Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Ideology
The Communist Manifesto
by Karl Marx
A treatise on the fundamental principles of communism, and its role in society.
A rousing call to arms whose influence is still felt today Originally published on the eve of the 1848 European revolutions, The Communist Manifesto is a condensed and incisive account of the ... (Goodreads)
The Origins of Totalitarianism
by Hannah Arendt
Analysis of the rise of totalitarian regimes in Europe, and their consequences for the modern world.
Hannah Arendt's definitive work on totalitarianism and an essential component of any study of twentieth-century political history The Origins of Totalitarianism begins with the rise of anti-Semitism ... (Goodreads)
النباهة والاستحمار (الآثار الكاملة، #13(
by Ali Shariati
بين طيات هذا الكتاب سلسلة خطابات ألقاها الدكتور "علي شريعتي" في قاعة "حسينية الإرشاد" بطهران سجلت على أشرطة، ثم نقلت كتابة على الورق، بدون تغيير أو تطويل أو تقصير أو تقديم أو تأخير، فجمعت دفتي كتاب ... (Goodreads)
The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements
by Eric Hoffer
A philosophical analysis of the psychology behind mass movements and their leaders, exploring the motivations and behaviors of true believers.
A stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s, Eric Hoffer wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards. The True Believer – the first and most famous of ... (Goodreads)
Complicity
by Iain Banks
A man's investigation into a murder, exposing a web of government conspiracies.
Colley is a " Gonzo journalist " with an amphetamine habit, living in Edinburgh. He also smokes cigarettes and cannabis , drinks copious amounts of alcohol , plays computer games, and has adventurous ... (Wikipedia)
The Abolition of Man
by C.S. Lewis
Argument against the corrosive effects of modern society on morality and values.
Alternative cover for ISBN: 978-0060652944 The Abolition of Man, Lewis uses his graceful prose, delightful humor, and keen understanding of the human mind to challenge our notions about how to best ... (Goodreads)
The State and Revolution
by Vladimir Lenin
Exploring the idea of a socialist state, and the role of the working class in revolution.
1917-ci ilin avqust-sentyabr aylarında yazılan yaradıcı marksizmin bu görkəmli əsəri – “Dövlət və inqilab” dövlət nəzəriyyəsinin öz dərinliyi və əhatəliliyi cəhətdən misilsiz elmi şərhidir, ... (Goodreads)
Atlas Shrugged
by Ayn Rand
A tale of a dystopian future where the strongest minds take control of society.
This is the story of a man who said that he would stop the motor of the world and did. Was he a destroyer or the greatest of liberators? Why did he have to fight his battle, not against his enemies, ... (Goodreads)
For Whom the Bell Tolls
by Ernest Hemingway
A soldier's story of courage and survival in the Spanish Civil War.
The novel graphically describes the brutality of the Spanish Civil War. It is told primarily through the thoughts and experiences of the protagonist, Robert Jordan. It draws on Hemingway's own ... (Wikipedia)
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
by Jon Krakauer
An exploration of the fundamentalist Mormon faith, its history, and the power of religious extremism.
A Story of Violent Faith A multilayered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, savage violence, polygamy, and unyielding faith. This is vintage Krakauer, an utterly compelling work of ... (Goodreads)
Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty
by Abhijit V. Banerjee
Examines global poverty from economic, social and political perspectives and offers strategies to reduce it.
Winner of the 2011, Financial Times,/Goldman Sachs Best Business Book of the Year Award Billions of government dollars, and thousands of charitable organizations and NGOs, are dedicated to helping ... (Goodreads)
An Enemy of the People
by Henrik Ibsen
A doctor confronts a public scandal, challenging expectations of morality and justice.
In An Enemy of the People , Ibsen places his main characters, Dr. Thomas Stockman, in the role of an enlightened and persecuted minority of one confronting an ignorant, powerful majority. When the ... (Goodreads)
The Butlerian Jihad
by Brian Herbert
A space-faring adventure of galactic civil war and the battle against an oppressive force.
The Butlerian Jihad introduces a generation of characters whose families will later become the most significant in the universe: the Atreides , the Corrinos and the Harkonnens . Serena Butler , ... (Wikipedia)
Them: Adventures with Extremists
by Jon Ronson
Exploration of extreme political and fringe groups by an inquisitive journalist.
Ronson chronicles his travels and interviews with "extremists" and attempts to uncover the mystery behind the "tiny elite that rules the world from inside a secret room". The book is written on the ... (Wikipedia)
Art in Theory, 1900–2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas
by Charles Harrison
A comprehensive collection of writings on art theory and criticism from the 20th century, exploring the evolution of artistic ideas and movements.
This popular anthology of twentieth-century art theoretical texts has now been expanded to take account of new research, and to include significant contributions to art theory from the 1990s. New ... (Goodreads)
The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple
by Jeff Guinn
A deep dive into the history of the Peoples Temple and the life of its leader, Jim Jones.
2018 Edgar Award Finalist—Best Fact Crime “A thoroughly readable, thoroughly chilling account of a brilliant con man and his all-too vulnerable prey” ( The Boston Globe )—the definitive story of ... (Barnes & Noble)
Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison
by Michel Foucault
Examines the emergence of the modern prison system and its effects on society.
Librarian note: an alternate cover for this edition can be found, here,. Barely two hundred and fifty years ago a man condemned of attempting to assassinate the King of France was drawn and quartered ... (Goodreads)
The Second World War
by Antony Beevor
A comprehensive history of the Second World War, covering all major theaters of war and the impact on civilians.
A masterful and comprehensive chronicle of World War II, by internationally bestselling historian Antony Beevor. Over the past two decades, Antony Beevor has established himself as one of the world's ... (Goodreads)
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
by Jonathan Haidt
Exploring the underlying moral foundations of political and religious beliefs and how they shape our views.
An alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780307377906 can be found, here., Why can’t our political leaders work together as threats loom and problems mount? Why do people so readily assume the worst about ... (Goodreads)
The Fifties
by David Halberstam
A comprehensive history of the United States during the 1950s, exploring the cultural, political, and social changes of the era.
The Fifties is a sweeping social, political, economic, and cultural history of the ten years that Halberstam regards as seminal in determining what our nation is today. Halberstam offers portraits of ... (Barnes & Noble)
Letters to a Young Contrarian
by Christopher Hitchens
A collection of essays offering philosophical reflections on society and the power of dissent.
From bestselling author and provocateur Christopher Hitchens, the classic guide to the art of principled dissent and disagreement In Letters to a Young Contrarian , bestselling author and world-class ... (Goodreads)
Submission
by Michel Houellebecq
A French professor's struggle to come to terms with the growing power of an extreme right-wing political party.
In 2022, François, a middle-aged literature professor at Paris III and specialist in Huysmans , feels he is at the end of his sentimental and sexual lives – composed largely of year-long liaisons ... (Wikipedia)
The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility, and Other Writings on Media
by Walter Benjamin
Reflection on the impact of technology on art, culture and society.
Benjamin’s famous 'Work of Art' essay sets out his boldest thoughts–on media and on culture in general--in their most realized form, while retaining an edge that gets under the skin of everyone who ... (Goodreads)
Day of the Oprichnik
by Vladimir Sorokin
A dystopian novel set in a futuristic Russia where the Oprichniks, a group of state-sponsored thugs, terrorize the population.
The novel begins with protagonist Andrei Komiaga dreaming of a white stallion, a recurrent symbol of freedom that progressively slips away from the Oprichnik (the real Oprichniks of the 16th century ... (Wikipedia)
Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape
by Jenna Miscavige Hill
True story of a woman's escape from the oppressive and dangerous world of Scientology.
Jenna Miscavige was raised to obey. As niece of the Church of Scientology's leader David Miscavige, she grew up at the center of this controversial organization. At 21, she made a break, risking ... (Goodreads)
Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle
by Chris Hedges
A scathing critique of American culture, exposing the dangers of a society obsessed with entertainment and spectacle over critical thinking and literacy.
We now live in two Americas. One - now the minority - functions in a print-based, literate world that can cope with complexity and can separate illusion from truth. The other - the majority - is ... (Goodreads)
Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media
by Edward S. Herman
Critique of mass media and its role in shaping public opinion.
In this pathbreaking work, Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky show that, contrary to the usual image of the news media as cantankerous, obstinate, and ubiquitous in their search for truth and defense ... (Goodreads)
I Married a Communist
by Philip Roth
A story of a man's rise to fame and political power, and the impact it has on his relationships and personal life.
I Married a Communist is the story of the rise and fall of Ira Ringold, a big American roughneck who begins life as a teenage ditch-digger in 1930s Newark, becomes a big-time 1940s radio star, and is ... (Goodreads)
The Joke
by Milan Kundera
A reflection on the nature of humor, and the consequences of a single joke.
The novel is composed of many jokes, which have strong effects on the characters. The story is told from the four viewpoints of Ludvik Jahn, Helena Zemánková, Kostka, and Jaroslav. Jaroslav's joke is ... (Wikipedia)
Talking to My Daughter About the Economy: or, How Capitalism Works—and How It Fails
by Yanis Varoufakis
A renowned economist explains the complexities of capitalism and its failures in a conversational manner to his daughter.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, In, Talking to My Daughter About the Economy, activist Yanis Varoufakis, Greece’s former finance minister and the author of the international ... (Barnes & Noble)
Debt: The First 5,000 Years
by David Graeber
A history of money and debt, exploring the roots of our current financial system.
Before there was money, there was debt Every economics textbook says the same thing: Money was invented to replace onerous and complicated barter systems—to relieve ancient people from having to haul ... (Goodreads)
Killing Jesus: A History
by Bill O'Reilly
A detailed account of the life and death of Jesus Christ and the events that led up to it.
Millions of readers have thrilled to bestselling authors Bill O'Reilly and historian Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln , page-turning works of nonfiction that have changed the way ... (Goodreads)
On Beauty
by Zadie Smith
A story of two families, their struggles with identity, race, and class, and the beauty that can be found in unexpected places.
On Beauty centres on the story of two families and their different yet increasingly intertwined lives. The Belsey family consists of university professor Howard, a white Englishman; his ... (Wikipedia)
Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World
by Liaquat Ahamed
An exploration of the economic decisions of four central bankers that changed the course of history.
The book discusses the personal histories of the four heads of the Central Banks of the United States, Great Britain, France, and Germany, and their efforts to steer the world economy from the period ... (Wikipedia)
Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda
by Noam Chomsky
A critical analysis of the media's role in shaping public opinion and promoting government propaganda.
Noam Chomsky’s backpocket classic on wartime propaganda and opinion control begins by asserting two models of democracy—one in which the public actively participates, and one in which the public is ... (Goodreads)
The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity
by Nancy Gibbs
An inside look at the relationships between US presidents, from Truman to Obama, and how they have shaped American history.
The Presidents Club, established at Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration by Harry Truman and Herbert Hoover, is a complicated place: its members are bound forever by the experience of the Oval Office and ... (Barnes & Noble)
World Order
by Henry Kissinger
A comprehensive analysis of global politics and the dynamics of international relations.
Henry Kissinger offers in World Order a deep meditation on the roots of international harmony and global disorder. Drawing on his experience as one of the foremost statesmen of the modern ... (Goodreads)
An Instance of the Fingerpost
by Iain Pears
A murder mystery spanning four centuries and four perspectives, uncovering secrets of the past.
An ingenious tour de force: an utterly compelling historical mystery with a plot that twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing until the very last page. We are in England in the 1660s. Charles ... (Goodreads)
Bleeding Edge
by Thomas Pynchon
A darkly comedic murder mystery set in a tech-driven New York City.
Thomas Pynchon brings us to New York in the early days of the internet It is 2001 in New York City, in the lull between the collapse of the dot-com boom and the terrible events of September 11th. ... (Goodreads)
Life and Fate
by Vasily Grossman
An emotionally charged exploration of the Soviet Union during World War II and the power of fate.
The novel at heart narrates the history of the family of Viktor Shtrum and the Battle of Stalingrad . It is written, despite attempting to get away from it, in the socialist realist style, which can ... (Wikipedia)
The Future of an Illusion
by Sigmund Freud
Freud's critique of religion as a human construct, born out of fear and wishful thinking, and its impact on society.
In the manner of the eighteenth-century philosopher, Freud argued that religion and science were mortal enemies. Early in the century, he began to think about religion psychoanalytically and to ... (Goodreads)
The Third Reich
by Roberto Bolaño
A collection of short stories exploring the lives of Nazi sympathizers and war criminals, revealing the dark underbelly of the Third Reich.
The novel concerns Udo Berger, a German wargame champion, who returns with his girlfriend Ingeborg to the small town on the Costa Brava where he spent the summers of his childhood. When one of his ... (Wikipedia)
The Wave
by Todd Strasser
A high school teacher's experiment to illustrate the dangers of authoritarianism spirals out of control.
The setting of the book is Gordon High School in Spring 1969. The plot revolves around a history teacher Mr. Ben Ross, his high school students, and an experiment he conducts in an attempt to teach ... (Wikipedia)
Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?
by Mark Fisher
Critique of late capitalism, exploring the oppressive power of neoliberalism.
After 1989, capitalism has presented itself as the only realistic political-economic system. What effects has this “capitalist realism” had on work, culture, education and mental health? Is it ... (Goodreads)
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right
by Arlie Russell Hochschild
An exploration of the deep story of the American Right, uncovering the feelings and motivations that drive it.
In Strangers in Their Own Land , the renowned sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild embarks on a thought-provoking journey from her liberal hometown of Berkeley, California, deep into Louisiana bayou ... (Goodreads)
Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History
by Katy Tur
A journalist's firsthand account of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, from the campaign trail to the White House.
A New York Times Bestseller “Compelling… this book couldn’t be more timely.” – Jill Abramson,, New York Times Book Review, Called "disgraceful," "third-rate," and "not nice" by Donald Trump, NBC News ... (Barnes & Noble)
Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall
by Spike Milligan
A humorous memoir of Spike Milligan's experiences as a soldier during World War II, including his encounters with Adolf Hitler.
Adolf Hitler: My Part on His Downfall is volume One of Spike Milligan's outrageous, hilarious, legendary War Memoirs. 'At Victoria station the R.T.O. gave me a travel warrant, a white feather and a ... (Goodreads)
We the Living
by Ayn Rand
Epic story of survival and defiance in Stalinist Russia.
The story takes place from 1922 to 1925, in post- revolutionary Russia . Kira Argounova, the protagonist of the story, is the younger daughter of a bourgeois family. An independent spirit with a will ... (Wikipedia)
Paris, 1919: Six Months that Changed the World
by Margaret MacMillan
An account of the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and its lasting effects on the modern world.
'Without question, Margaret MacMillan's Paris 1919 is the most honest and engaging history ever written about those fateful months after World War I when the maps of Europe were redrawn. Brimming ... (Goodreads)
The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice
by Christopher Hitchens
A critical examination of the life and works of Mother Teresa, exploring her motivations and impact.
Among his many books, perhaps none have sparked more outrage than The Missionary Position , Christopher Hitchens's meticulous study of the life and deeds of Mother Teresa. A Nobel Peace Prize ... (Goodreads)
The Crowd
by Gustave Le Bon
Analysis of crowd behavior, exploring the psychological and social implications of collective action.
يرى المؤلف أن الجماهير لا تعقل، فهي ترفض الأفكار أو تقبلها كلا واحداً، من دون أن تتحمل مناقشتها. ومايقوله لها الزعماء يغزو عقولها سريعاً فتتجه إلى أن تحوله حركة وعملاً، ومايوحي به إليها ترفعه إلى ... (Goodreads)
Postmodernism or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism
by Fredric Jameson
A critical analysis of postmodernism as a cultural phenomenon and its relationship with late capitalism.
Now in paperback, Fredric Jameson’s most wide-ranging work seeks to crystalize a definition of ”postmodernism”. Jameson’s inquiry looks at the postmodern across a wide landscape, from “high” art to ... (Goodreads)
FDR
by Jean Edward Smith
Biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his legendary leadership during the Great Depression and WWII.
One of today’s premier biographers has written a modern, comprehensive, indeed ultimate book on the epic life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In this superlative volume, Jean Edward Smith combines ... (Goodreads)
The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths
by Michael Shermer
Investigates the science behind why we believe in things, from religion to conspiracy theories, and how our brains reinforce those beliefs.
The Believing Brain, is bestselling author Michael Shermer's comprehensive and provocative theory on how beliefs are born, formed, reinforced, challenged, changed, and extinguished. In this work ... (Goodreads)
Coolidge
by Amity Shlaes
Biography of Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, and his conservative policies that led to economic prosperity.
Calvin Coolidge, who served as president from 1923 to 1929, never rated highly in polls. The shy Vermonter, nicknamed "Silent Cal," has long been dismissed as quiet and passive. History has ... (Goodreads)
Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science
by Charles Wheelan
An exploration of economics and its influence on everyday life.
International bestseller "Clear, concise, informative, [and] witty." — Chicago Tribune At last! A new edition of the economics book that won’t put you to sleep. In fact, you won’t be able to put this ... (Barnes & Noble)
Inside The Third Reich
by Albert Speer
Memoir of a Nazi Germany official, offering a unique perspective on Hitler's reign.
Written by Hitler's Minister of Armaments and War Production, the man who kept Germany armed and the war machine running even after Hitler's mystique had faded, this memoir gives us as complete a ... (Goodreads)
Mein Kampf
by Adolf Hitler
Autobiographical manifesto outlining Hitler's beliefs, political ideology and plans for Germany.
Alternate cover edition of this book . Madman, tyrant, animal—history has given Adolf Hitler many names. In Mein Kampf ( My Struggle ), often called the Nazi bible, Hitler describes his life, ... (Goodreads)
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