Democracy Books on Audible
New students interested in the study of democracy may find themselves overwhelmed. Writers publish interesting new titles every week. So, it’s difficult just to keep up and even harder to build a foundation of the classics at the same time. I recommend the use of audiobooks as a way to supplement your reading. If you take just half an hour per day while exercising, driving, or other tasks, you can complete an additional book every month. Those who spend an hour per day listening to audiobooks can complete about two extra books per month.
Audible has a few must reads for aspiring democracy scholars. For starters Robert Dahl has two books available. Dahl is the most influential scholar of democracy. You can listen to On Democracy and How Democratic is the American Constitution? Samuel Huntington also has two titles available as well. His controversial work The Clash of Civilizations is available, but also his earlier book on civil-military relations, The Soldier and the State. Robert Putnam has three different titles available, but Bowling Alone is essential reading. Francis Fukuyama now has titles available including The End of History and the Last Man, The Origins of Political Order, and Political Order and Political Decay.
Audiobooks are also an excellent way to digest some of the older classics like Rousseau’s Social Contract, Hobbes’ Leviathan, and Locke’s Second Treatise of Government. Karl Marx has quite a few titles available including all three volumes of Capital. But let me emphasize audiobooks are not a replacement for old fashioned books. I view them as a supplement. But it does allow scholars to catch a few titles they might otherwise overlook. Check out Audible or even your local library to see what titles are available. You’ll likely find yourself pleasantly surprised.
Democracy Paradox Podcast
Moisés Naím on the New Dynamics of Political Power
More Episodes from the Podcast
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