Best single book on ...

[danny la rouge]

Nobody's mentioned David Harveys delightful book on neoliberalism...

Great, but works best as a pair with the New Imperialism.

 

[danny la rouge]

2. best book on how parliament actually worked (covering the victorian era). I'm looking for things like the effect of parliamentary conventions and how the PM was chosen and how the gvt was changed.

The English Constitution by Bagehot. I hesitate to suggest it, really, as it's so obvious I wonder why you're not using it. Have I missed something?

(For more up-to-date, Paul Silk's How Parliament Works).

 

[butchersapron]

Great, but works best as a pair with the New Imperialism.

And neither of them are, in my opinion, the sort of thing asked for in the op, they are both just short outlines of one interpretation. I think to do what the op asked they must at least look at the competing theories. Which is not to knock either book.

 

[Idris2002]

Lots of good textbooks out there if you know where to look.

Thomas Hylland Eriksen's Small Place, Large Issues is available for free in quite a few places, if you want a basic intro to contemporary anthropology.

 

[danny la rouge]

And neither of them are, in my opinion, the sort of thing asked for in the op, they are both just short outlines of one interpretation. I think to do what the op asked they must at least look at the competing theories. Which is not to knock either book.

Agreed. In fact the title is A Brief History of Neoliberalism, suggesting it isn't intended as comprehensive.

 

[DaRealSpoon]

The evidence for man-made climate change ?

Simple version... honest

 

[toggle]

The English Constitution by Bagehot. I hesitate to suggest it, really, as it's so obvious I wonder why you're not using it. Have I missed something?

(For more up-to-date, Paul Silk's How Parliament Works).

can you throw in a bit more arrogance while you're at it - and I've just skimnmed through it, that's a long way from what i need

 

[danny la rouge]

can you throw in a bit more arrogance while you're at it - and I've just skimnmed through it, that's a long way from what i need

No arrogance intended. I literally meant that I hesitated to suggest it, as I was sure you'd be using it if it was what you were looking for.

The problems of communicating by text.

 

[YouSir]

Less a major subject more a tangent but anyone know of any essays or books that look at cultural and/or economic interaction between North and South America pre-Columbus? Assuming there was any.

 

[danny la rouge]

Less a major subject more a tangent but anyone know of any essays or books that look at cultural and/or economic interaction between North and South America pre-Columbus? Assuming there was any.

I don't know of any that deal with that as a main topic, but plenty that go into it to some degree. Guns, Germs and Steel, for one.

 

[YouSir]

I don't know of any that deal with that as a main topic, but plenty that go into it to some degree. Guns, Germs and Steel, for one.

Ah cheers, conveniently enough already on my reading list, will push it to the top and have a look.

 

[danny la rouge]

Ah cheers, conveniently enough already on my reading list, will push it to the top and have a look.

It's actually very good. Random, late of this parish, nudged me to finally read it. Like you, I hadn't got round to it.

 

[danny la rouge]

On the topic of the independence referendum, I'm currently reading Scotland’s Choices by McLean, Gallagher and Lodge. It promises to be what the OP required. I'll report back on whether it is.

 

[danny la rouge]

Anyone got a recommendation for the space race/Sputnik - Apollo?

 

[Idris2002]

Less a major subject more a tangent but anyone know of any essays or books that look at cultural and/or economic interaction between North and South America pre-Columbus? Assuming there was any.

I don't know the answer to that one, but I do know someone who does, and I've been in touch. . .

I haven't had a chance to read this yet, but it looks like it does what it says on the tin:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/100935361...gical-and-social-anthropological-perspectives

 

[toblerone3]

Simple version... honest

That's really cool. Only 52 pages in the main report. I will read it.

 

[Idris2002]

Less a major subject more a tangent but anyone know of any essays or books that look at cultural and/or economic interaction between North and South America pre-Columbus? Assuming there was any.

This is what my colleague - who works on the archaeology of the Incas - had to say in response to this question:

I can't say I know of any major works on the subject. Although it's an interesting topic, there's not much real evidence of direct long-distance contact between the two major regions. I know there was some stuff written on the spread of metal-working technology (like copper axe money, and maybe bronze technology), where you can see the obvious connections. But not much else - the general trend seems to be that cultural things spread gradually from neighboring group to neighboring group, and economic exchange was similarly down-the-line interaction between neighboring groups rather than conducted by long-distance traders.
So I can't really say much on the subject - long-distance connections was one of those things that people were excited about a few decades ago, but it seems not to have led to much, and people aren't really thinking about it currently.

 

[october_lost]

I was wondering if there are any good books, or articles and what have you, on the 2001 England riots?

 

[YouSir]

This is what my colleague - who works on the archaeology of the Incas - had to say in response to this question:

Cheers, appreciated. Reckon I've reached a dead end on that one then, found some other stuff about small finds but nothing which suggested any real contact.

 

[sihhi]

I was wondering if there are any good books, or articles and what have you, on the 2001 England riots?

Red Action Archive at the time and also the response to the 2002 election results with BNP has some good stuff.

Race & Class did an analysis of the sentencing received as a short booklet.

 

[toggle]

No arrogance intended. I literally meant that I hesitated to suggest it, as I was sure you'd be using it if it was what you were looking for.

The problems of communicating by text.

and me in the middle of a stress.

sorry.

 

[toggle]

On the topic of the independence referendum, I'm currently reading Scotland’s Choices by McLean, Gallagher and Lodge. It promises to be what the OP required. I'll report back on whether it is.

I'm looking a lot at some of the pro union debates surrounding the 1886 home rule crisis. what i'm seeing of the debate on scotland seems far too familiar

 

[danny la rouge]

and me in the middle of a stress.

sorry.

No problem.

 

[danny la rouge]

I'm looking a lot at some of the pro union debates surrounding the 1886 home rule crisis. what i'm seeing of the debate on scotland seems far too familiar

My report back on this book is that it definitely is not "the single best (as comprehensive and accurate as possible but accessible) book on [this subject] where the reader doesn't have to know anything about it before starting".

It is far too technical for a general readership (it spends whole chapters on things like vertical fiscal imbalance and horizontal fiscal equalisation). It's actually far more about devolution than independence, and spends a lot of time discussing devolution settlements that aren't on the table. (I can see the point in going into Calman and the Scotland Act 2012, because in effect that's what a No vote in the referendum will be a vote in favour of. But with it being called "Scotland's Choices", the choice between independence and Scotland Act 2012 would be enough). And it's far from comprehensive: you need to come to the book with a lot of background, and far from being about the key issues, it's actually about very technical aspects of different possible levels of devolution, most of which are not on offer.

So, while it's a (sometimes) interesting read for a nerd like me, it's really not going to inform the referendum debate on the streets. (Unless it turns it round in the last 45 pages...I'll report back).

 

[Idris2002]

Cheers, appreciated. Reckon I've reached a dead end on that one then, found some other stuff about small finds but nothing which suggested any real contact.

Not quite what you were looking for, but apparently there is some evidence of Mayan migration from what is now Mexico/Guatemala into the more northern regions of the continent;

http://westerndigs.blogspot.de/2013/06/earliest-use-of-chocolate-in-america.html

 

[shifting gears]

My knowledge of WW2 is embarrassingly patchy - so looking for recommended reading.

Must be a fair few essential tomes on such a labyrinthine subject!

 

[Dan U]

Anthony Beevor has a book about WW2 recently out. It's ebook and hardback only atm I think so if you want a paperback you'd have to wait.

Not read reviews yet as I am waiting for the paperback myself but he is generally pretty readable.

 

[Pickman's model]

My knowledge of WW2 is embarrassingly patchy - so looking for recommended reading.

Must be a fair few essential tomes on such a labyrinthine subject!

Total war tho dated would be a good start

 

[toggle]

My knowledge of WW2 is embarrassingly patchy - so looking for recommended reading.

Must be a fair few essential tomes on such a labyrinthine subject!

not quite what you're asking for but I was advised to use 'the world at war' tv series and the associated book as a starting point when i did undergrad courses on ww2.

 

[Roadkill]

My knowledge of WW2 is embarrassingly patchy - so looking for recommended reading.

Must be a fair few essential tomes on such a labyrinthine subject!

As toggle says, The World at War TV series is a good starting point. Brilliant series.

Books-wise, Andrew Roberts' The Storm of War is okay.