governments use the power to tax? Jolly A. Emrey (University of Wisconsin, Whitewater) Why is it hard to sue a state? Susan W. Johnson (University of North Carolina, Greensboro) Conflicts between the Branches What is the purpose of separation of powers? Joseph L. Smith The President as chief executive David Crockett (Trinity University. San Antonio) The crucial power to appoint and remove officials Robert J. Hume (Fordham University) Who really makes the laws? Eric Heberlig (University of North Carolina, Charlotte) Executive orders: statutes in disguise? Chris Edelson (American University) Can the President start a war? Rebecca U. Thorpe (University of Washington, Seattle) How can we get rid of a bad President? Donald A. Zinman (Grand Valley State University) Judicial review Allyson Yankle (Radford University) The challenge of judicial independence Charles Gardner Geyh (Indiana University) Representative Democracy Who can vote? Greg W. Vonhamme (University of Missouri, Kansas City) Why is my congressional district such a weird shape? Jeffrey L. Bernstein (Eastern Michigan University) Is the Electoral College undemocratic? Sheahan Virgin (Grinnell College) Why do Wyoming and California have the same number of senators? Ben Kassow (University of North Dakota) Term lengths, stability, and responsiveness Beth Henschen (Eastern Michigan University) Can the Constitution handle political parties? Michael Catalano (SUNY, Binghamton) Campaign finance and the First Amendment Bruce Larson (Gettysburg College) Is the administrative state unconstitutional? Christine Kexel Chabot Loyola University Chicago) Individual Liberties Does the Constitution protect hate speech? Tim Johnson (University of Minnesota) Does the Constitution protect the right to lie? Keith Bybee (Syracuse University) Can I be prosecuted for telling someone to break the law? David E. Klein Do the media have special rights? Mark J. Richards (Grand Valley State University) Is all religious behavior protected? Barry Pyle (Eastern Michigan University) Separation of church and state Chris Kromphardt (University of Iowa) Does a Twitter ban violate the Constitution? Lawrence Baum (Iowa State University) Does the Second Amendment give me the right to carry a gun? William Merkel (Charleston School of Law) Private property and the takings clause Bob Howard (Georgia State University) Is there a right to abortion in the Constitution? Chase Porter (California Baptist University) Equality and Civil Rights How did the Civil War amendments change the Constitution? Gbemende Johnson (Hamilton College) Who is a citizen? Anna O. Law (CUNY Brooklyn College) Does the Constitution protect non-citizens? Allen Linken (University of Alabama) Does the equal protection clause cover gender? Laura P. Moyer (University of Louisville) Equal protection beyond race and sex David E. Klein Regulating private discrimination Karen Swenson (Eastern Illinlois University) Does the Constitution permit affirmative action? Kyla K. Stepp (Central Michigan University) Is There a right to same-sex marriage? Robert J. Hume The Criminal Justice Process Homes and the Fourth Amendment Pamela C. Corley (Southern Methodist University) Automobiles and the Fourth Amendment Melinda Gann Hall (Michigan State University) Electronic surveillance and tracking Tinsley Griffin Hill (Alabama Legislative Services Agency) Taking the Fifth David E. Klein Police interrogations and the Miranda Warnings Ryan J. Williams (University of South Alabama) Why do courts throw out good evidence? Wendy L. Martinek (Binghamtpon University) Cruel and unusual punishments Taneisha N. Means (Vassar College) Looking Outward and Forward The U.S. Constitution as an international model Monica Lineberger (University of Wisconsin, Whitewater) Different approaches to national constitutions Matthew Reid Krell (Vassar College) Does the Constitution work in a crisis? David Crockett Does the Constitution cause gridlock? Richard L. Pacelle, Jr. (University of Tennessee) Does the amendment process need amendment? Bruce Peabody (Farleigh Dickinson University)

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Book SynopsisThe first Scottish woman MP, the first Conservative woman minister and the only opponent of appeasement brave enough to put her beliefs to the electorate, Katharine Stewart-Murray, the Duchess of Atholl, needs this definitive biography to bring her story to a new audience. A talented pianist from an ancient Scottish family, Kitty Ramsay married into the aristocracy and found herself with an unfaithful husband who had constant money troubles. Through war nursing and charity work she was one of the most prominent women in Scotland by the time she was elected in 1923.Her diligent service as an education minister who prioritised children made her subsequent rebellions even more surprising. Her political life was full of apparent contradictions: the critic of Soviet and Nazi tyranny who opposed self-government for India, the trailblazing female politician who had thought women didn't need the vote, the Tory who spoke alongside communists, and the shy public speaker dubbed the ''Red Duchess' who travelled the world to fundraise for Spanish refugees.''Anything the Duchess does is news'', the papers wrote during her doomed by-election campaign in 1938. As a 21st century audience rediscovers its female pioneers, it is time to remember the politician who paid the highest political price for her refusal to play by the rules.

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Book SynopsisWhen a senior Cabinet minister dismissed corporate fears over a hard Brexit with a curt `F**k business,' it seemed emblematic of a growing distance between the country's politicians and its wealth creators. Recounted by the founder and chairman of the UK's largest independent lobbying business, Iain Anderson - who has had a ringside seat at the interactions between business and politics since the 2016 referendum - this is the definitive and shocking story of how and why politics and business have become utterly disconnected in the last decade; culminating in the rancour, mistrust and confusion of Brexit. Featuring exclusive and candid interviews with those at the heart of No. 10, the Cabinet and Parliament, and with the foremost business leaders of this Brexit generation, F**K Business portrays the exhaustion felt by all major companies over politics. With unparalleled access to the key players, the book describes how business sought to prepare for Brexit only to be frustrated by the inability of Parliament to set out a clear pathway ahead. But it also points the way ahead for a new relationship and a brighter future. This is essential, often shocking, reading for anyone interested in how Brexit unfolded for Britain's most important economic movers and shakers.

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Book SynopsisDespite the last days of Rome being around 1,500 years ago, the shadow of its empire - and what those who lived in it had to say - still looms large over modern politics. Indeed, we would not think of `politics' as it is without our Classical ancestors. The word comes directly from the ancient Greek word polis, which refers to a city or state. Someone who had to take charge came to be known as a politikos. The Roman political scene was fuelled by ambition, ego and self-interest. People sought to get ahead by striking backroom deals or shaky alliances that would soon fall apart. Politicians were happy to stab each other in the back - and the front for that matter - if necessary. Politics may be less bloody these days, but in many ways things are still the same. In our rush to keep on top of events, it is worth looking back to the Romans to understand what is going on. This book delves into these similarities to examine what today's politicos can learn from their Roman predecessors. How did they climb the greasy pole? How did they handle the rough and tumble? What can Boudicca teach us about Brexit? What could Emperor Hadrian teach President Trump about walls? No longer should the answers to questions like these be the monopoly of those who happened to study Classics at university, such as Boris Johnson. It's time this ancient wisdom was democratised. So read on to find out how to do politics as the Romans did.Trade Review'Engaging and written with verve.' - Daily Telegraph "This wonderful book looks at the classics from Ancient Rome and Athens and translates their lessons into modern day politics. It's also very funny. A great stocking filler if ever there was one." - Iain Dale, LBC Radio "A sharp, smart and frighteningly familiar portrait of political power. If you think our politicians are bad, wait until you meet the Romans in Bennett's lively guide." - Daisy Dunn, classicist

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Book SynopsisHa-Joon Chang''s 23 Things They Don''t Tell You About Capitalism turns received economic wisdom on its head to show you how the world really works. In this revelatory book, Ha-Joon Chang destroys the biggest myths of our times and shows us an alternative view of the world, including: There''s no such thing as a ''free'' marketGlobalization isn''t making the world richerWe don''t live in a digital world - the washing machine has changed lives more than the internetPoor countries are more entrepreneurial than rich onesHigher paid managers don''t produce better results We don''t have to accept things as they are any longer. Ha-Joon Chang is here to show us there''s a better way. ''Lively, accessible and provocative ... read this book'' - Sunday Times ''A witty and timely debunking of some of the biggest myths surrounding the global economy'' - Observer ''The new kid on the economics block ... Chang''s iconoclastic attitude has won him fans'' - Independent on Sunday ''Lucid ... audacious ... increasingly influential ... will provoke physical symptoms of revulsion if you are in any way involved in high finance'' - Guardian ''Important ... persuasive ... an engaging case for a more caring era of globalization'' - Financial Times ''A must-read ... incisive and entertaining'' - New Statesman Books of the YearHa-Joon Chang is a Reader in the Political Economy of Development at the University of Cambridge. He is author of Kicking Away the Ladder: Development Strategy in Historical Perspective, which won the 2003 Gunnar Myrdal Prize, and Bad Samaritans: Rich Nations, Poor Policies and the Threat to the Developing World. Since the beginning of the 2008 economic crisis, he has been a regular contributor to the Guardian, and a vocal critic of the failures of our economic system.Trade ReviewA masterful debunking of some of the myths of capitalism ... Witty, iconoclastic and uncommonly commonsensical ... this book will be invaluable * Observer *Important .. persuasive . [an] engaging case for a more cautious and caring era of globalisation * Financial Times *Myth-busting and nicely-written . the best economists are those who look around at our man-made world and ask themselves "why?". Chang is one * Independent *In 23 lucid, sometimes breezily didactic chapters, Chang takes apart the stricken ideology of neoliberalism. Chang's method is not to engage with the neoliberals but to knock them down with assertions. -- Paul Mason, Economics Editor, BBC Newsnight * Guardian *Ha-Joon Chang is a formidable critic...and a true exponent of the art of political economy -- Michael Lind * Prospect *Chang's...iconoclastic attitude has won him fans such as Bob Geldof and Noam Chomsky. -- Rachel Shields * The Independent on Sunday *For anyone who wants to understand capitalism not as economists or politicians have pictured it, but as it actually operates, this book will be invaluable. -- John Gray * Observer *

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Book Synopsis‘A far-sighted analysis of the world order, and an urgent warning of what the future may hold in store.’ Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads ‘Excellent ... In the face of countries such as China and Russia challenging the US-led international order, Neumann’s book is a plea to Western countries to acknowledge their mistakes ― but not to abandon the very values that have inspired others around the world.’ Emma Sky, author of The Unravelling The West has fatally overestimated itself. What does this mean for the world? Over the last thirty years, through a mixture of naivety and arrogance, the West has lost its global advantage. Today’s challenges are profound: climate change, polarisation in society, and tensions with Russia and China. Instead of a liberal world order, a new world disorder has emerged. Yet the triumph of the West had seemed unstoppable not that long ago. After the end of the Cold War, the democratic market economy took hold in the former Eastern Bloc, Russia went from being an enemy to a partner, and even China turned to capitalism. Then came the terrorist attacks of 9/11 that shook the world. The War on Terror destabilised an entire region; the Arab Spring only brought forth new autocracies; and, following the annexation of Crimea, the confrontation with Russia intensified. The West is under pressure, and it has only itself to blame. It’s time for a new start: modernity must become sustainable if it is to survive. Peter R. Neumann, an internationally acclaimed expert on terrorism and geopolitics, uncovers the mistakes that led to our present situation and sets out the dangers the world will face if the West fails to reinvent itself.Trade Review‘This is a lucid and immensely readable analysis of how our current polycrisis emerged, less from malign intent than from a failure to understand humanity as it is, not as we wish it was. Showing how there are fundamental differences of perspective and no global agreement on how societies should be run, it goes beyond despondency to provide an impressive, evidence-based argument for geopolitical pluralism.’ -- John, Lord Alderdice, Senior Research Fellow, Harris Manchester College, Oxford, and Executive Chairman of the Changing Character of War Centre, Pembroke College, Oxford‘The New World Disorder presents a concise and highly readable description of how the West went from post-Cold War triumph to its current despair. In this compelling book, Peter Neumann issues a powerful call for the West not only to recognise its mistakes, but also to renew itself and live up to its ideals.’ -- Daniel L. Byman, Director and Professor of the Security Studies Program, Georgetown University, and author of Spreading Hate‘A far-sighted analysis of the world order, and an urgent warning of what the future may hold in store.’ -- Peter Frankopan, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Silk Roads‘The New World Disorder is a great piece of work. In the face of countries such as China and Russia challenging the US-led international order, Neumann’s book is a plea to Western countries to acknowledge their mistakes — but not to abandon the very values that have inspired others around the world.’ -- Emma Sky, author of The Unravelling‘Peter Neumann provides an incisive tour d’horizon of the mistakes and failures of the past three decades that have divided and weakened the West and undermined its liberal ideals. With clarity and concision, The New World Disorder explains both why this has happened and what can be done to reverse it.’ -- Bruce Hoffman, author of God, Guns, and SeditionPraise for Bluster: Donald Trump's war on terror: ‘In this important book, Neumann argues that Donald Trump has undermined counterterrorism efforts by conflating terrorism with immigration and emboldening the far right at home while torching the United States’ soft power around the world. A timely, persuasive, and utterly devastating critique of Trump’s role in America’s longest war.’ -- Erica Chenoweth, Berthold Beitz Professor in Human Rights and International Affairs at Harvard UniversityPraise for Radicalised: ‘Neumann, basing his work on research by his International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King’s College, London, suggests that under “aggressive containment,” ISIS will collapse under its own contradictions. He traces the group’s rise in a concise, informative summary, and looks at both overall ideology and the personal narratives of individual fighters. Striking a readable balance between academic prose and anecdotal journalism, this book provides a start in “realistically evaluating a phenomenon that will define the new wave of terrorism.”’ * Publishers Weekly *Praise for Old and New Terrorism: ‘This book is suitable for everybody who wants to understand the basic principles and driving forces behind current terrorist groups as well as those wishing to in-depth knowledge of the history of terrorism. Despite the complexity of the evidence about the gradual changes that have led to a transformation in the phenomenon of terrorism, the overall thesis of the book is easy to comprehend, and all arguments are easy to follow.’ * Central European Journal of International and Security Studies *

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Book Synopsis'A classic' - Simon Kuper, Financial Times'Brilliant' - James O'Brien, author of How to be RightThe five laws that confirm our worst fears: stupid people can and do rule the world.Since time immemorial, a powerful dark force has hindered the growth of human welfare and happiness.Trade ReviewA classic * Simon Kuper, Financial Times *Brilliant. * James O'Brien, author of How to be Right *A masterly book * Nassim Nicholas Taleb *This is a very funny book, but Carlo Cipolla's underlying insight really matters: there's a lot of stupidity about, including in society's highest circles – and the stupid wield a surprising amount of power, because the rest of us can never guess what idiotic thing they'll do next. We need to get wise to stupidity, and Cipolla's drily witty rules are a great place to start. * Oliver Burkeman *Cipolla’s subtle tongue-in-cheek humour made this book an underground classic in Italy. Today, under current worldwide political trends, it reads more like black humour. Keep in mind: reliable statistical data shows that 98% of the people seriously believe that they are far less stupid than the average. * Carlo Rovelli, author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics *

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Book Synopsis***WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2023***'Never before, in years of reviewing books about buildings, has one brought me to tears. This one did.' Rowan Moore,Observer Book of the WeekOn 14 June 2017, a 24-storey block of flats went up in flames. The fire climbed up cladding as flammable as solid petrol. Fire doors failed to self-close. No alarm rang out to warn sleeping residents. As smoke seeped into their homes, all were told to stay put'. Many did and they died. It was a tragedy decades in the making. Peter Apps meticulously exposes how a steady stream of deregulation, corporate greed and institutional indifference caused a tragedy. 72 people did not need to die, as the Grenfell Tower Inquiry makes clear. Here is the story of a grieving community forsaken by our government, a community still waiting for justice.Trade Review'Show Me the Bodies is a clear, moving and powerful account of Britain’s worst fire since the second world war, written by someone who knows what he’s talking about… Never before, in years of reviewing books about buildings, has one brought me to tears. This one did.' —Rowan Moore, Observer Book of the Week'Show Me the Bodies will never leave the mind of anyone who reads it. The tragedy is that those who should read it probably won’t.' —Guardian'A searing indictment of the construction industry and regulators… The book that follows reads like a prosecution, meticulous and fierce.' —The Times'A meticulous study of the Grenfell disaster and subsequent inquiry… a powerful reminder that management is not just about managing resources but managing people’s lives.' —Martha Lane Fox, The Sunday Times'A jaw-dropping account of a callous system that swept individual conscience aside in favour of profit and politics. It is hard to convey how moving and enraging the book is — I urge you to read it for yourself. Because one thing almost all of us have been guilty of since the worst disaster in the UK this century is complacency.' —Evening Standard'At first, it was easy to write about Grenfell… Soon, it was dizzyingly hard: a web of technical intricacy, overlapping safety codes and multisyllabic plastic types – all against the fraught backdrop of a police investigation and judge-led inquiry. In his insistence on weaving through such legal pitfalls, Apps stands almost alone… He is one of the only writers beyond the west London community to chronicle the joys of living in Grenfell Tower… A forensic examination of how building regulations and corporate safety standards have been watered down since Margaret Thatcher’s deregulation bonanza.' —New Statesman, Book of the Day'Apps writes that Grenfell “tells us something about… the priority our political and economic system places on human life—especially when those lives are likely to be poor, immigrant and from ethnic minority backgrounds.” He has done their stories justice with this urgent book.' —Prospect'However painful the story of Grenfell is, it is one we must hear. Apps' powerful testament tells us how injustice was manifested and how lessons still fail to be learned.' —David Lammy MP'For the last few years, Peter Apps has been writing the most important reportage on the most important disaster in this country since Hillsborough. Here, he makes clear how this atrocity was easily preventable. Show Me the Bodies also reveals just how little those responsible, from the construction industry to the government, have learned. Whatever the courts eventually decide, this book deserves to be widely read so that the rest of us can finally hold them to account.' —Owen Hatherley, author of The Ministry of Nostalgia'Show Me the Bodies is a staggering achievement, both a testament to the victims, the bereaved and the community of Grenfell and a painstaking, forensic investigation into the causes of the crime itself. Yet it is also an unflinching portrait of UKplc: a divided, deregulated, privatized and neglected kingdom where profit for the few always triumphs over the health, safety and lives of the many, where the victims are always left voiceless, and where the dead never find justice or peace. And where, most damningly of all, we still choose not to act and so still let crimes such as Grenfell happen, over and over, again and again. In short, this is the most harrowing, moving, powerful and important book of the year, and one which every citizen should read. And remember. And learn from and then act upon.' David Peace, author of the Red Riding Quartet'Enormously important… A painstaking chronicle of an entirely avoidable tragedy, its aftermath and its causes.' —James O'Brien, LBC'A harrowing account of the fire itself and a searing indictment of the society that allowed it to happen.' —Financial Times‘Compelling, rigorous, utterly forensic and so very needed. This book has to be the moment that things change.' —Lucy Easthope, author of When the Dust Settles'Working from painstaking daily reporting from the inquiry, alongside extensive interviews with the bereaved and survivors of the Grenfell atrocity, Apps has written a concise, devastatingly detailed and upsetting book. This should be a required text for anyone involved in the built environment. From architects to politicians, all decision makers should read Show Me the Bodies. Then effect change.' —Emma Dent Coad, former MP for Kensington'The most powerful book I have read in years. Compassionate, forensic, heart breaking and enraging on almost every single page.' —Eoin Ó Broin, Sinn Fein T.D. for Dub Mid-West'This book is a vital work of public service. Peter Apps has shown the care, humanity and attention to detail that were lethally lacking among those with the power and responsibility to keep the residents of Grenfell safe. We cannot afford to ignore its lessons.' —Lynsey Hanley, author of Estates'Peter Apps has written a searing indictment of what he rightly calls "the most serious crime committed on British soil this century" in this forensic account of the deregulation, cost-cutting and sheer negligence behind the Grenfell fire and its human cost. It’s essential reading if we are to avoid such needless tragedy in the future.' —John Boughton, author of Municipal Dreams

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Book Synopsis''All those interested in South Asia and its complex politics and culture should read this book'' - Pankaj MishraThe demise of Pakistan - a country with a reputation for volatility, brutality and radical Islam - is regularly predicted. But things rarely turn out as expected, as renowned journalist Declan Walsh knows well. Over a decade covering the country, his travels took him from the raucous port of Karachi to the gilded salons of Lahore to the lawless frontier of Waziristan, encountering Pakistanis whose lives offer a compelling portrait of this land of contradictions.He meets a crusading lawyer who risks her life to fight for society''s most marginalised, taking on everyone including the powerful military establishment; an imperious chieftain spouting poetry at his desert fort; a roguish politician waging a mini-war against the Taliban; and a charismatic business tycoon who moves into politics and seems to be riding high - till he takes up the wrong cause. Lastly, Walsh meets a spTrade ReviewDeclan Walsh describes, with intellectual power and cool elegance, a much-misunderstood country. All those interested in South Asia and its complex politics and culture should read it -- Pankaj Mishra[A] thrilling, big-hearted book … a richly observed study of how humans respond to the extraordinary pressures of a sometimes-choking society -- Memphis Barker * Telegraph *A wonderful book that sets a new benchmark for non-fiction about the complex palace of mirrors that is Pakistan … as profoundly nuanced as it is sharply perceptive -- William DalrympleAn irresistible combination of storytelling panache and in-depth knowledge; Declan Walsh brings vividly to life characters and situations that illuminate some of the most significant phases of Pakistan’s history -- Kamila ShamsieCaptivating … What shines through is the relish with which Walsh throws himself into the far corners of Pakistan, into crowds, celebrations and rites, with a drive born of fascination with the land and its people -- Julian Borger * Guardian *Rarely have revelations about Pakistan made for such good reading -- Farzana Shaikh * Literary Review *If you want to read one book about contemporary Pakistan, it has to be The Nine Lives of Pakistan. An intimate yet sweeping account of Pakistan's contemporary history ... [it] left me breathless -- Mohammed Hanif, author of 'Red Birds'Clear-sighted and exhaustive, these dispatches paint a scrupulously layered portrait of a country that defies easy explanations * Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis''No true Democracy has ever existed, nor ever will exist.''In this selection from The Social Contract, Rousseau asserts that a state''s only legitimate political authority comes from its people.One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics'' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.

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Book SynopsisA TIMES BEST PHILOSOPHY & IDEAS BOOK OF 2022 A defence of liberalism by the renowned political philosopher 'We need more thinkers as wise as Fukuyama digging their fingers into the soil of our predicament' The New York Times 'A brilliantly acute summary of the way some aspects of liberal thought have consumed themselves' Guardian 'One of the West's most interesting public intellectuals' Times 'Hard to think of a better case for liberal centrism' FT Liberalism - the comparatively mild-mannered sibling to the more ardent camps of nationalism and socialism - has never been so divisive as today. From Putin's populism, the Trump administration and autocratic rulers in democracies the world over, it has both thrived and failed under identity politics, authoritarianism, social media and a weakened free press the world over. Since its inception following the post-Reformation wars, liberalism has come under attack from conservatives and progressives alike, and today is dismissed by many as an 'obsolete doctrine'. In this brilliant and concise exposition, Francis Fukuyama sets out the cases for and against its classical premises: observing the rule of law, independence of judges, means over ends, and most of all, tolerance. Pithy, to the point, and ever pertinent, this is political dissection at its very best.Trade ReviewUrgent and timely . . . A vital strength of this slim, elegant book is that it is crystalline in its definitions, even while acknowledging the complexities of practice . . . A brilliantly acute summary of the way some aspects of liberal thought have consumed themselves -- Andrew Anthony * Guardian *One of the west's most interesting public intellectuals ... he is always worth reading as a writer prepared to recalibrate and develop his thinking -- Iain Martin * Times *Transformative ... Maybe now, as Europe sees its most brutal war since 1945, we are ready to heed what Fukuyama was trying to tell us all along -- Matthew d'Ancona * Evening Standard *Books have poured out lately on liberalism's failings and how democracies break down. Among the diagnosticians, none is more eminent or experienced than Francis Fukuyama ... Hard to think of a better case for liberal centrism -- Edmund Fawcett * FT *Fukuyama succeeds in his explaining his objections to identity politics with great clarity and concreteness -- Iain MacWhirter * Herald *Concise and lucid ... Fukuyama sketches a strategy that classical liberals might adopt in order to shore up the foundations of their favoured form of government -- Oliver Letwin * Tablet *Fukuyama, like many of us, is a chastened liberal. But his argument is more persuasive as a result. He takes seriously the criticisms of liberalism from left and right and is not sparing in his own criticisms of public policy -- Richard V. Reeves * Literary Review *A sober and measured analysis ... in lucid, uncomplicated, prose -- JP O’Malley * Irish Examiner *A rare thing: academic treatise that may actually have influence in the arena of practical politics ... Fukuyama writes with a crystalline rationality -- Joe Klein * New York Times *An urgent case for ... a rejuvenated liberal practice that retains the very essence of classical liberalism -- Shelley Walia * Tribune India *Liberals are challenged by illiberal sentiment on the woke left and the authoritarian right. But Fukuyama is not giving up. This compelling defence of liberalism convincingly parries blows from all sides * Times Best Philosophy & Ideas Books of 2022 *Praise for Identity: As wise as it is compact, travelling at great speed through difficult terrain to a sensible conclusion * The Times *A primer on the big political shift of our times, and an explainer of how we got here * Sunday Times *Sweeping and ambitious * Prospect *A useful primer on an important subject * Literary Review *A short, sharp defence of a doctrine which has come under attack from all sides -- Tom Gatti * New Statesman *

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Book Synopsis____________________THE EXPLOSIVE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER''A bombshell.'' Daily Mail''Damning, terrifying and enraging.'' The Spectator____________________House of Trump, House of Putin offers the first comprehensive investigation into the decades-long relationship among Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Russian Mafia that ultimately helped win Trump the White House. It is a chilling story that begins in the 1970s, when Trump made his first splash in the booming, money-drenched world of New York real estate, and ends with Trump's inauguration as president of the United States. That moment was the culmination of Vladimir Putin's long mission to undermine Western democracy, a mission that he and his hand-selected group of oligarchs and associates had ensnared Trump in over more than two decades of shady business associations. As Unger traces Donald TruTrade ReviewA bombshell. * Daily Mail *Damning in its accumulation of detail, terrifying in its depiction of the pure evil of those Trump chose to do business with, and enraging in that — if Unger is right — Trump acted with impunity for decades to get filthy rich laundering the mob’s blood money. * The Spectator *There is a volcano's worth of smoke in House of Trump, House of Putin. * USA Today *The story Unger weaves with his original reporting is fresh, illuminating and more alarming than the intelligence channel described in the Steele dossier. * The Washington Post *Unger's contention is that a web of Trumpian connections to Russia explain the darkness at the heart of the Trump presidency. The crisp account of the rise of the Russian mafia and its expansion into the US is chilling. * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisKey content coverage is combined with practical tips to create a revision guide that students can rely on to review, strengthen and test their knowledge.With My Revision Notes every student can:- Plan and manage a successful revision programme using the topic-by-topic planner- Enjoy an interactive approach to revision, with clear topic summaries that consolidate knowledge and related activities that put the content into context- Build, practise and enhance exam skills by progressing through revision tasks and Test Yourself activities- Improve exam technique through exam-style questions and sample answers with commentary from expert authors and teachers- Get exam ready with extra quick quizzes and answers to the activities available online

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Book SynopsisDemocracy is in bad health. Against Elections offers a new diagnosis – and an ancient remedy.Fear-mongering populists, distrust in the establishment, personality contests instead of reasoned debate: these are the results of the latest elections.In fact, as this ingenious book shows, the original purpose of elections was to exclude the people from power by appointing an elite to govern over them.Yet for most of its 3000-year history, democracy did not involve elections at all: members of the public were appointed to positions in government through a combination of volunteering and lottery.Based on studies and trials from around the globe, this hugely influential manifesto presents the practical case for a true democracy – one that actually works.Urgent, heretical and completely convincing, Against Elections leaves only one question to be answered: what are we waiting for?Trade ReviewRiveting * Irish Examiner *Very persuasive … There are few new big ideas in politics and few answers to the serious challenge faced by democratic politics ... invigorating and advance[s] a promising practical idea … fresh, challenging and uncomplicated -- Daniel Finkelstein * The Times *This fine iconoclastic work could not be more timely ... demonstrate[s] that far from safeguarding our right to self-determination, elections are actually impeding our democracy -- Karen ArmstrongMounts a convincing case that we have wrongly conflated democracy with elections * Observer *Van Reybrouck wants to revive a system in which government is not just for the people, but really by the people … a persuasive description of a system designed to be soundly based in popular assent … A President Trump might focus attention on his views * Financial Times *Choosing our rulers by popular vote has failed to deliver true democratic government: that seems to be the verdict of history unfolding before our eyes ... [this] may well be an idea whose time has come -- J. M. CoetzeeA sovereign remedy for the raging crypto-oligarchy of our turbulent times -- Professor Paul Cartledge, author of Democracy: A Life

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Book SynopsisJohn McCormick is Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA.

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Book SynopsisCedric Sapin-Defour's memoir of his dog, Ubac, has become the surprise best seller in France this year. Prepare to Meet Thy Dog will take this genre to a new level. This will be Herbie's autobiography. He is an old dog and with age comes wisdom. Being around many of the leading politicians of today through his humans (he tries to take John out at least a few times a week), it's safe to say he has strong opinions on all of them - and a good nose for insincerity. This will be tender, clever and funny. Think Paddington for adults. Paddington with edge.

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the 2023 Moore Prize for Human Rights WritingShortlisted for the 2023 Walkley non fiction journalism prizeIsrael's military industrial complex uses the occupied, Palestinian territories as a testing ground for weaponry and surveillance technology that they then export around the world to despots and democracies. For more than 50 years, occupation of the West Bank and Gaza has given the Israeli state invaluable experience in controlling an 'enemy' population, the Palestinians. It's here that they have perfected the architecture of control. Best-selling journalist Antony Loewenstein, author of Disaster Capitalism, uncovers this largely hidden world in a global investigation with secret documents, revealing interviews and on-the-ground reporting. This book shows in-depth, for the first time, how Palestine has become the perfect laboratory for the Israeli military-techno complex: survei

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Book SynopsisEugene L. Wolfe looks at how instances of individual strife faced by Members of Parliament - be it arrest or imprisonment, brawls on the floor, attacks by individual members of the public, or other examples of danger - have reflected changes and developments in British political history.Trade ReviewA detailed work... Bewildered observers could do worse than to pick up his book for a guide as to how we got here. -- The Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisRussian novels, poetry and ballet put the country squarely in the European family of cultures and yet there is something different about this country, especially in terms of its political culture. What makes Russia different? Maxim Trudolyubov uses private property as a lens to highlight the most important features that distinguish Russia as a political culture. In many Western societies, private property has acted as the private individual’s bulwark against the state; in Russia, by contrast, it has mostly been used by the authorities as a governance tool. Nineteenth-century Russian liberals did not consider property rights to be one of the civil causes worthy of defending. Property was associated with serfdom, and even after the emancipation of the serfs the institution of property was still seen as an attribute of retrograde aristocracy and oppressive government. It was something to be destroyed – and indeed it was, in 1917. Ironically, it was the Soviet Union that, with the arrival of mass housing in the 1960s, gave the concept of private ownership a good name. After forced collectivization and mass urbanization, people were yearning for a space of their own. The collapse of the Soviet ideology allowed property to be called property, but not all properties were equal. You could own a flat but not an oil company, which could be property on paper but not in reality. This is why most Russian entrepreneurs register their businesses in offshore jurisdictions and park their money abroad.This fresh and highly original perspective on Russian history will be of great interest to anyone who wants to understand Russia today.Trade Review‘The Tragedy of Property is the story of how Russia came to be as it is: a land of aspiration and anxiety, of challenge and opportunity, and of endless unasked questions. This book must be read by anyone who wants to understand where Russia is headed, and where we will meet it.’ Samuel Greene, King's College London“Cogent and vivid”The TLSTable of Contents Acknowledgements Foreword - Alexander Etkind Introduction: The Tragedy of Property Chapter 1. The Entrance 1. Homeless people 2. From city dwellers to citizens 3. Reflected modernity 4. The capital of succeeding generations Chapter 2. The Fence: Russian Title 1. Good fences make good neighbours 2. The permanence of the fence 3. Life without property rights 4. Russian title Chapter 3. Behind the Fence: the Privatization of Utopia 1. Private palaces 2. The privatization of Utopia 3. The birth of private life 4. The Dutch carpenter’s house Chapter 4. Private Property: My Home Is My Castle 1. The myth of Sparta 2. The domus of our forebears 3. Mine and ours 4. Life, liberty and property 5. Christianity and Utopia 6. Utopia without property Chapter 5. Territory: Ambitions of Colonialism and Methods of Subjugation 1. Yermak the Conquistador 2. Stewardship and extraction 3. A natural resource irony of history Chapter 6. The Lock on the Door: the Priority of Security 1. The collapse of monarchy in the West 2. Success in the East 3. Control as the top priority 4. Security as a threat Chapter 7. Labourers: Moral Economics and the Art of Survival 1. The plough, the scythe and the axe 2. Moral economics 3. The commune against the private farmer 4. Dictatorship of the collective Chapter 8. Masters: the Tragedy of Domination 1. Owners and rulers 2. ‘Let not the nobility be dispossessed of their estates without due process of law’ 3. The birth of free people 4. Traduced and sacred law 5. The attempt to share Chapter 9. Architecture, Happiness and Order 1. The project we live in 2. Stalin’s orders 3. Khrushchev’s social revolution 4. Happiness and order 5. Russian order Chapter 10. Our Half-built Home 1. Favour from the tsar 2. Property without the market 3. A market without property Chapter 11. Two Options: Finish Building the Home, or Emigrate 1. Property without property rights 2. Democracy without the rule of law 3. Law enforcement without the rule of law 4. The open door Afterword Notes Index

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An essential introduction to Irish politics, Radicals and Realists expertly analyses the political parties that have influenced the history of pre- and post-partition Ireland. Lila Haines' rigorously researched guide provides concise histories of the island's 12 most significant political parties, revealing their ideals and deals, clashes and collaborations, and splinters and mergers. Dispassionate and insightful, Radicals and Realists discusses the achievements, trends and milestones of the contemporary two-jurisdiction island. It also demolishes popular myths and reveals the inconvenient truths about political ineptitude, corruption, authoritarianism or tolerance of terrorism that some parties may prefer to forget or rewrite. Radicals and Realists is an indispensable companion for all who wish to understand how political parties in Ireland have evolved, and how their electoral fortunes are shaping the future of the island they share.

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Book SynopsisLakoff researches how framing influences reasoning, or how the way we say something often matters much more than what we say. the Guardian Over a quarter of a million copies sold worldwide! Ten years after writing the definitive, international bestselling book on political debate and messaging, George Lakoff returns with new strategies about how to frame today’s essential issues. Called the “father of framing” by The New York Times, Lakoff explains how framing is about ideas – ideas that come before policy, ideas that make sense of facts, ideas that are proactive not reactive, positive not negative, ideas that need to be communicated out loud every day in public. The revised edition picks up where the original book left off – delving deeper into how framing works, how framing has evolved in the past decade, how to speak to people who harbor elements of both progressive and conservative worldviews, how to counter propaganda and slogans, and more. The ALL NEW Don’t Think of an Elephant! will make you reconsider everything you think you know about framing: Do you think facts alone can win a debate? Do you know what makes a Tea Party follower tick? Do you understand how to communicate on key issues that can improve people's lives? Whether you answer yes or no, the insights in The ALL NEW Don’t Think of an Elephant! will not only surprise you, but also give you the tools you need to develop frames that work, and eradicate frames that backfire.Trade Review"Lakoff single-handedly convinced liberals of the importance of language in winning political battles. Now he's back to finish what he started."--Markos Moulitsas, founder and publisher, Daily Kos"The All New Don't Think of an Elephant! is an indispensable tool for progressives—packed with new thinking on framing issues that are hotly debated right now, and new insights on how to reclaim the political debate on meaningful terms that can yield true progress, not just political gains."--Jennifer M. Granholm, former governor of Michigan"When the original Don't Think of an Elephant! came out in2004, Lakoff showed us that progressive Democrats voted on values, not issues—just like the right. Now, Dr. Lakoff is back to prevent a relapse of bad framing. The ALL NEW Don't Think of an Elephant! is a must read, every bit as important as the first edition. This time we have to train ourselves to think for the long term. Buy this book, memorize it, and teach it to your children. Progressives may be smart, but we don't communicate our ideas well. This book is the blueprint for how to do better."--Howard Dean, former chair of the Democratic National Committee and founder of Democracy for America

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Book SynopsisAside for the secretaries of state, those lofty roles at the Home Office, MOD, Exchequer, and Foreign office, the ministers of the UK are a cast of roles that expand, and contract based on the whims and political needs of the Prime Minister. Within their portfolios those MPs and Lords are immensely powerful - able to reshape whole sectors of British society, grant or refuse government contracts and planning permission, and intervene in matters throughout the country. And yet, few members of the British Public could name every single minister and fewer still could say the extent of each minister's responsibilities. We like to imagine that they are competent, prepared, and entirely in control, and we hold them to standards as though they are. But they are often none of those things. These men and women serve at the pleasure of the Prime Minister. Any misstep or scandal can invite media attention, public outcry, and their swift departure. At the same time, their resignations can shatter political alliances and bring down Prime Ministers and even governments. Their positions are, therefore, both immensely powerful and precarious. In Fifteen Minutes of Power, Peter Riddell draws on interviews with former ministers, conducted on behalf of the Institute of Government, to reveal the fraught existence of these powerful men and women.Trade ReviewA fluent, entertaining and at the same time serious analysis of the British way of governing -- Chris Mullin * Spectator *Should political wannabes be seeking some holiday literature, here is a tome which they really should read (preferably through their fingers) ... fascinating -- Ruth Wishart * Herald *Praise for In Defense of Politicians (In Spite of Themselves): In their hour of acute need, the British political class has found a true and candid friend in Peter Riddell part historian; part anthropologist; and part psychotherapist. They should cherish him and his book as a guide on how best they might rise to the level of events and increase the chances of an improvement in public trust in politicians and the political protest. -- Lord Peter Hennessey, Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at Queen Mary University of London.

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Book SynopsisSam Freedman is a senior fellow at the Institute for Government and a senior adviser to Ark Schools. He writes about policy and politics for numerous outlets including the Financial Times, Sunday Times, Guardian and New Statesman. With his father, he runs Comment is Freed', Britain's most popular politics Substack. He has a following of over 140,000 on X/Twitter.He has spent his career working in different policy-focused roles around Westminster, including as an adviser to the leader of the opposition and three years at the Department for Education as a senior policy adviser. He is the author of Failed State: Why Britain Doesn't Work and How We Fix It.

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Book SynopsisFinancial Times Best Summer Books of 2023''Essential reading'' Tony BlairA revelatory, myth-dispelling exploration of China's juggernaut economyAlthough China's economy is one of the largest in the world, Western understanding of it is often based on dated assumptions and incomplete information. In The New China Playbook, Keyu Jin burrows deep into the mechanisms of a unique system, taking a nuanced, clear-eyed, and data-based look inside. From the far-reaching and unexpected consequences of China's one-child policy to the government's complex relationship with entrepreneurs, from its boisterous financial system to its latest push for technological innovation, Jin reveals the frequently misunderstood dynamics at play.China is entering a new era, soon to be shaped by a radically different younger generation. As it strives to move beyond the confines of conventional socialism stained by sh

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Book SynopsisThis fully updated Textbook for Pearson Edexcel A-level Politics will help your students develop a critical understanding of the latest developments in US Government and Politics. This trusted textbook by Anthony J Bennett, revised by David Tuck and Simon Lemieux, is specially designed to reflect the Edexcel specification and help your students approach complex topics with confidence. This Student Textbook:- Comprehensively covers the Government and Politics of the USA, including the 2020 Presidential elections- Places recent developments in a historical context throughout to show the influence of political history on current events- Builds your confidence by highlighting key terms and explaining synoptic links between different topics in the specification- Develops your analysis and evaluation skills through activities, debates and practice questions- Provides answer guidance for practice questions online at www.hoddereducation.co.uk

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Book SynopsisThis book charts the development of political thought within the British Liberal Party and its successor, the Liberal Democrats. Beginning with Jo Grimond’s rise to the leadership in 1956, it follows the Liberal resurgence in the second half of the twentieth century through to the major setbacks of the 2015 general election and the 2016 referendum on UK membership of the European Union. Drawing on interviews with leading politicians and political thinkers, the book examines Liberal ideas against the background of key historical events and controversies, including the period of coalition government with the Conservatives.Trade Review'Well-researched, thorough and balanced.'Sir Vince Cable, Leader of the Liberal Democrats'Tudor Jones has written a meticulously detailed and scholarly account of the revival of the Liberal Party since the dog days of the 1950s, and of the tribulations of the Liberal Democrats since the merger with the SDP in the 1980s. The uneven path of British Liberalism will prove the standard work on the subject, and it is of particular relevance at a time when the Liberal Democrats seem on the brink of a revival. It is a contribution of great importance to recent political history.'Vernon Bogdanor, Professor of Government, King's College London‘Since the mid-1950s, when observers first discerned a revival in its fortunes, the electoral history of the British Liberal Party and its successor, the Liberal Democrats, has been characterised by a bewildering series of upturns and reversals. This uneven path has been accompanied by an ongoing internal debate – partisans might reject the suggestion of a dispute – over the party’s underlying philosophy and purpose. Much of this relates to Liberalism’s uneasy coalition of social and economic traditions and the extent to which they can be combined within the same political movement. Showing an impressive knowledge and understanding of the relevant literature, Tudor Jones expertly leads the reader through Liberalism’s ideological history over the last sixty years. His work is timely. With the Liberal Democrats again reclaiming a significant role in British politics, this book is one which students and practitioners of Liberalism will want to read.’David Dutton, Ramsay Muir Emeritus Professor of Modern History, University of Liverpool'Jones deftly interleaves a well-informed description of the party's internal philosophical debates with a clear account of its political fortunes, both good and not so good, between 1945 and 2017. The new chapters on the coalition and its immediate aftermath are notably fair and balanced, providing a valuable resource not only for historians but also for journalists and indeed anyone eager to get beyond partisan views of that still controversial period.'David Howarth, Professor of Law and Public Policy, University of Cambridge and MP for Cambridge from 2005–10 -- .Table of Contents1 Survival of a creed, 1954–562 The advent of Grimond: the creed revived, 1956–593 Of progress, realignment and disappointed hopes, 1959–674 The rise of community politics in uncertain times, 1967–765 Liberalism in a cul-de-sac, 1976–796 Liberalism within the Alliance: denting the mould, 1979–887 Liberals, Owen and the social market economy, 1983–888 Recovery after a painful infancy, 1988–979 Ashdown’s unfinished project, 1997–9910 Advance and debate, 1999–200511 Crisis, consolidation and reaffirmation, 2005–712 Into uncharted post-1945 territory: coalition government, 2010–1513 Electoral collapse, 2015 and the future of British LiberalismConclusionIndex

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Book SynopsisMission Zero is a landmark independent report into the delivery of the UK's commitment to net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Chaired by Chris Skidmore, the UK's former Energy Minister who was responsible for signing net zero into law, its conclusions set out, for the very first time, a new economic narrative for climate policy, demonstrating the vast financial opportunity that net zero can deliver. This timely and crucial report acts as a template for how all countries can map out future challenges and opportunities and, above all, deliver their own pathway to net zero while also creating new jobs, industries and investment for the future. Commissioned by the UK's Prime Minister in September 2022, Mission Zero is the largest engagement exercise on net zero conducted to date and has been widely recognised as the most informative and detailed document on the topic, covering every sector and aspect of society. This important book is a vital piece of work and an indispensable must-read for anyone interested in energy, climate and sustainability policy.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisAt last, a sane voice of reason that cuts through all the noise; In the deepest, darkest depths of history, there was once a time when most families had only one screen in their house with just three, four or five channels. This forced people into a situation in which they would have to compromise. Imagine the horror.; These days, we're living through The Breakdown. It's a time of enormous political engagement, but many of us feel ill equipped to truly understand and debate all the issues currently rocking our world.; With sections including How Other People Think; A Tour of the Battlegrounds; and Making Change Happen, this superbly clear-sighted, light-hearted and judgement-free book will give you all the tools you need to understand the different arguments, to work out what is happening and why - and then to do something about it.; In a shifting political landscape that can at times be frustrating, emotional or confusing, The Breakdown is an oasis of calm in a turbulent world.Table of ContentsContents; Introduction 1; PART ONE; How Other People Think 13; PART TWO; A Tour of the Battlegrounds 61; PART THREE; Making Change Happen 155; Conclusion 181; Appendix: How It All Works 185; Index 227

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Book SynopsisWho works for the government and why does their work matter? Michael Lewis, bestselling author of The Big Short and The Fifth Risk, along with an all-star team of writers and storytellers, takes us on a riveting journey into a hidden world The government is a vast, complex system that citizens pay for, rebel against, rely upon, dismiss, and celebrate. It's also our shared resource for addressing the biggest problems of society. And it's made up of people, mostly unrecognized and uncelebrated, doing work that can be deeply consequential and beneficial to everyone.Michael Lewis invited his favourite writers to find someone doing an interesting job for the government and write about them. The stories they found are unexpected, riveting, and inspiring, including a former coal miner devoted to making mine roofs less likely to collapse, saving thousands of lives; an IRS agent straight out of a crime thriller; and the manager who made the National Cemetery Administration the best-run organization, public or private, in the entire country. Each essay shines a spotlight on the essential behind-the-scenes work of exemplary federal employees.Whether they're digitizing archives, chasing down cybercriminals, or discovering new planets, these public servants are committed to their work and universally reluctant to take credit. Who is Government? shows how the essential business of government makes our lives possible, and how much it matters.

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Book SynopsisThe most accessible, succinct introduction to the principal international relations theories, with an emphasis on how theory can be used to analyse key global issues.Introduction to International Relations and Global Politics provides students with a complete understanding of theory and how it applies to the real world. With comprehensive coverage of all major classical and contemporary theories and approaches, the text focuses on the connections between theory and current issues in international relations.- A truly accessible introduction to international relations, which demystifies the key theories, debates, and issues- Includes up-to-date examples to help students link theory to real-world developments- Encourages students to think critically by presenting the strengths and weaknesses of different theories and highlighting points of contention between them- Also available as an e-book with functionality, navigation features, and links that offer extra learning supportNew to this edition- The book has been restructured. It now contains an extended Part 2 on Major Global Politics (GP) Theories and Approaches. This new part - almost one-third of the book -contains chapters on Post-structuralism, Postcolonialism, Feminism and Queer Theory, and Green Theory.- A new Chapter 1 replaces the old Chapter 1 and Chapter 2. It carefully introduces the new structure of the book. - To make room for the new Part 2, substantial revisions have been made to all other chapters. The chapters on IR theories have thus been shortened and the chapters and issues in Part 3 have been reworked so that GP perspectives are included. - All chapters have been brought up to date in light of current events and ongoing debates in the discipline. The book contains many new text boxes and figures.

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Book SynopsisA 2022 BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR: Sunday Times * Irish Times * Spectator * Financial Times * Telegraph * Aspects of History ‘The history book you need if you want to understand modern Russia' ANNE APPLEBAUM ‘A magnificent, magisterial thousand year history of Russia . . . by one of the masters of Russian scholarship' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE ‘A great historian at the peak of his powers' WILLIAM DALRYMPLE '[An] excellent short study’ MAX HASTINGS, SUNDAY TIMES ‘If you really want to understand Putin’s Russia today, anchored in its past of myths, then you simply have to read Figes’s superb account’ ANTONY BEEVOR 'A lucid chronological journey that ably illustrates how narratives from the nation’s past have been used to shape its autocratic present’ OBSERVER 'A valuable, instructive overview' INDEPENDENT ------------------------- From the great storyteller of Russia, a spellbinding account of the stories that have shaped the country’s past – and how they can inform its present. No other country has been so divided over its own past as Russia. None has changed its story so often. How the Russians came to tell their story, and to reinvent it as they went along, is a vital aspect of their history, their culture and beliefs. To understand what Russia’s future holds – to grasp what Putin’s regime means for Russia and the world – we need to unravel the ideas and meanings of that history. In The Story of Russia, Orlando Figes brings into sharp relief the vibrant characters that comprise Russia’s rich history, and whose stories remain so important in making sense of the world’s largest nation today – from the crowning of sixteen-year-old Ivan the Terrible in a candlelit cathedral, to Catherine the Great, riding out in a green uniform to arrest her husband at his palace, to the bitter last days of the Romanovs. Beautifully written and based on a lifetime of scholarship, The Story of Russia is a major and definitive work from the great storyteller of Russian history: sweeping, suspenseful, masterful. ------------------------- PRAISE FOR ORLANDO FIGES ‘An outstanding historian and writer, he brings distant history so close that you could feel its heartbeat’ KARL OVE KNAUSGAARD 'Figes knows more about Russia than any other historian' MAX HASTINGS, SUNDAY TIMESTrade ReviewFiges’s book is an absorbing and enlightening read, a triumph of concision, analysis and insight * Daily Mail *A deeply impressive and deeply immersive book . . . The author sets out to reveal Russia’s history, its people’s perception of their past and the manifold ways in which those in power manipulate both events and legend to shape the present. It is a saga of multi-millennial identity politics * Spectator *To understand Putin's paranoia, read this book on Russia's history * Telegraph *A lucid chronological journey that ably illustrates how narratives from the nation’s past have been used to shape its autocratic present * Observer *If you really want to understand Putin’s Russia today, anchored in its past of myths, then you simply have to read Figes’s superb account in The Story of Russia -- Antony BeevorFiges’s book is an absorbing and enlightening read, a triumph of concision, analysis and insight * Daily Mail *An indispensable survey of more than 1,000 years of history shows how myth and fact mix dangerously in the tales this crucial country tells about itself * Guardian *A magnificent, magisterial thousand year history of Russia . . . its tsars and tyrants, wars and massacres, ideas and dreams vividly drawn, its analysis of Russian power and empire essential reading today -- Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of THE ROMANOVS and STALIN: THE COURT OF THE RED TSARAn expert on Russia delivers a crucially relevant study . . . A lucid, astute text that unpacks the myths of Russian history to help explain present-day motivations and actions * Kirkus (starred review) *Urgent and revelatory and brilliantly told, it’s all the things you pray a book will be when you first pick it up -- Peter MorganExcellent short study -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *The historian’s latest work on Russia is a lucid chronological journey that ably illustrates how narratives from the nation’s past have been used to shape its autocratic present -- Angus Macqueen * Observer *Figes skilfully assesses the evolution of the forms of government and society that inhibited the development of controls of the tsar * BBC History Magazine *Accessible and epic . . . A great introduction to an enthralling subject * History Revealed *An impressive account of the ideas, myths and ideologies that have shaped that country and the way its people interpret the past . . . Figes’s book offers a valuable, instructive overview * Independent *Anyone who wants to detox from Putin’s mythomanic claims about Russia’s history and what it means for today’s world will find some relief in The Story of Russia . . . Figes presents Russia’s history in a straightforward manner * Irish Independent *Valuable book * Irish Times *[An] imaginative sweep and a capacity to encapsulate in a memorable way * TLS *Orlando Figes provides valuable lessons about the importance of mythologizing the country’s past in his sweeping new survey of Russian history * New York Times *Sweeping and concise . . . It is a skilled piece of compression * Tablet *This is a brilliant condensation – his analysis of Soviet Russia is superb – of a seriously complex tale * Spectrum *The Story of Russia combines profound knowledge and understanding of the longer, deeper structural processes of history with the personal experience of an author seeking to understand what is happening on the ground today * Financial Times *Orlando Figes’s latest book provides fascinating insights into this contemporary conundrum. The Story of Russia is a truly incisive and important dissection of Russia’s troubled past, both real and mythical, but it also provides a crucial context for understanding the present * Jewish Chronicle *This book is a timely reminder of the malign uses to which history can be put * Politics Home *A brilliantly concentrated meditation on the power of myth and history, and the ability of both to form and deform and guide and misguide the present. Thoughtful, nuanced and above all persuasive, it shows how we are all trapped in the loops and coils of myth, memory and forgetting, and demonstrates the urgent need for historians to remember, and insist on the truth -- William Dalrymple, Books of the Year * Spectator *Beautifully brief, The Story of Russia shows centuries of regimes that revisit their past to manipulate the future, and eternally start from the wrong place acting in venal self-interest rather than the true national interest -- Best Books of 2022 * Financial Times *Given the news, Orlando Figes’s short book could hardly be better timed ... His story abounds in strange and memorable characters, from emperors to writers. But it’s the sheer sweep that impresses most, as he turns a potentially grim and overwhelming subject into a delightfully brisk and enjoyable read -- Best History Books of 2022 * Sunday Times *To understand Russia’s autocratic present, you must examine its past – although Russia’s perception of that past is ever-shifting. Its founding myths have shaped its history right up to the present. “Russia is a country held together by ideas rooted in its distant past, histories continuously reconfigured and repurposed to suit its present needs -- Best Non-fiction of 2022 * Irish Times *The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes (Bloomsbury, £25) looks 900 years earlier, to the national myths that Putin exploited in his invasion of Ukraine. “The country’s past will be reinvented by the Russian state as its needs change,” Figes observes -- Best History Books of 2022 * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisTraversing the nation, Municipal Dreams offers an architectural tour of some of the best and most remarkable of our housing estates, and in doing so offers an engrossing social history of housing in Britain. John Broughton asks us to understand better their complex story and to rethink our prejudices. His accounts include extraordinary planners and architects who wished to elevate working men and women through design and the politicians, high and low, who shaped their work, the competing ideologies which have promoted state housing and condemned it, the economics which has always constrained our housing ideals, the crisis wrought by Right to Buy, and the evolving controversies around regeneration. He shows how the loss of the dream of good housing for all is a danger for the whole of society - as was seen in the fire in Grenfell Tower.Trade ReviewThe book celebrates an era during which dreams of shelter and security for all-not just those who could afford to purchase it-were in large part made a reality, and asks us if we oughtn't to consider reviving that dream before it gets destroyed completely . There couldn't be a better time for this book. -- Lynsey Hanley * Guardian *Required reading . provides a comprehensive history of Britain's council estates [that] challenges the well-worn narrative. -- Anna Minton * Prospect *This serious, heartfelt book makes a convincing case that publicly provided homes have to be at least part of the response to the dysfunctional state that British housing has now attained. -- Rowan Moore * Observer *A fine survey of an astonishing achievement. -- Ed Heathcote * Financial Times *Boughton's book works as a gazetteer of public achievement-from Arts and Crafts cottages to modernist monuments to ordinary streets, from Hammersmith to Hull-and a nuanced but polemical tale of how the municipal idea was destroyed, revealing the caricatures and pseudo-history that were used to convince us that the places built to swindle us were better than the places we built for ourselves to live in. -- Owen Hatherley, author of A Guide to the New Ruins of Great BritainFollows the epic story of British council and social housing, from its Victorian origins to Twentieth Century estates, the right to buy and the Grenfell fire. While every page is rich with fascinating detail, Boughton also tells the grand narrative of how modern housing was created for millions, and how that dream has been cynically and carelessly undermined. This is an inspiring read and a necessary corrective to the myths that seek to destroy one of the most important struggles of our times - the drive for decent housing for all. -- John Grinrod, author of OutskirtsA well-written, humane and even-handed appraisal of the successes and failures of municipal and national housing programmes from the 1890s to the present. * Blueprint *A deeply informed account of the ways in which local and national governments in the U.K. have or have not sought to provide affordable housing for their citizens. -- Rebecca Mead * The New Yorker, Favourite Nonfiction Books of 2019 *Despite the crowded field, Boughton's book has quickly established itself as a landmark text in the reevaluation of the legacy of council housing, a sober, thorough work that reminds us of some of the most significant achievements of Britain's postwar 'social democratic moment. -- Gareth Millington * Public Books *

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Book SynopsisEach year, the Supreme Court of the United States announces new rulings with deep consequences for our lives. This third volume in Palgrave’s SCOTUS series describes, explains, and contextualizes the landmark cases of the US Supreme Court in the term ending 2020. With a close look at cases involving key issues and debates in American politics and society, SCOTUS 2020 tackles the Court’s rulings on LGBT discrimination, abortion regulation, subpoenas of the Trump administration, the Electoral College, DACA and presidential power, Native rights, cross-border rights, the Second Amendment, church and state, separation of powers, criminal justice, and more. Written by notable scholars in political science and law, the chapters in SCOTUS 2020 present the details of each ruling, its meaning for constitutional debate, and its impact on public policy or partisan politics. Finally, SCOTUS 2020 offers an analysis of the current state of ideological and interpretive divisions on the Court.Trade Review“SCOTUS 2020: Major Decisions and Developments of the U.S. Supreme Court offers an evenhanded, thoughtful overview of the Supreme Court’s October 2019 Term. … SCOTUS 2020 is accessible to nonlawyers and useful either as a pedagogical tool for learning about the Court, or for readers wanting a recap of the Term without wading through the opinions in all 16 cases it considers.” (Donald A. Daugherty, The Federalist Society Review, Vol. 22, 2021)Table of Contents1. Introduction: The 2019-2020 Term at the Supreme Court (Morgan Marietta)2. Bostock v. Clayton County on LGBT Employment Discrimination (Julie Novkov)3. Chiafalo v. Washington on Faithless Electors (Justin Dyer and erin Hawley)4. Department of Homeland Security v. University of California on DACA (John C. Eastman)5. Espinoza, Lady of Guadalupe, and Little Sisters of the Poor on Religious Liberty (Kevin Pybas)6. Hernández v. Mesa on Rights and Restitution for Victims of Excessive Force at the Border (Paul Collins and Rebecca Hamlin)7. June Medical Services v. Russo on State Regulation of Abortion Clinics (Gerald Rosenberg)8. Kahler v. Kansas on the Insanity Defense (Julia Bess Frank and Mark A. Graber)9. Kelly v. US on Public Fraud and the Bridgegate Controversy (Jennifer Bowie)10. McGirt v. Oklahoma on Native Rights (Carol Nackenoff and Natasha Markov-Riss)11. New York State Rifle & Pistol v. City of New York on Gun Regulation (Austin Sarat)12. Ramos v. Louisiana on Unanimous Juries (David Klein)13. Seila Law v. Consumer Finance Protection Bureau on Separation of Powers (Howard Schweber)14. Trump v. Mazars and Trump v. Vance on Presidential Subpoenas (Cornell Clayton and Joe Bolton)15. Ideology and the Court’s Work (Lawrence Baum)

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