This is an important and fruitful area of debate but the chapter does not go into it and there is not enough theory in the book for students to recognize and make sense of it. This chapter covers the individual, group, state, and systems levels of analysis and the implication of it for comprehending international relations. It follows the basic format that most intro texts cover-- it starts with big themes and The book covers a very wide and comprehensive set of topics in a concise way. Natalie Jester is a Lecturer in Sociology and Criminology at the University of Gloucestershire. A Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set, Teachers, Librarians, Parents & Caregivers. Foundations of International Relations is a wonderfully rich, yet highly accessible, introduction to International Relations, both as a subject and as a discipline. I especially appreciate the efforts to highlight ways the discipline of IR is traditionally taught from a Western perspective, why that is problematic, and to point out differing perspectives. The chapter then employs each theoretical framework to assess by the lights of each theory, respectively, the United Nations. You have been logged out of your account. This book is designed as a foundational entry point to International Relations theory. first person in some, third in others) and more than half of the chapter read like they're transcripts of lectures. My biggest issue with the interface is that there is none. It does well in covering traditional, enduring, and emerging issues and problems in international Sometimes with one or two writers the content can be limited by the writers knowledge and interest. The chapter also contends with the laws of peace, and international humanitarian law, including the related laws of war. I saw no problems with cultural insensitivity or exclusion of any group. There have not been a lot if any mention of contributions of non-western thinkers and scholars to the field of IR. However, this concept does not explicitly organize the text, making it difficult to grasp the main points. Each chapter looks quite the same, although several of the "global issues" chapters are quite short. are not covered. Reviewed by George Amedee, Professor, SUNO on 12/12/19, The book is very comprehensive. Overall, the book is not culturally insensitive. The book appears accurate, but with so few citations, it's quite hard to know the perspectives of the authors of each chapter. Anitta Kynsilehto is a Senior Research Fellow at Tampere Peace Research Institute, Tampere University. This book, like others in the E-IR Foundations series, is designed to capture attention with an engaging narrative. Some authors rely on run-on sentences and page-long paragraphs. Moreover, each chapter begins with a few sentences tying it to the preceding chapter(s). My sense is that this omission emerges from its European perspective. The book tries admirably to include many perspectives and address issues of global relevance. While the chapters generally avoid jargon, the terms used reflect the scholarly language of the field. Stephen McGlinchey is a Senior Lecturer in Interna. The graduate program provides students with a unique combination of analytic research and practical applications tools. The professor using this text would almost certainly need to supplement it with additional readings, and would probably also need to put a good deal of thought into designing exercises, lectures, tests, and study guides based on this material. As an introductory textbook, the book is composed of considerably simplified narratives. I did particularly like Chapter 12, "Connectivity, Communications, and Technology," because it discusses things like the internet and internet commerce that relate directly to students' lives. I appreciate the editor's note indicating that these items were sacrificed in order to produce a free text, but I feel there were some extremely low- or no-cost ways of enhancing the text that would have been beneficial. The first section of the book, "The Basics," did not cover the basics in as much detail as I would have liked to see. Andreas Haggman is Head of Cyber Advocacy at the United Kingdoms Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. In addition, a complete version of an earlier edition of this book from 2017 is available free on E-International Relations though note the 2017 version does not have the full range of chapters, or features, of the 2022 version. Stephen McGlinchey has brought together a fantastic collection of authors who together present a wide-ranging, critical and accessible introduction to International Relations. This is incorrect. Although the book lacks an index, as the editor noted as being too costly to compile. ), which I forbid my students to use. amount, in any currency, is appreciated. Please sign in or create an account. While some individual chapters might appear biased toward a particular lens (e.g., a US- or Western-centric view of the world), other chapters present contrasting perspectives, thereby according the book with a semblance of overall balance. Many thanks! the edited volume obviously needs more charts, figures along with images. University of Minnesota, 330 Wulling Hall, 86 Pleasant Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. The last chapter was a bit weird, especially the bit about England's legacy for world affairs today. The book is mostly well structured. No index but you can search as it is available electronically. The book at least touches on all of the subjects that I routinely cover in my introductory course on international relations, but the coverage of the subjects vary greatly. Students are brought on an engaging intellectual journey through a range of contending perspectives and issues, whilst being encouraged to think critically throughout. Actually, students would even appreciate the fact that IR scholars may have distinctive views/perspectives on historical/current events in IR. The book presents itself as NOT predisposed to modularity. I can see myself including some chapters as supplemental reading material to my intro to IR course. Because the chapters can each stand alone, I think it's a great resource for instructors to be able to assign one or a few chapters to supplement other materials in the course. Website No major comments. For example, the IR theories are not covered in as much depth as they should be, and the author of that chapter seems to be somewhat dismissive of them. Many reviewers have noted that the book doesn't talk about war. An excellent educational resource. As I mentioned earlier, the underlying theme seems to be that of globalization. The core strength of this textbook is the clarity it brings to explaining the many concepts and theories that make up International Relations it introduces students to the nuance and complexity of the field in an exciting and accessible way. While the preface indicates that there are "no boxes, charts, pictures, or exercises" because "these things can be a distraction", I find that in particular to be counterproductive. The instructor would have to find creative ways to do any practical exercises, and this seems like way too much work when much better texts exist. The frameworks used by the contributors clearly vary a lot. 10. International Political Economy Gnter Walzenbach Anthony F Lang, Professor of International Political Theory, University of St Andrews, UK. Some teaching cases embedded in the chapters were sufficiently historical, so they are won't need updating anytime soon. The examples are cross-cultural in scope and the the text is culturally sensitive in treatment of its topics. Each chapter sets out the basics of a theory whilst also applying it to a real-world event or issue, creating a lively, readable and relevant guide that will help students to see not only what theories are - but why they matter. The author begins with the UN and moves through a clear description of the forms governmental organizations take, their geographical limitations, and their various aims are examined. Yet another compilation of IR chapters from a very western oriented set of authors. An engaging introduction to the core concepts, theories, actors and issues in global politics. So, when I'm looking for a book, I'm looking for a reference guide/companion to my lectures. The first section of the book, "The Basics," did not cover the basics in as much detail as I would have liked to see. In this sense, I don't think that the book is written in a way that's appropriate for a first-year student being introduced to a topic. The chapter structure is well-defined and appropriate for an introductory course. Discovery, Conquest and Colonialism - Robbie Shilliam 4. It then focuses on helping the reader to understand the various principle and theories, structure, key actors, and international organizations both state and nonstate . Obviously, with any edited volume, the tone of the book will change from chapter to chapter based on each author's writing style. Your donations allow us to invest in new open access titles and pay our In this case, the book can benefit from an interface with images, charts and other displays that would further the readers understanding of the key concepts, structures, and institutions and there role in IR. Reviewed by Robert Asaadi, Instructor, Portland State University on 1/27/22, Part One of the text lays out the basic building blocks that one would expect to find in an introductory international relations textbook, and then in Part Two the authors compellingly explore these concepts across a wide range of relevant global Future editions of the book would benefit from further diversifying the set of authors; including more contemporary, pressing global issues (such as, for example, the rise of China); and streamlining the structure of individual chapters to follow a common, pedagogically effective standard. The book covers a very wide and comprehensive set of topics in a concise way. Connectivity and Exploitation in the Digital Age Clare Stevens and Andreas Haggman. It would be nice if clicking on a chapter title or page number in the table of contents took you to the chapter. Traditional and Middle Ground Theories Stephen McGlinchey and Dana Gold In my introductory course, I tend to delve a bit deeper into a number of issues, but this textbook overall provides a good framework to build those discussions off of. John A. Rees is a Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Notre Dame Australia. The first 4 chapters are really foundational for the rest of IR and the rest of the topics in the book, but the information is very cursory. Reviewed by Elissa Alzate, Associate Professor, Winona State University on 6/19/18, The first section of the book, "The Basics," did not cover the basics in as much detail as I would have liked to see. I believe the book is very relevant and up-to-date but not in a way that would make it obsolete. The 1954 Conference on International Politics reveals a deep concern with the interrelations among international relations (IR) theory, the practice of foreign policy, and morality. each chapter of the book could be assigned separately as part of the weekly readings of an intro to IR theory course. But the authors do not encourage any sort of creativity so such a task would require significant extra work on the instructor's part. There were no major issues. I would organize is differently in terms of the chapters. This book is not worth using just because it is open access. It clearly covers all of the major themes, theories, concepts and trends in an extremely dynamic subject matters. As a beginner's guide, it has been structured to condense the most important information into the smallest space and present that information in the most accessible way. read more. Many reviewers have noted that the book doesn't talk about war. As an introductory, day-zero IR text, the book provides readers with enough detail to kindle curiosity, without overburdening them with a flood of information. Featuring a combination of chapters authored by leading scholars, researchers and practitioners from around the world, this textbook takes into account the historical development of international relations and the web of dynamics that forms the subject, resulting in a clear analysis of the field from a variety of perspectives. Some chapters have too many subsections, but I found undergraduate students usually prefer short paragraphs with single terms/concepts to longer paragraphs with multiple terms/concepts. The textbook could benefit from some graphic representations. Your School account is not valid for the United States site. An engaging introduction to the core concepts, theories, actors and issues in global politics. Consistency in terms of chapter format, however, is lacking. The content appears accurate. The chapter on protecting people is really about war and civil war presented in a novel way. Again, it is difficult with an edited volume to make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of terminology, but the editor did a great job of ensuring that the terms and ideas were used consistently across the chapters. Power and Foreign Policy in International Relations: O.P. The book is complimented by a website, featuring interactive learning material that expands on each chapter of the book. The book is presented as a beginner's guide to International Relations and in this way is comprehensive in its presentation of basic issues relevant to the subject. It is truly attentive to the multiplicity of (state and non-state) actors in global politics, as well as non-Western approaches. Featuring a combination of chapters authored by leading scholars, researchers and practitioners from around the world, this textbook takes into account the historical development of international relations and the web of dynamics that forms the subject, resulting in a clear analysis of the field from .