Anarchism Monarchies Dictatorships Communism Democracy

Gr 9 Up—As a collection, these books cover their topics in depth, including historical global background on each type of government. They have balanced viewpoints that reference specific periods and current figures, such as Julian Assange, whose WikiLeaks site is "structured like an anarchist community." These types of examples bring the content into the here and now for students. The volumes are informative and succinct, without overloading readers with extraneous facts. That said, it would be most beneficial to have at least a basic understanding of the past two centuries of history in order to follow the delineation of the world leaders who exemplify the different types of governments. Monarchies are given a general global survey, with careful detail given to absolute versus constitutional varieties. The British monarchy is referenced throughout. The authors consistently discuss how any given type of government impacts that country's relationships with its neighbors and the world and investigate how it impacts the lives of its citizens, in both positive and negative ways. The material is up-to-the-minute and conveys the overall sense that governments are always in flux. Communism includes some interesting points on whether, and how, communism can survive the influx of capitalist elements, as is happening in China, and as was seen in the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Extensive source notes, a thorough "Quick Facts" section, a glossary, and intriguing photos round out the presentations.—Meredith Toumayan, The Governor's Academy, Byfield, MA