The European Union_the world's greatest experiment in interstate reconciliation through regional integration_is now fifty years old. However, it remains a mystery to many people in and outside Europe. This clear and comprehensive book is dedicated to 'demystifying' the EU for both introductory and seasoned students of European integration. Roy H. Ginsberg begins with the foundation blocks of history, law, economics, and politics to provide the context for understanding integration. He then deconstructs the EU into its individual elements to examine them in relation to one another and to the whole before reconstructing the EU as a single polity. In doing so, he evaluates the EU's scope for agency and its effects on Europeans and non-Europeans alike. Emphasizing this wider perspective, Ginsberg convincingly demonstrates that the EU is a wellspring of support for conflict prevention and resolution throughout the world.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Ginsberg is eminently qualified to undertake the task of unravelling the mystery that is the European Union. . . . [He] adopts an interdisciplinary and conceptually sophisticated approach to the study of EU with [an] elegant and expert fusion of theory with practice. Crisply and engagingly written. . . . Finally, the pedagogic tools found at the end of each chapter, such as key concepts, study questions and selected readings (and websites), are extremely useful for both teacher and student alike. (Journal Of Common Market Studies )
Roy Ginsberg has produced a terrific piece of work to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the European Union's birth certificate. This book really DOES demystify the EU for the interested beginner, while even the most grizzled veteran will learn things they didn't know. If there is another book on the EU that is this much fun to read, I've not yet found it. (Peterson, John )
Roy Ginsberg is probably the leading U.S. academic expert on the complexities of the European Union's external relations. Yet his writing never fails to address the big questions—of power, sovereignty, and purpose—which the subject raises, and he does so in a deeply humanistic way. (Hill, Christopher )
The best undergraduate text I have ever seen on European integration. It's easy to read, and I was so pleased to see the glossary and bolding of terms such as 'comparative advantage' and 'globalization.' Too often, books on the EU assume knowledge of such terms, and I spend most of my class explaining their European context. (Anderson, Stephanie )
This book provides a lucid—and much needed—'demystification' of the European Union. Anyone interested in the EU will find this book extraordinarily worthwhile for introducing the reader to the history, the policies, the politics, and the international relations of a unique and very important actor in the world. (Sbragia, Alberta )
Ginsberg is eminently qualified to undertake the task of unravelling the mystery that is the European Union. . . . [He] adopts an interdisciplinary and conceptually sophisticated approach to the study of EU with [an] elegant and expert fusion of theory with practice. Crisply and engagingly written. . . . Finally, the pedagogic tools found at the end of each chapter, such as key concepts, study questions and selected readings (and websites), are extremely useful for both teacher and student alike.... (Journal Of Common Market Studies )
This is the book we have all been waiting for: a text that covers everything we need to know about the EU in a highly readable form. The book takes a broad sweep, recapping the history of Europe before detailing the history of the European Union, reviewing the theories of European integration, and explaining what goes on inside the EU before turning to how it deals with the outside world. It will be welcomed by novices looking for an intelligent introduction to the mysteries of EU governance and by teachers searching for a text that really does ‘demystify’ the EU. (Vivien A. Schmidt )
Ginsberg’s text is deliberately pedagogic, with welcome concluding sections in each chapter on review, key concepts, study questions, and recommendations for further reading. . . . Exemplary in providing the simple analytical building blocks—supranationalism, intergovernmentalism, acquis communautaire, acquis politique, multispeed Europe, outputs, comitology, and the like—and then showing how blurred these concepts become as political clashes and pragmatic compromises unpredictably mix bits of each approach. . . . The beginning student could hardly find [a] better guide to the unique construction of the European Union than [this] introductory text. (Elizabeth Pond Internationale Politik )
Demystifying Europe is a rare and wonderful find—a highly readable, provocative textbook full of useful and usable information. I thoroughly enjoyed the approach, which thankfully gets away from some of the traditional textbook format. Ginsberg's aim to 'demystify' the EU through an interdisciplinary and comparative approach is to be greatly commended. His comparison of EU governmental institutions to those of the United States sheds much light on the governmental features unique to the EU. A must read for students and instructor alike. (Glenda G. Rosenthal )
Ginsberg's book is indispensable for students and scholars seeking a clear, accurate, and readable account of how the European Union works. He traces the organization's history, clarifies its institutions and procedures, and critically assesses a vast amount of literature on the subject. This comprehensive and reader-friendly text is the best I've seen. (Michael Sodaro )
Roy Ginsberg is the premier American scholar on the European Union. Better than anyone, he has elaborated the sui generis nature of an institution in which independent Member States have pooled their sovereignty in certain areas and retained it in other areas. But in his newest book, he has emphasized how this unique regional integration has grown over time, not just in the number of Member States, but in the development and maturity of its institutions. The breadth of his scholarship and his impact on transatlantic relations are astonishing. This book is yet another of his seminal works and a must-read for anyone interested in understanding one of the most important and least understood institutions in the world, the European Union. (Stuart E. Eizenstat )
One of the most accessible books I have ever used in a class on the European Union. What I liked most was the combination of historical overview and theoretical discussion so students could see how actual political events have shaped the theoretical debates. The book's language is easy to understand (especially for U.S. students who have almost no prior knowledge of the EU) and the content is well structured. (Stefan Fritsch )
A clear, in-depth account of the process of European integration. . . . Very well written and extremely well organized, Ginsberg's book provides students of European integration with a fresh approach to issues such as political unity, political thought, decision-making, and international security. . . . A must read for anybody interested in European studies. (Gabriela Marin Thornton )
Discussing all three worlds [of European Integration] in one volume, Roy Ginsberg’s Demystifying the European Union: The Enduring Logic of Regional Integration needs to be recommended as an excellent overview of the many faces of European integration. (Eusa Review )
Roy Ginsberg has produced a terrific piece of work to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the European Union's birth certificate. This book really DOES demystify the EU for the interested beginner, while even the most grizzled veteran will learn things they didn't know. If there is another book on the EU that is this much fun to read, I've not yet found it. (Peterson, John )
Roy Ginsberg is probably the leading U.S. academic expert on the complexities of the European Union's external relations. Yet his writing never fails to address the big questions—of power, sovereignty, and purpose—which the subject raises, and he does so in a deeply humanistic way. (Hill, Christopher )
The best undergraduate text I have ever seen on European integration. It's easy to read, and I was so pleased to see the glossary and bolding of terms such as 'comparative advantage' and 'globalization.' Too often, books on the EU assume knowledge of such terms, and I spend most of my class explaining their European context. (Anderson, Stephanie )
This book provides a lucid—and much needed—'demystification' of the European Union. Anyone interested in the EU will find this book extraordinarily worthwhile for introducing the reader to the history, the policies, the politics, and the international relations of a unique and very important actor in the world. (Sbragia, Alberta )
Ginsberg is eminently qualified to undertake the task of unravelling the mystery that is the European Union. . . . [He] adopts an interdisciplinary and conceptually sophisticated approach to the study of EU with [an] elegant and expert fusion of theory with practice. Crisply and engagingly written. . . . Finally, the pedagogic tools found at the end of each chapter, such as key concepts, study questions and selected readings (and websites), are extremely useful for both teacher and student alike.... (Journal Of Common Market Studies )
This is the book we have all been waiting for: a text that covers everything we need to know about the EU in a highly readable form. The book takes a broad sweep, recapping the history of Europe before detailing the history of the European Union, reviewing the theories of European integration, and explaining what goes on inside the EU before turning to how it deals with the outside world. It will be welcomed by novices looking for an intelligent introduction to the mysteries of EU governance and by teachers searching for a text that really does ‘demystify’ the EU. (Vivien A. Schmidt )
Ginsberg’s text is deliberately pedagogic, with welcome concluding sections in each chapter on review, key concepts, study questions, and recommendations for further reading. . . . Exemplary in providing the simple analytical building blocks—supranationalism, intergovernmentalism, acquis communautaire, acquis politique, multispeed Europe, outputs, comitology, and the like—and then showing how blurred these concepts become as political clashes and pragmatic compromises unpredictably mix bits of each approach. . . . The beginning student could hardly find [a] better guide to the unique construction of the European Union than [this] introductory text. (Elizabeth Pond Internationale Politik )
Demystifying Europe is a rare and wonderful find—a highly readable, provocative textbook full of useful and usable information. I thoroughly enjoyed the approach, which thankfully gets away from some of the traditional textbook format. Ginsberg's aim to 'demystify' the EU through an interdisciplinary and comparative approach is to be greatly commended. His comparison of EU governmental institutions to those of the United States sheds much light on the governmental features unique to the EU. A must read for students and instructor alike. (Glenda G. Rosenthal )
Ginsberg's book is indispensable for students and scholars seeking a clear, accurate, and readable account of how the European Union works. He traces the organization's history, clarifies its institutions and procedures, and critically assesses a vast amount of literature on the subject. This comprehensive and reader-friendly text is the best I've seen. (Michael Sodaro )
Roy Ginsberg is the premier American scholar on the European Union. Better than anyone, he has elaborated the sui generis nature of an institution in which independent Member States have pooled their sovereignty in certain areas and retained it in other areas. But in his newest book, he has emphasized how this unique regional integration has grown over time, not just in the number of Member States, but in the development and maturity of its institutions. The breadth of his scholarship and his impact on transatlantic relations are astonishing. This book is yet another of his seminal works and a must-read for anyone interested in understanding one of the most important and least understood institutions in the world, the European Union. (Stuart E. Eizenstat )
One of the most accessible books I have ever used in a class on the European Union. What I liked most was the combination of historical overview and theoretical discussion so students could see how actual political events have shaped the theoretical debates. The book's language is easy to understand (especially for U.S. students who have almost no prior knowledge of the EU) and the content is well structured. (Stefan Fritsch )
A clear, in-depth account of the process of European integration. . . . Very well written and extremely well organized, Ginsberg's book provides students of European integration with a fresh approach to issues such as political unity, political thought, decision-making, and international security. . . . A must read for anybody interested in European studies. (Gabriela Marin Thornton )
Discussing all three worlds [of European Integration] in one volume, Roy Ginsberg’s Demystifying the European Union: The Enduring Logic of Regional Integration needs to be recommended as an excellent overview of the many faces of European integration. (Eusa Review )
About the Author
Roy H. Ginsberg is Jean Monnet Chair in European Integration Studies and Joseph C. Palamountain, Jr. Chair in Government at Skidmore College.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
soul crushingly boring,
This review is from: Demystifying the European Union: The Enduring Logic of Regional Integration (Paperback)
If you want to learn about the EU without your eyes beginning to bleed from inhuman boredom, turn to other material. It is unfathomable how a man could spend so many pages producing such utterly unreadable writing. I would rather re-read my car's owner manual than try to cipher through another of Ginsberg's half-coherent paragraphs.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Boring,
By CocoRosieFan (SLC, USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Demystifying the European Union: The Enduring Logic of Regional Integration (Paperback)
This was one of three required textbooks for an upper-division Political Science course and by far my least favorite. It wasn't coherent and sometimes repetitive with too many summaries within a chapter. At the end of each chapter, there is a list of key words and questions; however, by the time I finished a chapter, I often forgot what I should be able to answer and had to re-read certain passages for clarification. Ginsberg certainly needed an editor. The information is there (somewhere), but not in a reader friendly format.
If this is required for a class, opt to share it with someone (so you're not completely disappointed by wasting money on this book).
2.0 out of 5 stars
Gets the point across, but exceedingly dull,
By Megan R. Vincent (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Demystifying the European Union: The Enduring Logic of Regional Integration (Paperback)
Bought this book for a 3000 level Political Science class about the European Union. The few times I was forced into reading it were quite painful. Although if you are merely skimming to find out how many members European Parliament has, or when such and such organization was formed you will be fine, any deeper reading is like dragging your nails across a chalkboard. Buy it if you have to, definitely buy it used, and don't expect it to inspire a love for studying the European Union.
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