A Novel Approach to Politics: Introducing Political Science through Books, Movies, and Popular Culture [Paperback]

Van Belle D (Author), Mash K (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1568028296 | ISBN-13: 978-1568028293 | Publication Date: November 8, 2006 | Edition: 1st

What if we told you that a textbook could be funny and irreverent utilizing popular books, movies, music, and television shows to introduce political science concepts? This novel approach to explaining our need for government and the intrigue of politics is a reality. Van Belle and Mash do not compromise on the Political Science content, nor do they stint on real-world political examples throughout the book. The basics and the depth are all here. The added innovation? to give you context through the popular culture you re already plugged into. Simply put, this is not a typical or boring textbook. From references to 1984 and Lord of the Flies to mentions of The Matrix and A Clockwork Orange you ll be surprised by how the core concepts of political science institutions, ideology, economics, elections, culture, national politics, and international relations are interwoven with a highly entertaining discussion of popular culture.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sent to Earth shortly before Krypton exploded, Doug VanBelle was raised by gorillas in Africa and then bitten by a radioactive spider while on a high school field trip. None of that helped much at all. He misspent his youth-and a bit more-trying to find a violent competitive sport that did not cause him serious harm, but the four times he broke his nose suggest that he is slow to learn. Somewhere in there, there was a bunch of degrees and some other learnin' stuff. He was awarded a full scholarship in Chemical Engineering, dropped out after the first year, went through seven other majors, failed a creative writing elective, took a semester off to work in the Alaskan commercial fishing industry and somehow still managed to graduate on time. He is now a political science professor who writes science fiction and teaches in the media studies programme at Victoria University of Wellington. He is the former president of both the Foreign Policy Analysis and International Communication research sections of the International Studies Association, the Editor in Chief of Foreign Policy Analysis, and he has written extensively on theories of political decision making and the role of news media in international relations. Spurred on by the blatant discrimination inherent in the statement "Trix are for Kids," at age 4 Ken Mash attempted to file a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the rabbit and other animals similarly situated. After three errors in one inning squashed his dreams of playing for the Mets, his overactive justice complex led him to pursue a career as a lawyer and politician. While earning his B.A. in political science he discovered what those jobs were really like. Thus, Ken's next degree was in mixology. Eighteen months later, his fiancée informed him that she was leaving town to do graduate work and that she would go either with him or without him. A couple of degrees later, he is currently a political science professor at East Stroudsburg University of Pe

Product Details

• Paperback: 330 pages
• Publisher: CQ Press; 1st edition (November 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568028296
• ISBN-13: 978-1568028293
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A review by a professor, July 19, 2007

By 

gg (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Novel Approach to Politics: Introducing Political Science through Books, Movies, and Popular Culture (Paperback)

I adopted this book for my intro to political science course after several trials of other introductory texts. The problem with "textbooks" in general is they tend to be rather dry, hard to follow and fail to capture the spirit of the material (a.k.a. boring). Introductory texts are even more of a challenge as they lump a large body of knowledge into a condensed version. Ultimately, as a professor, even I have a hard time digesting the material in most textbooks. The Van Belle and Mash text is the exception to the rule. The book is entertaining and easy to read. While the authors do stretch at times to make a joke (sometimes at the cost of actually learning something), they provide a refreshing and very accessible look at political science. It is a text students will actually read (one can hope) and enjoy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Job well done, October 2, 2011

By 

S. Vezina - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Novel Approach to Politics: Introducing Political Science through Books, Movies, and Popular Culture (Paperback)

Fantastic learning book for those interested in politics. Author does a great job adding humor and insight to reality. This is a job well done.

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny intro to politics, January 8, 2011

By 

pen name - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Novel Approach to Politics: Introducing Political Science through Books, Movies, and Popular Culture (Paperback)

I ordered this book for a winter session course at my university and received it the day before my exam. Once I opened the book it was very easy to get through. Much of the book bounces back and forth between references to pop culture and real events that shaped politics and political theory. During my time reading in preparation for the exam fast approaching I couldn't help but laugh at the witty and occasionally dry but equally hilarious comments and footnotes. If you like satire news sources like theonion.com, the Daily Show, or Colbert Report, you will surely find this book to be an easy way to get back into learning about politics with a few laughs along the way.