University Reading List (politcal books). Any recommended additions?

[DblBarrelJ]

Everything you have listed is pretty serious stuff, but I would strongly recommend:

Steal This Book - Abbie Hoffman

I also recommend reading these books, just to say you've done it:

Mein Kampf - Adolf Hitler
The Bible
The Quran
Anarchists cookbook
The Prince - Machiavelli
The Art Of War - Sun Tzu

Often, these books are quoted, and if you've read them and can speak to the context of the original quote, you can often counter BS that comes from these works.

[boracay]

Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic by Chalmers Johnson

[moorobot]

I agree that Locke is overrated; unfortunately his work is often used in political science departments. A summary of the 2nd treatise and Letter...Toleration probably will suffice.

[JJSCOTT2]

Idiot's Guide to Spelling and Grammar

But seriously....

Under the section for Philosophy I see you already have some Peter Singer which I think is pretty good stuff. I also enjoyed his "Practical Ethics" and "Companion to Ethics". The latter is sort of a collection of pieces on different moral philosophies and is very good.

[One Outer]

You're studying political science, right? I majored in political science in college, but in the United States.

All the Hagel can come off. I would take off all the anarchist stuff too; it's just irrelevant and silly. Vorlander, Friedman, Hitchens and the whole religion section can all go.

Before you go hog wild buying classical theory like Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau or Machiavelli there is a reader that has all the most relevant stuff in it, Classics of Modern Political Theory, Steven M. Cahn, ed. Buy that before you spend way more money on all that stuff individually.

Freakonomics is a great book, but I'm skeptical about how useful it would be academically. Of course, read it anyway! The Ackerman book is very good, and very relevant. I think you should also read The Racial Contract by Charles Mills.

I don't see anything about comparative politics on the list. Unless your education is going to be heavily tilted towards theory you should probably read at least one comparative book. Huntington's Clash of Civilizations is probably a good place to start, imperfect as it is.

[zasterguava]

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You're studying political science, right?

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No, its just Politics but with the options of economics, science etc. as modules.

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I would take off all the anarchist stuff too; it's just irrelevant and silly

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There is a core module on Anarchism and my plan is to do my dissertation on a specific element within anarchism.

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but reading Hegel directly is tough.

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Yeah, I will get Singer, Peter, 2001. Hegel: A Very Short Introduction first and see how interesting I find it.

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would suggest, in order of importance:

Growing Public, Peter Lindert (empirical/political economy)
States and Markets (A Primer in Political Economy, Adam Przeworski
Hierarchy in the Forest, Boehm
Evolution of Cooperation, Axelrod
Blank Slate, Pinker

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Thanks, I already have Black State but will look into the others. Will definitely get "Evolution of Cooperation, Axelrod".

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The Federalist Papers
Machiavelli's Discourses
Collected Works of Isaiah Berlin
Maybe the Analects and the writing of Han Fei-tzu?

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Thanks, I have the Federalist Papers on my computer somewhere. Have added Collected Works of Isaiah Berlin.

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The Machinery of Freedom by David Friedman

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Added.

[JJSCOTT2]

Just wanted to add that the Axelrod book is fantastic.

[Roland32]

The Lexis and the Olive Tree, Thomas Friedman

The Assault on Reason, Al Gore


MOST IMPORTANTLY

Clash of Civilizations, Samuel Huntington

[xorbie]

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Clash of Civilizations, Samuel Huntington

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Should probably get some of the opposing view points represent as well, since Clash of Civilizations view/hypothesis is widely contested AFAIK.

edit: Read Fukuyama's "End of History" to see where "Clash of Civ" comes from and a few responses at least.