Globalization: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

Book Description

'Globalization' has become the buzz-word of our time. A growing number of scholars and political activists have invoked the term to describe a variety of changing economic, political, cultural, ideological, and environmental processes that are alleged to have accelerated in the last few decades. Rather than forcing such a complex social phenomenon into a single conceptual framework, Manfred Steger presents globalization in plain, readable English as a multifaceted process encompassing global, regional, and local aspects of social life. In addition to explaining the various dimensions of globalization, the author explores whether globalization should be considered a 'good' or 'bad' thing - a question that has been hotly debated in classrooms, boardrooms, and on the streets.

Customer Reviews:

Socialist rant against globalization and the free market.......2007-04-09

The book starts, ominously, with the author "deconstructing" (sic, comas and all) Bin Laden. It turns out the 9/11 attacks were all America's fault, for trying to force fed globalization into an unwanting world. The rest of the book continues in the same vein, with the author lambasting multinationals, neoliberals, the North, and above all evil Americans for all the worlds troubles. A mugshot of Bill Gates is included.

Steger has no grasp of economics whatsoever, so all his economic assumptions about the effects of globalization are totally wrong. The classical example is trying to demonstrate the widening gap between rich and poor countries without taking account of countries population size or PPP. With China growing at a rate of 10% this looks specially silly.

I strongly recommend Why Globalization Works (Yale Nota Bene) instead of this drivel.

Globalized Conservatism.......2006-09-01

Book was informative, this is a text book. The last two sections give seemingly unsupported statements, but tries to be balanced.

Excellent overview of globalization.......2006-06-03

Steger begins by defining the term "globalization": A "set of processes" (not a "condition") towards greater interdependence and integration among the various cultures of the world. He makes a point to emphasize that economics is only ONE aspect of globalization: there are also political, cultural and ideological aspects. Moreover, he dedicates one chapter to showing that globalization is by no means a NEW phenomenon: cultural exchanges can be traced back to the prehistoric period.

I found the chapter on the economic aspects of globalization (chapter 3) very useful. It explains the history and role of the IMF, WTO and the World Bank in the global economy. It also discusses the West's transition from "controlled economies" to "free market capitalism." Arguing that globalization is an uneven process, the author shows how it is having very different effects on the various regions of the world. This gives us a clear vision of some of the negative impacts of the new world economy, such as a larger gap between rich and poor nations. His realistic view of globalization is a nice antidote to the cheerleading of hyperglobalizers like Thomas Friedman.

The chapter on opposition to globalization (chapter 7) does an excellent job of explaining challenges that are coming from both the right and the left. The particularist protectionists (on the right) feel threatened by multiculturalism because they want to maintain a sort of cultural purity. This often leads to their rallying against immigration and appealing to nationalism. However, like the left, they also criticize the power of the corporate elite and the negative effects globalization is having on the average domestic worker (i.e., jobs going overseas, lower wages). In the US, Pat Buchanan is a good example of this view. The universalist protectionists (on the left) tend to criticize the poor working conditions of both domestic and foreign workers. In general, universalist protectionists "are concerned with protection of the environment, fair trade and international labor issues, human rights, and women's issues." Ralph Nader is an example of a universalist protectionst.

Overall, an excellent introduction to the various facets of one of the most important issues of our time.

Steger's Globalization a winner!.......2005-07-28

This little book is a concise and sophisticated and very readable account of a very significant process in the world today. It objectively examines the positive and negative consequences of the globalization process and intelligently evaluates it's role in world development. He also includes some very interesting statistics on a variety of economic statuses of particular countries and corporations.

Great Introduction to Globalization.......2005-02-08

This may be the best introduction to globalization that I have yet read. Steger very helpfully boils down the essence of globalization in understandable ways without reducing it to just one dimension of the complex process that globalization is. He also really helps define some crucial terms that will help make future discussions of globalization more coherent and clear. Particularly helpful is his distinction between globalization (the process of the intesification and expansion of global interconnections), globality (the condition brought about by the process of globalization) and globalism (the ideology that underwrites and legitimizes the current form of globalization). Steger also takes a good look at the multidimensional nature of globalization, examining it's economic, political, cultural and ideological aspects.

For it's size, there simply doesn't seem to be a better introduction to globalization. All throughout, the book is clear, informative and replete with resources for further study. There are also countless charts, quotes and statistics that help to concretize the points that Steger makes. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the nature of the emerging global economy and how it is shaping our lives.

Marx: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions X)

Average customer rating:

Publisher Notes:
not bad, but not good
An easy to follow introduction
A Little TOO Short
An almost ideal introduction to the subject.

Marx: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions X)
Peter Singer
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192854054

Book Description

Peter Singer identifies the central vision that unifies Marx's thought, enabling us to grasp Marx's views as a whole. He sees him as a philosopher primarily concerned with human freedom, rather than as an economist or a social scientist. He explains alienation, historical materialism, the economic theory of Capital, and Marx's ideas of communism, in plain English, and concludes with an assessment of Marx's legacy.

Customer Reviews:

Publisher Notes:.......2006-10-10

The Past Masters Series is a concise, lucid , aythoritative introduction to the thought of leading intellectual figures of the past whose ideas still influence the way we think today. ... sees Marx as a philosopher, rather than as an economist or social scientis. ' an admirably balanced portrait of the man and his achievement' says Philip Toynbee, Observer.

not bad, but not good.......2006-02-10

Very little of the text is devoted to analyzing Marx's most important work. For example, a total of one chapter (~30 pages) is devoted to Das Kapital, Marx's seminal work.

On the other hand, excessive attention is paid to unimportant aspects of Marx. For example, most of the book is spent analyzing Marx's philosophical background, his obscure earlier works, his philosophical predecessors (Hegel & Feuerbach), and the effects of his doctrines. The chapter devoted to Singer's mediocre economic analysis is as long as the chapter devoted to Das Kapital!

Although the book has some good material, that good material constitutes only ~30 pages.

An easy to follow introduction.......2005-04-13

I am doing an MA in political science and my professor screwed his nose up a bit when I showed him this, because Singer is not a name that one associates with Marxism. I bought it because I liked his anthology on Ethics so much. I must say that I don't agree with some of the conclusions that Singer draws in his assessment of Marxism at the end of the book, but his strength is his ability to write at a level that is easy to understand. He avoids jargon where possible and that in itself takes a lot of the mystery out of this stuff. I recommend this book as a good place to start when looking at Marx.

A Little TOO Short.......2005-02-28

I felt the later chapters of this book were well developed, but the first few chapters on how Marx developed his philosophy from Hegel's left me with more questions than answers. Overall, the book provides are decent foundation on which to critique Marx as a philosopher, social scientist, economist, etc. Singer brings up many common objections to Marxist thought, but he also presents Marx's ideas in a non-bias way and gives credit where he sees credit is due. I found the biography of Marx to be interesting along with the subtleties of his relationship with Engels. But in the end, I wish this book had been a little more detailed, especially with regards to Marx's early works and philosophy.

An almost ideal introduction to the subject........2003-08-22

Peter Singer's "Marx: A Very Short Introduction" is a superbly lucid and concise introduction to the subject of Marx and Marxism. Assuming the reader has no background in Marx's thought, Singer covers most of the important issues of Marxism and then assesses Marx's achievements and shortcomings in a refreshingly balanced manner.

What makes this book such a valuable introduction is Singer's clear understanding of what lies at the heart of Marxism: the issue of human freedom. Too many works on Marxism reduce it to a merely economic philosophy, which has the destruction of capitalism (and subsequent liberation of the world's workers) as its end. This is a gross misrepresentation of Marx's thought. Marx saw the destruction of capitalism and the establishment of a classless society as means toward the true end which he sought: the liberation of humanity from oppression and exploitation and a return to our true nature as creative, self-actualizing beings rather than mere laboring appendages to an economic machine. Marx envisioned a world in which humanity toiled with its individual and universal fulfillment as the goal, rather than a world in which a few grow rich while the many dig ditches or work in Asian sweatshops for Nike. Freedom, true freedom, was the purpose behind Marx's work and also his life.

Book Description

This innovative and lively book is quite unlike any other introduction to postcolonialism. Robert Young examines the political, social, and cultural after-effects of decolonization by presenting situations, experiences, and testimony rather than going through the theory at an abstract level. He situates the debate in a wide cultural context, discussing its importance as an historical condition, with examples such as the status of aboriginal people, of those dispossessed from their land, Algerian rai music, postcolonial feminism, and global social and ecological movements. Above all, Young argues, postcolonialism offers a political philosophy of activism that contests the current situation of global inequality, and so in a new way continues the anti-colonial struggles of the past.

Customer Reviews:

Helpful book........2006-11-05

This book is a general review of the postcolonial literature. It's realy easy to understand because the use of language is not complex and the concepts are very well explained. After rreading this book you will have the required knowledge to read a postcolonial piece of work. I recommend this book for someone who is reading postcolonial literature for the first time. :)

Unhelpful.......2006-08-18

I found this book very unhelpful. I agree with the reviewer Luiza about its shortcomings.

Political, Passionate, Engaging and Effective.......2006-06-05

In the introduction the author tells us that "Postcolonialism is about turning the world upside down and looking at it from a different perspective, that is, from the perspective of the disenfranchised people, a majority of whom come from the developing world" (2). The author then proceeds to show us the world from "their" eyes. His approach is unconventional; he presents "a montage" in which we see the bombing of Baghdad from an Iraqi's perspective, the plight of the homeless peasants in Brazil, the rape and torture of Algerians by the French in colonial Algeria, the forced unveilings of Muslim women under the American imposed Shah in Iran, the displacement of 200,000 Adivasi villagers because of the World Bank sponsored construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, the CIA's overthrow of Patrice Lumumba, the president of the newly liberated Congo, and mass starvation in countries with surpluses of food. These slices of the lives and struggles of the disenfranchised peoples make the reader feel their pain and suffering. We experience the injustices of the world and view the imposition of Western culture and values as a form of violence and oppression; we come to understand the Third World's ambivalent, if not hostile, feelings toward the West.

This may seem radical since the Western world prefers to ignore the harsh realties that exist in developing nations and within its own societies. The prosperous are taught that current systems (political and economic) promise equality, justice and prosperity for all and that our interventions overseas have been of a benevolent nature. Thus, by showing another perspective, a perspective in which all these ideas are turned upside down, may strike the uninitiated as subversive. But, that's precisely the point. Postcolonialism specifically seeks to subvert the West's understanding of itself (as good), of different cultures (as inferior) and of its relation to these cultures (as kind and beneficial). It argues that all understandings of historical relations, as well as all forms of knowledge, are inherently political as they authorize one group's view of reality over another's.

A previous reviewer claims that this work reads like a pamphlet. I think this is because it has an emotional impact on the reader, which can be particularly disconcerting for someone who has never seen the world from this perspective and is resistant to giving it any validity. But, this glimpse of the world through the eye's of the Westerner's Other is also what makes this introduction so unique and effective. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in becoming acquainted with this subject on an intellectual and emotional level. However, if you're looking for a critique of Postcolonialism, this is not the book for you.

A brilliant book--it could change your life.......2006-04-13

If you don't want to have any of your views challenged or at least put in question, then don't read this book. You can learn from this book: it tells you about a different world, which is probably not your own. If you just want someone to tell you about the world you already know, then there are many many other books around that do that. This book takes you on a journey of discovery around the earth, showing you what it looks like, how it feels, when the third world comes first, not last. It will be different, it may make you feel uncomfortable, you may feel that it is turning your world upside down, but its an amazing, positive and heartening experience you will never forget.

A pamphlet of the crudest sort.......2006-02-07

Entirely useless for those who need a quick, encyclopedia-like idea of what this multivalent word actually means. For a reader looking for what the series promises - an introduction - it appears as a confusing hodge-podge of quotes from works of fiction, information about Algerian rai music which the author raves about like a teenager, all-too-familiar diatribes about pet causes of Attac and their ilk (evil companies exploiting hapless Africans etc.). It drips with political correctness of a mind-numbingly simplistic sort, embraces the rallying cries of postcolonialism (as a political movement) without the slightest hint of distance or criticism or, indeed, without even as much as discussing the merits of the claims in question. This book is a pamphlet of the crudest sort, by no means a work of scholarship.

Machiavelli: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

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A beautifully clear written summary of the life and work
Too little about Machiavelli's context and influence
A superb brief introduction to a misunderstood thinker

Machiavelli: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
Quentin Skinner
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192854070

Book Description

Niccolo Machiavelli taught that political leaders must be prepared to do evil that good may come of it, and his name has been a byword ever since for duplicity and immorality. Is his sinister reputation deserved? In answering this question Quentin Skinner focuses on three major works, The Prince, the Discourses, and The History of Florence, and distils from them an introduction to Machiavelli's doctrines of exemplary clarity.

Customer Reviews:

A beautifully clear written summary of the life and work .......2005-02-24

This is one of the best written volumes in 'The Past Masters' series. Skinner tells the story of Machiavelli's life, and places the major works at the heart of the story. Machiavelli, the high- ranking diplomat, and representative of his native Florence does not write the great political works out of the air abstractly. It is through his diplomatic experience, through his witnessing the city- state wars in the Italy of his time that he comes to the startling political conclusions that he does. Skinner shows how only when Machiavelli had to retire against his will from the active life did he turn to write his masterpiece ' The Prince'. 'The Prince ' teaches the Machiavellan lessons about how the ruler must be swift in decision, ruthless in action , inspiring fear and respect in his subjects. It teaches those lessons of the meaning of ' virtu' of how it is ' the brave to whom Fortune is given'. And how the ruler must shun mercenaries, and foreign dependancies built a defense force of his own if he is to rule securely. Skinner describes Machiavelli's other important writings that too are devoted to questions of ruling. Even Machiavelli's last work ' On the Florentine Republic' considers the mistakes made by rulers which cost the city its independence- and what the true way toward ruling should be. Skinner does not sentimentalize Machiavelli and he shows how private immorality is sanctioned by him if it may lead to what for him is of supreme importance, the public good.
This is an extremely good introduction to one of the world's most important political thinkers.

Too little about Machiavelli's context and influence.......2004-10-17

This is a fine book if you want to see what someone very smart has to say about Machiavelli's major works. What I wanted, however, was to understand the context in which Machiavelli wrote, and I would have loved to get some information on how and why his ideas began to have influence beyond Florence. If you understand references to the founding of Rome, to 15th century Papal politics, and have a good grounding in Livy, this book is for you. If, like me, what you wanted from a introduction to Machiavelli was to have someone explain Machiavelli's context and allusions, look elsewhere.

A superb brief introduction to a misunderstood thinker.......2004-02-09

I first read this short introduction to Machiavelli about ten years ago, when it was a volume in the Oxford University Press Past Masters series. It has been resurrected in updated form to be a part of their Very Brief Introductions series. The changes are all to the good. Whereas the Past Masters edition was printed on cheap paper with a tendency to age and yellow, the new edition features updated bibliography, the addition of graphics, reset font, a sturdier binding and paper cover, and a much higher grade of paper. In everyway, this new volume is an improvement over the earlier edition.

Content wise, you couldn't ask for a better brief introduction to Machiavelli. Skinner is one of the great historians of political thought of this generation, and probably the finest. His knowledge of 16th and 17th century political thought is difficult to rival. He covers Machiavelli's political thought in loosely chronological fashion, blending the highpoints of his biography with longer expositions of his three great political works. There are four chapters in all. The first details some of Machiavelli's experience working as a diplomat for the Florentine republic. It was by observing many of the political leaders he dealt with that he gathered the ideas for the composition by which he is best known today, THE PRINCE. Chapter Two provides a brief sketch of the contents and argument of THE PRINCE, and it alone would justify the purchase of the book. Luckily, the book contains more, including an exposition of his DISCOURSES ON LIVY in Chapter Three. This chapter (and Machiavelli's book) should be of great interest to any American interested in the founding of the United States, because many of the Founders considered themselves students of Machiavelli, though not of THE PRINCE, but the discourses. Most of the Founders had a fascination with the Roman Republic, and in founding the United States sought to emulate many of its features. Much of their exposure to the Roman Republic came via Livy and through Machiavelli's book, which covers the first ten books of Livy's history of Rome. The final chapter covers the history of Florence that the Medici family commissioned him to write, a history that expresses a deeply ambivalent opinion about the value of principalities over republics.

Book Description

What is fascism? Is it revolutionary? Or is it reactionary? This book argues that it is both: fascism unleashes violence against the left and ethnic minorities, but also condemns the bourgeoisie for its 'softness'. Kevin Passmore opens his book with a series of 'scenes from fascist life' - a secret meeting of the Romanian Iron Guard; Mussolini meeting the king of Italy; a rally of Hungarian doctors calling for restrictions on the number of Jews entering the profession; the shooting of 1800 Jews by Reserve Police Battalion 101 at Jozefow in Poland in July 1942. He then looks at the paradoxes of fascism through its origins in the political and social crisis of the late nineteenth century, the history of fascist movements and regimes in Italy and Germany, and the fortunes of 'failed' fascist movements in Romania, Hungary and Spain. He shows how fascism used and uses propaganda and popular culture to propagate itself and how it exported its ideas outside Europe, through Nazi and Spanish post-war escape routes to Latin America, for instance. The book concludes with a discussion of the recent revival of the extreme right in Austria, Italy, France, and Russia.

Customer Reviews:

Good intro to a nebulous topic.......2007-08-08

The term "fascism" gets tossed around a lot. Passmore helps distinguish between groups with fascist elements (a sizable group) and "dyed-in-the-wool" fascists (few and far between, especially nowadays). This book would serve as a good primer to help enlighten discussion of comparative politics. Also, anyone engaging in political discourse would be well-served to use this text as a guidepost before hurling "fascist" accusations at commentators from the conservative side of the political spectrum.

This is a small yet powerful book.......2007-05-15

This is the first book on Fascism that I have read so far. I was curious about Fascism because it was the prevailing political and economic system in both Germany and Italy at the beginning of World War 2 and that war is one of my favorite reading subjects.

I found the book readable, detailed and, very clear. The book carries a lot of information for being only an introduction to Fascism. You will find out that Fascism is a broad term that, nonetheless, did not fully describe any system defined as such (fascist) in any of the countries where it is recognized that it took hold. Fascism is related to many concepts such as: corporatism, ultra nationalism, paramilitarism, anti-feminism, racism (or at least xenophobia), autarky, totalitarianism, rule by terror, messianic message, tight control of unions and labour, presence of both radical and conservative social and economic measures, cult of personality (of a strong, supreme leader), and bent on welfare and total employment for the "true" nationals. Sometimes it bordered on Paganism (as in Nazi Germany) and sometimes it was firmly bound to a religion (Catholicism in Franco's Spain and the Christian Orthodox Church in Romania).

The author also presents an outlook of the current political movements throughout Europe (mostly) that could be termed fascist like. This is indeed a thorough introduction to Fascism. Five stars for this book.

A Clear Overview of a Complex Subject.......2006-04-07

When one considers the ideology of fascism many notions and images spring to mind: totalitarianism, nationalism, ultranationalism, racism, oppression, censorship, violence, Nazism, Para militarism, right wing conservatism, radicalism, eugenics and the Holocaust. As Kevin Passmore suggests, Fascism is all these things and not these things, as it has a mercurial nature. In fact, "...fascism, as Ortega y Gasset says, is always `A' and not `A'." (p.11)

Passmore devotes most of this text to the inter-war years where fascism manifested in its most blatant forms. Although Mussolini and Hitler have been labelled or are the most famous fascists in modern history, their brand of fascism, however, and how they developed, are quite different. For the most part, fascism is multi-layered and complex, as it attracts all genders, and people from all classes and political sensibilities. To define this elusive term, the author has attempted to reveal the specific historical context in which fascism, in its various forms, raised its head - and from these studies, similarities can be made.

What are the common denominators inclusive to fascism? According to Passmore, its central purpose is national unity. However it is a national unity in the way "they" define it. He goes on to write that all "isms", that is to say, feminism, socialism, communism, capitalism etc., particularly for the ultranationalism form of fascism, are rejected wholesale, as the entire nation must conform to the one ideal. Most common to fascism is the desire to rid their particular country of all foreigners, to ensure all aspects of social and economic life are controlled. Immigration is stopped totally and immigrants are either persuaded to leave the country or, in the case of the Nazis, exterminated. Moreover, Passmore believes that Fascist social policy, for example, "...is consciously shaped by ultranationalism, political discrimination, and racism." (p. 150)

Fascism today, Passmore suggests, continues to exist in its many forms across the globe, however, these political parties choose not to call themselves fascist as the term has too many negative connotations. The author prefers to call the new fascists, "national-populism", as they are essentially the rise of the extreme right, included in such countries as France, Denmark, Austria and the United States. In France, the far-right party, the French National Front, focuses on the "foreign elements" and the advance of socialism, feminism and immigration. Whereas in the United States, nation populism has manifested in the form of "militias", white supremacist who are radically against government regulation or intervention of any kind.

Although a brief overview of fascism and its whys and hows, for the most part, it is clearly written, easily understood despite its complex subject matter, and a text that makes the reader want to investigate further.

A solid introduction to a surprisingly complex subject.......2005-11-27

Fascism is one of the more complex political movements of the past century and one of the more difficult to satisfyingly define. Philosophers sometimes seek the necessary and sufficient conditions for defining some term or concept. The problem with fascism is that while there are a number of necessary conditions, they are not in themselves sufficient in designating a movement as fascist. Fascism is always ultranationalistic, racist, and anti-liberal, but these are features it holds in common with a host of other right wing political movements. In the end, identifying a movement as fascist is more of an art than a science, akin to the famous definition of obscenity by U. S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart: "I know it when I see it." Kevin Passmore's fine book can help one know it when one sees a fascist movement.

It is important to understand this movement for a host of reasons, many of them historical but some of them contemporary. For instance, calling someone a fascist has become a commonplace of contemporary political vituperation. In the 2004 election I heard a number of people call Bush a fascist, and while he holds a few positions in common with fascism, they are in the end very few and the differences significant. Less understandably, I heard more than one right wing commentator call Kerry a fascist, which is beyond comprehension, since he does not espouse a single position that connects with what we understand as fascism. So we really do need to understand what it means when we properly identify someone as a fascist. Passmore's approach is primarily to discuss a host of national situations from a historical perspective that were at the time either self-identified as fascist or, in the wake of WW II and the utter discreditation of fascism, that share a significant number of features with pre-WW II fascism. Obviously this approach means discussing Italian and German fascism, but Passmore also spends a good amount of time on nations that will be unfamiliar to all but serious students of Eastern Europe, such as Romania.

The picture that gradually emerges of fascism is of a movement that is anti-modern, rascist, masculine and anti-feminist, corporatist, rabidly nationalistic, rural rather than urban, largely undemocratic, leans towards a dictatorship, tends to be anti-free market and at the same time anti-trade union, and paramilitary in nature. What can be bewildering is that not every incarnation of fascism can be characterized by all of these features. This is less true of pre-WW II fascism than post-war, when movements that are largely fascist have been forced to espouse democratic principles and even claim not to be racist. In the end, what one gains is not a crystal clear of what is or is not fascism, but a general impression of what might count as a fascist movement.

This is not a well-written book, which is the only complaint I would like to make about it. The structure is awkward and one chapter does not naturally flow into one another. There seems to be little rhyme or reason why one bit of the subject is dealt with in one part of the book and not another. Furthermore, Passmore never really states clearly what he sees as lying at the heart of fascism. I managed to figure out what he meant by typing out various identifying characteristics as I read through the text, but unless one undertakes some such exercise, one could end the book a bit confused about the whole matter. Had the book been more clearly structured, it would be a far more valuable introduction to the subject. In the end, one does get a good sense about fascism, but only if one is willing to work hard towards that end. The author doesn't help the reader as much as he might have. Nonetheless, I strongly recommend this book. Although we are unlikely to see the kind of fascist movements that we saw in the interwar years, it represents tendencies in political thinking that have never really disappeared and persist even today. We need to be sensitive to these tendencies and prepared to deal with them in the future.

From the Burning Ashes - The Phoenix Rises !!!.......2005-05-06

......and I think it is carrying a bundle of rods with an axe in the middle.

Oh, this guy is good. Now he has some weird quirks in his writing. He contradicts himself, has some flawed statements and weirdly connects the feminine and racial issues on an elementary level. Some jargon in this book is also incomprehensible. And, I bet $100 this guys a romanticist (far above his other personality levelers of realist and classicist creativity stabilizers - the three are balanced out in one way or another) - like for example Jean-Jacque Rousseau. I must also highly disagree with Steven Tooley (below) .... However, that of course is my opinion.

All right, all the above does not matter. ALL the time that I see crap like this, I automatically throw it out. Nevertheless, this guy comes up with some incredible insights and very original outlook and reasoning beyond even the above average humanities writer (he is a history lecturer at Cardiff - with some good horse sense of politics and philosophy). He also injects parts of history that other authors have not made of certain unique connections. He has totally analyzed this subject - Fascism - and gives you different and in-depth angles to look through. He takes you a cross "paths" that have never been crossed before.

Read this with tongue-in-check mentality. You can easily see and discard this nonsense. There is highly valuable information here. This person has made a (small) book of only 158 pages, but he jams it full of Great information on Fascism. I would have sworn, after reading this, that I had just finished a large book. There is no real filler here (except for the quirks mentioned above).

Oxford Press does it again - but the other "very short introductions" series are not as high of caliber as this is.

These three books will give you THE best insight on Fascism. No others come close to the brilliance of the material.

1) Fascism by Roger Griffin (edited by Roger Griffin) This is the best book on Fascism. There is no better way to truly understand something unless to go to the SOURCE(S).
2) Fascism A Very Short Introduction by Kevin Passmore
3) The Nature of Fascism edited by S.J. Woolf (NOT the book by R. Griffin on the same title)

In conclusion, Oxford University Press (UK) and the University of Chicago (USA) crank out some great books on political philosophy etc. Although, some of them are out of print. Alibris will get them for ya!

Politics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

Average customer rating:

Must read material!
Good overview, but not clear
A Masterful Primer on Politics!

Politics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
Kenneth Minogue
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192853880

Book Description

In this provocative but balanced essay, Kenneth Minogue discusses the development of politics from the ancient world to the twentieth century. He prompts us to consider why political systems evolve, how politics offers both power and order in our society, whether democracy is always a good thing, and what future politics may have in the twenty-first century.

Customer Reviews:

Must read material!.......2005-10-14

This is the first time that I read a book from the "Very Short Introductions" of the Oxford University Press and it sure made up for what it promised. A very well introduction on that abstract concept called politics.

Because it was such a small book, only 110 small pages, I expected a quick read, a snack for the hungry reader, something that you read in one zip. But that turned out to be a mistake. This is not an American style book, which tent to be somewhat gentler to the reader, but the English style, shorter and more to the point. But don't get me wrong, this is a very well written book and explains the many involved concepts and insights very well, in an incredible short amount of time.

The books starts by explaining what is not politics, despotism is not politics Minogue tells us and uses history to explain. How better to explain the nature of things by the history of it? He tells us about how the Greeks organized politics, how the Romans changed it and what kind of transformation the Christian idears changed our political culture into something we have today. As the history becomes more recent he starts to explain important political concepts as the modern state, political doctrine, the role of justice and morality. One of the last chapters in the book is about political ideology, which I found one of the best of the book. The book ends with the future of politics and describes the clash between ideology and politics.

As is inevitable in a book on politics, the writer him self has his own belief system he likes most and before I bought the book, I did some googling on the author. Minogue seems to be a English political conservative. But after reading the book, I can tell you that he never lowers him self to take cheap shots at non-conservative contemporary political parties. This is a very well balanced book that is most of all, non ideological in nature.

An other reviewer, criticizes the book because Minogue writes in one off the best chapters in his book: that ideology is the opposite of politics. Minogue argues that ideology is a closed belief system that brings solutions and that political doctrines are not, although enthusiast of some political doctrines can transform it into an ideology. The main distinction he says is that political doctrines, don't bring solutions but influence your decision that are based on options that reality gives you, but an ideology brings solutions, and that means that one's actions can be based on the belief system alone and can ignores the considerations that reality provides (The solution follows from the doctrine). Thus, it is a fine line between ideology and political doctrines political parties adhere. A fine line, that this other reviewer, does not even seem to recognize, although Minogue, does a very much better job in explaining these concepts than I just did!

This book was a delight to read! I highly recommend it!

Good overview, but not clear.......2004-05-20

This book suffers from its overall argument, which is that the notion of politics has been construed, expanded, and has therefore become meaningless. In Minogue's view, if everything from reading a poem to conducting a love affair is considered political, then politics ultimately becomes meaningless. Minogue suggests that the death of true politics is somewhat of a paradox. If politics becomes the micromanagement of social life, in his words: "Politics will have died, but everything will be politics" (p. 111). I do not necessarily disagree with this argument, but Minogue does not sufficiently explain what is wrong with the view that everything is political, and he does not sufficiently explain what true politics should be. Given that the book title is "A Very Short Introduction," it seems the author would explain the nature of politics in detail and what politics is or should be.

Minogue never really explains what politics is, and this becomes a problem throughout the book. In the last chapter and in one or two other places in the book, he mentions that politics has something to do with power, but he does not elaborate this point. In the beginning of the book he discusses the problems with despotism, but then later in the book (p. 106) he argues that despotism is opposed to politics. In my view, politics is ultimately about the issue of power, the power of how society should be organized, and how that power should be divided. In this sense, despotism is very much political, although it is not desirable, since political power is designated to one or very few people.

Minogue's lack of discussion of political power and his strange view of despotism as opposed to politics affects his discussion of democracy, or the lack of a discussion there of. As the publisher's book description points out, Minogue does discuss the history of politics and the history of political thought, but the thing he fails to do in this discussion is to explain the difference between ancient and modern democracy. The Ancient Greeks invented democracy, but how was their form of direct participatory democracy different than modern liberal representative democracy? Minogue never explains this. Since most Western governments are democratic, and since democracy is considered the ideal form of government, it would seem Minogue would spend more time on this topic.

One of the other problematic arguments that Minogue puts forward that may confuse the introductory student is his notion that "ideology challenges politics" (chapter 12). Although Minogue is considered an "expert" on ideology, I disagree with his view that ideology is opposed to politics and that ideology merely represents "dogmatic conviction." Minogue defines ideology as those systems of beliefs which are self-referential, and he only identifies Marxism, radical feminism, and anarchism as such systems. He suggests these systems are opposed to politics. In my view, ideology is very much a part of politics. Ideology represents the system of beliefs and world view in which we interpret reality and politics. In this sense, liberalism, Marxism, Fascism, feminism, Islam, Christianity, Zionism, etc. all represent ideologies. Minogue seems to think that it is possible to transcend ideology and view politics from an untainted and non-ideological standpoint. I would argue that such a view is ideological in itself, since we always interpret reality from some standpoint or position that most likely contains underlying reasons and a philosophical basis. Minogue may define ideology differently in his other books, but his discussion in this book is very limited and confusing.

Although Minogue certainly has a comprehensive understanding of political history and political thought, the overall argument of this book is much too ambitious, and it does not provide clear and thorough explanations that an introductory text requires.

A Masterful Primer on Politics!.......2002-11-28

Within a very short time, Oxford's Very Short Introduction series has established itself as among the best of its kind. And this installment by London School of Economics and Political Science emeritus professor, Ken Minogue, is no exception. If you've not had the pleasure of this urbane and learned scholar's company, then here is a fortunate substitute.

In a perfect outline of the field, Minogue covers the history of political thought from the ancients throught the moderns, enticing one to know more about the rise western civilization, "how we got here," and why peaceful societies must cultivate the art of politics. He then moves on to foreign relations, analytical methods, and modern democratic functional topics.

One gem of concision concerns politics as ideology and the difference it makes, the topic of which professor Minogue is quite simply the authority. If this moves you, then pick up his classic "The Liberal Mind," newly reissued--or else for a serious education, "Alien Powers: The Pure Theory of Ideology." Whether you want to grasp the seductive thrall that enraptures ideologists from Eric J. Hobsbawm to John Gray, or from historic communism to today's Islamism, "Alien Powers" is an essential guide to unmasking all pretense of knowledge.

Book Description

Do animals have moral rights? If so, what does this mean? What sorts of mental lives do animals have, and how should we understand welfare? By presenting models for understanding animals' moral status and rights, and examining their mental lives and welfare, David DeGrazia explores the implications for how we should treat animals in connection with our diet, zoos, and research. Animal Rights distinguishes itself by combining intellectual rigour with accessibility, offering a distinct moral voice with a non-polemical tone.

Customer Reviews:

Not readable - font too small.......2007-05-12

I returned this book because I could not read the tiny-tiny print (about 8 point Arial). The content of the book may be good but it requires very strong eyes to read it.

Animal Activists.......2004-05-03

Animal Activists may be interested int he following link:
http://www.peta2.com/ot/o-madetour.asp

Democracy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

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Democracy in Perspective

Democracy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
Bernard Crick
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 019280250X

Book Description

No political concept is more used, and misused, than that of democracy. Nearly every regime today claims to be democratic, but not all 'democracies' allow free politics, and free politics existed long before democratic franchises. This book is a short account of the history of the doctrine and practice of democracy, from ancient Greece and Rome through the American, French, and Russian revolutions, and of the usages and practices associated with it in the modern world. It argues that democracy is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for good government, and that ideas of the rule of law, and of human rights, should in some situations limit democratic claims.

Customer Reviews:

Democracy in Perspective.......2003-02-16

Democracy is spoken of as the panacea for the world's woes. Fukuyama's END OF HISTORY seemed to operate just on this premise. Crick's book focuses on democracy's historical evolution, its polyvalent adaptations and its transformation into republicanism. Following his essay from Greece to Rome to American and European democracy, we see how democracy is not necessarily another way of saying just and/or good politics. Most interesting are the final chapters on the conditions needed for a democratic polity and the responsibilities of the individual in a system of democratic citizenship. He ends with a nice quote from Reinhold Niebuhr, "Man's inclination to justice makes democracy possible; but man's capacity for injustice makes it necessary."

Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

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Excellent but omits ecological challenges
Thought Provoking

Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
James Fulcher
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192802186

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What is capitalism? Is capitalism the same everywhere? Is there an alternative? The word 'capitalism' is one that is heard and used frequently, but what is capitalism really all about, and what does it mean? The book begins by addressing basic issues such as 'what is capital?' before discussing the history and development of capitalism through three detailed and absorbing case studies ranging from the tulipomania of seventeenth-century Holland to the recent Enron crisis in America. Fulcher addresses important present day issues, such as New Labour's relationship with capitalism, the significance of global capitalism, and distinctive national models of capitalism. He also explores whether capital has escaped the nation-state by going global, emphasizing that globalizing processes are not new. He discusses the crisis tendencies of capitalism, such as the Southeast Asian banking crisis, the collapse of the Russian economy, and the 1997- 1998 global financial crisis, and asks whether capitalism is doomed. The book ends by asking whether there is an alternative to capitalism, discussing socialism, communal and cooperative experiments, and the alternatives proposed by environmentalists.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent but omits ecological challenges.......2006-03-13

This was the first book I read in the "Very Short Introduction" series. I was surprised by how substantial it is. It also seems quite balanced. References, suggestions for further reading and a 5 page index are included.

My overall impression is how strong capitalism is world-wide. That supports Fulcher's conclusion that reform must take place within capitalism rather than seeking a replacement for capitalism. However, when Fulcher writes that a "search for an alternative to capitalism is fruitless ... and no final crisis is in sight, or, short of some ecological catastrope, even really conceivable", how improbable is that ecological catastrophe?

As the globe warms and the oceans die, will the rich hold out expecting to be able to use their wealth to make their lives bearable as the rest of us suffer? Just how will capitalism respond to a growing pressure for sustainability? By not exploring the ecological challenges to capitalism, Fulcher has indeed introduced capitalism but not addressed its fate and ours later in this century. Although this is a "very short introduction", Michael Newman's "Socialism: A Very Short Introduction" and Colin Ward's "Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction" do address the ecological issue. Even if socialism and anarchism seem improbable and reform is possible within capitalism, it would have been useful to hear Fulcher's impression of whether and how capitalism might address the challenge of ecological sustainability.

Thought Provoking.......2004-12-26

Teaching capitalism in today's world is like describing water to a fish; we are surrounded by it, can't live without it and are unaware of the alternatives. Most have never experienced the depression, many have forgotten the days when communism was actually a threat. We are blind to the absolutely crucial nature of how our world works. Although we watched the stock market plummet in 1987 and have all learned valuable lessons from the internet boom & bust, I picked up this book because I wanted to know a bit more about how the scholars view capitalism.

The book takes the reader through a history of capitalism while briefly summarizing everything you forgot from college economics. While the discussion of the development of capitalism focused on some interesting questions of historical interpretation, the strength of this work is the description and analysis of how the capitalistic system works differently in different countries.

The power of capitalism is set forth as its ability to adapt. Where other systems--feudalism, communism, socialism, etc--failed was that they could not adapt to change. The book was an excellent overview; it was current, easy to read, and contains a fine list of resources for further study.

Ideology: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

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A Mature Perspective on Ideology

Ideology: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
Michael Freeden
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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ASIN: 019280281X

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Ideology is one of the most controversial terms in the political vocabulary, exciting both revulsion and inspiration. This book examines the reasons for those views, and explains why ideologies deserve respect as a major form of political thinking. It investigates the centrality of ideology both as a political phenomenon and as an organizing framework of political thought and action. It explores the changing understandings of ideology as a concept, and the arguments of the main ideologies. By employing the latest insights from a range of disciplines, the reader is introduced to the vitality and force of a crucial resource at the disposal of societies, through which sense and purpose is assigned to the political world.

Customer Reviews:

A Mature Perspective on Ideology.......2006-02-08

This is an extremely useful introduction to the topic of ideology in a congenial format. Don't be misled by the subtitle, "A Very Short Introduction." The Oxford Press very-short-introduction series summarizes scholarship in salient areas without dumbing the material down. I have used these little books in graduate seminars to supplement more specific readings. They make it possible for readers new to an area to get their bearings fairly quickly and make informed choices about future reading.
As to this particular title, Freeden performs a number of valuable services. One is to dispel the idea that the term "ideology" is a pejorative label for unsavory thinking. This approach, all too common among prominent American sociologists in the 1950s and 1960s, inhibits any mature understanding of the role of ideologies in social, economic, and political contexts. All understandings of reality are mediated understandings, influenced by our socioecnomic circumstances and histories. We do not have the choice of seeing our surroundings "as they really are," whatever that may mean. In a confusing world, Freeden points out, ideology allows human beings to assign meaning to otherwise disconnected experiences. It is ubiquitous and unavoidable.
Freeden also offers a very competent review of the important literature and main theoretical approaches to this subject. In addition to the standard references to Mannheim, Gramsci, and Geertz, he discusses the work of hermaneuticists such as Paul Ricoeur, conceptual historians like Reinhart Koselleck, discourse theorists such as Foucault, and post Marxists such as Laclau and Mouffe. If you are interested in the topic, but don't want to waste your time flailing around, trying to separate the intellectual wheat from the chaff, this book would be a good starting point.

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