World Politics: Interests, Interactions, Institutions

by Jeffry A. Frieden, David A. Lake, Kenneth A. Schultz

A contemporary analytical approach to international relations―written at a level that introductory students can grasp. Why are there wars? Why do countries have a hard time cooperating to prevent genocides or global environmental problems? Why are some countries rich while others are poor? Organized around the puzzles that draw scholars and students alike to the study of world politics, this book gives students the tools they need to think analytically about compelling questions like these.

World Politics introduces a contemporary analytical framework based on interests, interactions, and institutions. Drawing extensively on recent research, the authors use this flexible framework throughout the text to get students thinking like political scientists as they explore the major topics in international relations.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, International Relations, Political Science, Textbooks, Academic, World History

530 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2009

About the author

Jeffry A. Frieden teaches at Harvard University. He is the author of Global Capitalism: Its Fall and Rise in the Twentieth Century, and the co-author of Lost Decades: The Making of America's Debt Crisis and the Long Recovery.

Reviews

[nat!! · Rating 1 out of 5]

in case anyone would like to know why ive only read 21 books this year. (i think im funny) (this was for class i dont sit here and read this stuff for fun)

[Duru]

My first time reading through an entire textbook!! It was a good one.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

wouldn’t want to read 600+ pages of any other textbook cover to cover 🤩

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a book that says, "I am a great introduction to neoliberal theories of international relations, and neoliberal theories only," 'World Politics' will be right up your alley. If, however, you want anything well-rounded and willing to approach the insights generated by other academic schools, this isn't for you. Ultimately forgettable, and would earn even fewer stars if not for its relatively interesting and applicable case studies (which are clever in the sense that they're directly integrated with each chapter's topic).

[Imani Jaldin Hartsough · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did set off some interesting thoughts but I wish it was less abstract and relied on more examples.

[Shelby Marston · Rating 5 out of 5]

i hate public policy class, but the professor was sweet

[Olivia Elman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love logging my textbooks

[Ben Wasson]

(read for UCLA PS20)

[janai (hotandfunnyblackgirl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

finished this textbook for class 🕺

[Ellie J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars
Recommended for people who like: politics, global interactions, nonfiction, economics, historic impacts on today's world

The book was good for giving broad overviews of the subjects and then diving into the details and giving real-world examples. I really enjoyed the open-ended questions and the 'What Shaped Our World?' sections, since it did give real-world examples as well as prompted you to think about said examples as well as the topic being addressed as a whole. I think the book did a really good job of introducing the topics discussed in a way that even beginners (like me) can understand.

I also really like how the chapters are broken up into broad sections and smaller sections, along with the two-page spreads I mentioned above (open questions and 'What Shaped...'). It helped break down the topics into bite-sized pieces as well as giving the reader a break from just reading about theory for twenty pages straight. I also think some of the scenarios posed and questions asked were really good for getting you to think about certain institutions, actions, and beliefs.

The tables, charts, and maps that were provided were helpful as well, though some of them were lacking the kind of background information I'd want. Like, great, this shows an example of the topic, but why is it important or how is it impacting countries that have lower/higher rates of certain things? I do think there needed to be more sections at the end of the chapters, like there were in the beginning few, that took a few pages to explain in great detail how the scales or measurements being discussed worked and what each part meant. I got a broad understanding of it, but I'll still probably have to think a good deal before I answer whether a situation is a good example of prisoner's dilemma or which group would think a certain way based on the Stolper-Samuelson theorem.

Overall, a good book for introducing the topics of world politics. It's broken up very well and has a pretty decent readability, though I think more explanation on the charts and theorems, as well as shorter chapters would bump this book up more.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent introduction to very broad, initial concepts. Occasionally there are looks at deeper events, but for the most part the book is definitions, a quick history run-down, and introductory concepts. While I enjoyed it and found it easy to read, at times it was too easy, and far too repetitive.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

not bad for a textbook

[Cerberus Rampage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although it may initially bore you, it will surprise you. It might even affect your outlook -- your worldly perspective.