Thomas Sowell takes aim at a range of legal, social, racial, educational, and economic issues in this latest collection of his controversial, never boring, always thought-provoking essays. From "gun control myths" to "mealy mouth media" to "free lunch medicine," Sowell gets to the heart of the matters we all care about with his characteristically unsparing candor.

Written in Paris in the early 1950s, this book created instant controversy in its analysis of modern society that had allowed itself to be hypnotized by socio-political doctrines, and to accept totalitarian terror on the strength of a hypothetical future.

After 20 years of freedom in South Africa we have to ask ourselves difficult questions: are we willing to perpetuate a lie, search for facts or think wishfully? Freedom has been enabled by apartheid's end, but at the same time some of apartheid's key institutions and social relations are reproduced under the guise of 'democracy'. This collection of essays acknowledges the enormous expectations placed on the shoulders of the South African revolution to produce an alternative political regime in response to apartheid and global neo-liberalism. It does not lament the inability of South Africa's democracy to provide deeper freedoms, or suggest that since it hasn't this is some form of betrayal. Freedom is made possible and/or limited by local political choices, contemporary global conditions and the complexities of social change. This book explores the multiplicity of spaces within which the dynamics of social change unfold, and the complex ways in which power is produced and reproduced. In this way, it seeks to understand the often non-linear practices through which alternative possibilities emerge, the lengthy and often indirect ways in which new communities are imagined and new solidarities are built. In this sense, this book is not a collection of hope or despair. Nor is it a book that seeks to situate itself between these two poles. Instead it aims to read the present historically, critically and politically, and to offer insights into the ongoing, iterative and often messy struggles for freedom.

'Any student undertaking a politics degree at graduate level will find this book an indispensible introduction to the subject they are approaching and it will also be useful for teachers seeking to orientate themselves within the discipline as a whole. This is particularly true because of the supporting detail the book provides and the way it links up technical exposition to fundamental philosophical questions. From a student point of view it does not shrink from providing useful practical tips on how to present and publish research results and how to check out established themes with new data. This is a book which political scientists at all levels will benefit from reading. It should also stimulate them to take a fresh look both at their own work and that of others - and - who knows? - perhaps forge some of that unity across the discipline which is the main subject of its discussion.' - Colin Hay, University of Sheffield, UK and L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques at Sciences Po, France 'This Handbook provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date account of the current state of empirical-analytical political science. The contributions share a systemic and multi-layered approach combining political actors, organizations, and institutions. In addition, types of data and data collection as well as advanced types of data analysis are described and explained. Finally, much can be learned about the evaluation of research output and publication strategies. The editors have motivated a stellar set of 40 authors to contribute to the 33 chapters of the Handbook. The index makes it easy to navigate the vast ocean of results and ideas. The Handbook is a ''must have'' for scholars interested in what political science can contribute to reliably answer the most important questions facing the complex world of politics today.' - Hans-Dieter Klingemann, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (Berlin Social Science Center), Germany This Handbook offers a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art research methods and applications currently in use in political science. It combines theory and methodology (qualitative and quantitative), and offers insights into the major approaches and their roots in the philosophy of scientific knowledge. Including a comprehensive discussion of the relevance of a host of digital data sources, plus the dos and don'ts of data collection in general, the book also explains how to use diverse research tools and highlights when and how to apply these techniques. With wide-ranging coverage of general political science topics and systemic approaches to politics, the editors showcase research methods that can be used at the micro, meso and macro levels. Chapters explore applied and fundamental knowledge, approaches and their usefulness, meta-theoretical issues, and the art and practice of undertaking research. This highly accessible book provides hands-on information on research topics and methods, and offers the reader extensive bibliographies for in-depth exploration of cutting edge techniques. Finally, it discusses the relevance of political science research, as well as the art of publishing, reporting and submitting your research findings. An essential tool for researchers in political science, public administration and international relations, this book will be an important reference for academics and students employing research methods and techniques across the social sciences, including sociology, anthropology and communication studies.

Translated by J.J. Graham, revised by F.N. Maude Abridged and with an Introduction by Louise Willmot. On War is perhaps the greatest book ever written about war. Carl von Clausewitz, a Prussian soldier, had witnessed at first hand the immense destructive power of the French Revolutionary armies which swept across Europe between 1792 and 1815. His response was to write a comprehensive text covering every aspect of warfare. On War is both a philosophical and practical work in which Clausewitz defines the essential nature of war, debates the qualities of the great commander, assesses the relative strengths of defensive and offensive warfare, and - in highly controversial passages - considers the relationship between war and politics. His arguments are illustrated with vivid examples drawn from the campaigns of Frederick the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte. For the student of society as well as the military historian, On War remains a compelling and indispensable source.

An intimate and powerful rumination on American gun violence by Paul Auster, one of our greatest living writers and "genuine American original" (The Boston Globe), in an unforgettable collaboration with photographer Spencer OstranderLike most American boys of his generation, Paul Auster grew up playing with toy six-shooters and mimicking the gun-slinging cowboys in B Westerns. A skilled marksman by the age of ten, he also lived through the traumatic aftermath of the murder of his grandfather by his grandmother when his father was a child and knows, through firsthand experience, how families can be wrecked by a single act of gun violence.In this short, searing book, Auster traces centuries of America's use and abuse of guns, from the violent displacement of the native population to the forced enslavement of millions, to the bitter divide between embattled gun control and anti-gun control camps that has developed over the past 50 years and the mass shootings that dominate the news today. Since 1968, more than one and a half million Americans have been killed by guns. The numbers are so large, so catastrophic, so disproportionate to what goes on elsewhere, that one must ask why. Why is America so different--and why are we the most violent country in the Western world?Interwoven with Spencer Ostrander's haunting photographs of the sites of more than thirty mass shootings in all parts of the country, Bloodbath Nation presents a succinct but thorough examination of America at a crossroads, and asks the central, burning question of our moment: What kind of society do we want to live in?A portion of proceeds from this book will be donated to the Violence Policy Center, a nonprofit organization working to stop gun death and injury through research, education, and advocacy.

Providing a thorough overview of the political nature of, and dynamics between, the worlds of work, labour and employment, this timely Handbook draws together an interdisciplinary range of top contributors to explore the interdependent relationship between politics and labour, work and employment. Chapters provide a wide range of differing theoretical approaches with which to explore the legal, economic and socio-political aspects of labour, work and employment in pre-capitalist, capitalist and post-capitalist societies. The Handbook explores the purpose, roles, rights and powers of employers and management, workers and unions, states and governments in the age of globalised neo-liberalism. Different non-standard and non-renumerated types of work are examined with their counterparts, offering a thorough insight into the modern economy with a key focus on migration, gender, race and community. An essential reference for political economists as well as business and management scholars, this comprehensive Handbook provides an important analysis of the interconnectedness of politics and labour, work and employment. This will also be a useful read for policy makers looking for broad insights to the ways in which policies can impact labour, work and employment.