International Relations: A Very Short Introduction

by Christian Reus-Smit

International relations affects everyone's their security, economic well-being, rights and freedoms, and the environment they share. Recently we have seen the transformation from a world of empires to today's world of sovereign states, which are enmeshed in a complex array of international institutions, all exercising degrees of political authority. The new global organization of political authority has far-reaching consequences.

This Very Short Introduction untangles this complex world, providing an accessible framework for understanding the contours of global political change. Christian Reus-Smit treats theory as an indispensable tool for grasping international relations, but demystifies theorizing, introducing it as an everyday human practice. He surveys a range of theories, from realism to reading them as contrasting perspectives on the global organization of political authority. Historically, such organization has been shaped by diverse social forces, four of which are discussed in shifting patterns of warfare, changing economic conditions, struggles for rights, and the politics of culture. Reus-Smit concludes with a reflection on the future of international relations in an era of profound global change.

ABOUT THE
The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, International Relations, Political Science, Audiobook, Social Science, Academic

160 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2020

Reviews

[Dovide · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid, but not revolutionary. A useful primer on the discipline, some of the main theories, and on the subjects of study, but nonetheless a bit short on detail; obviously a limitation imposed by the "very short introduction" format.

[Charlotte Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good, short introduction to international relations - looking at the current global organisation of political authority, how it evolved and the consequences of it. It doesn't go into great detail on the topics covered, but does provide enough information to make you think/prompt further reading.

[Greg Samsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Above average, easy to read, helped me get back into the topic for uni

[Tobi ﾄﾋﾞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc

[Annika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t say this was the most riveting subject matter, but having read a few of the Very Short Introductions now, I can say this instalment was a good one. A well written overview of the study of international relations that was easy to read and pretty enjoyable - what more could you ask for?

[Amin Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview introduction of a subject that can be deemed to be generally expansive. The attempt of giving a general idea around IR, its theories, and significant elements affecting political authority was done supremely.
Personally, I’m doing IR as a module for my foundation year, therefore, I’m not a complete beginner, but rather somewhere between there and being an intermediate. I found the book to be insightful; adding new knowledge, cementing old ones, and providing a new perspective over the subject.
I think the book could help anyone interested in getting an idea about IR, before delving into the wider spheres of the subject in a more conclusive study.

[Troy Obasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a fascinating read which provided a strong framework and multiple points of view of International Relations. Its thesis that IR should focus mainly on the Global Organization of Political Authority first and relations between sovereign states secondarily is extremely interesting and has made me think.

8/10

[Alex Stokoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

My reading of this book was influenced by three things. 1. My application to become an Officer in the British Army Reserve. 2. My want to (at some point) pursue a masters degree with contemporary relevance. 3. My missing academic study since graduating university.
As someone deeply interested in making sense of things and the broader picture of how we understand the world as operating - international relations seemed a fruitful venture to meet all three.
Reus-Smit’s text is a great start. Its central concern is to articulate that international relations need not focus on simply interactions between states, but on the wider, global, ‘organisation of political authority’. In this way he is able to speak to historic ways that polities have organised themselves, whilst acknowledging the contemporary boundaries that are drawn onto maps of the world. It is a deeply interesting book, and draws together large and deep themes without leaving those (like myself) who have not forayed into International Relations study before at loss. A very good introduction.

[Readllex_ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me ha resultado un poco difícil de leer aún teniendo tan pocas páginas. La verdad es que no estoy acostumbrada a leer en inglés tantos tecnicismos.

En cuanto al contenido, ha habido de todo. Algunos capítulos introductorios, aunque siendo introductorios no eran demasiado accesibles, y después capítulos que trataban distintos temas. El capítulo de la economía se me hizo infumable, pero el de teoría política, derechos humanos y cultura estuvieron interesantes.

La verdad me veo releyendo algunos capítulos para el examen 😭

En conclusión, un buen resumen de menos de 200 páginas de lo que son las Relaciones Internacionales en 2020 (con datos y perspectivas muy actuales, una posición izquierdista en lo social pero "no demasiado" bastante políticamente correcta, a la vez que una posición liberal en cuanto a lo económico, en mi opinión el futuro de los países desarrollados), aunque un cubo de agua fría para mí en cuanto a su legibilidad.

[Mike A · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting overview but perhaps too rudimentary.

The central effort of the author is to define and explore the global arrangement of political authority (rather than state-to-state relations). As such, there is a lot of 'introspection' into how this authority is generated, expressed, and influenced by various actors/groups and institutions (such as war, culture, etc), both within a polity and between different polities. But such exploration is sometimes too basic (to the tune of, e.g. economy influences political authority, and political arrangements influence economy, here's how).
As a result, the insights are not as helpful, though there are still some educational excerpts, e.g. in describing individual/human rights and the relationship of their evolving primacy (in some respects) to political developments, or in the presentation of major international relations theories.

[Ella Rier]

What is even the protocol for rating textbooks? Like I have no background in international relations to even tell you if this is a good textbook. It actually was kind of a fun read though. Like it did not read like a traditional textbook and was much more conversational. I feel like I got a pretty good base understanding for what my class is going to be about but I also feel like this text expects you to have more preexisting knowledge on international relations or maybe just politics in general so it wasn't like super accessible. I will say that the guy who wrote this loves to repeat the same thing over and over again to emphasize his point. Global organization of political authority might be tattooed into my brain forever. Live, Laugh, Love PLIR 1010.

[Allan Aksiim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapters on culture and human rights were more interesting, including facts and perspectives new to me. The chapter on theory was too repetitive.

Mostly an OK overview as always for the VSI series.

[Djamel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting glimpse at the subject of IR. Although, such a VERY short introduction format isn’t, in my opinion, suitable to introduce such a new and quite different views in such complexe field of study.

[Ebrar Aklanga]

no think

[carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

school read

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for university and it was very nice

[Cris Moral · Rating 3 out of 5]

read for class

[Arvind · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great primer serving exactly the purpose proclaimed.

[zeynep]

I think these very short introductions don't work for me when the topic is so broad and theoretical...

[Marco · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Libby Reinhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

very clinical and informative! Interesting and digestible read

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got some really interesting information from this book. A good starter on academically understanding international relations.

If you is interested in literally any topic, the Oxford University Press Very Short Introductions are the books for you. I promise you, there’s a book for almost everything. Including: ‘Aesthetics’, ‘The Trojan War’, and ‘The Meaning of Life’, to name a few.

3,5 stars.

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprisingly uninformative.

[Vitaly · Rating 3 out of 5]

(A note to my friends here: I have to read up to 7 books from this series for my job, so be warned).

I have been a dedicated reader of "Foreign Affairs" and "Le Monde Diplomatique" for a very long time. However, I obviously don't have any formal training in IR. This book serves its purpose well and introduces the main issues of the field in a very accessible manner. Loved the idea to approach international relations as a study of the global organisation of political authority and its human and environmental implications.

[Agnes]

Illuminating, consistent, consise.