In
basic terms, an extended essay covering a number
of aspects of Marx's life and works
(including a neat little section entitled "How to Read
Marx" that points to a selection of Marx's most significant
works). This is probably not a particularly
useful book(let) for A-level students, but if you're at the stage
of preparing for a University course, you could
do worse than use this to familiarise yourself with some of the
basic tenets of Marxism...
Marx
For Beginners Ruis
(1998)
The
original (and arguably one of the best)
of
the "graphic texts" in this
(long-running) series. This is a work of passion that covers a
number of the crucial areas of Marx's work (Historical
Materialism, Surplus Value, Class
Struggle, Empiricism and the like) and,
along the way, introduces students to a wide(ish) cast of
characters, influences and contemporary thinkers. If you're going
to cover Marx seriously (and there are good reasons why you
should and shouldn't at A-level), this is an interesting
and accessible way to do it. A good glossary
is also included to neatly round-off the experience.
Post-Modernism
Reader W.T.Anderson
(ed: 1995)
Finding
an accessible way into post- modernist ideas is not as difficult
as it was a couple of years ago (most textbooks now give it some
coverage), but this Reader is a little gem for teachers (mainly)
who want to expand their knowledge of this area. A variety of
short readings (most are 3 - 4 pages) cover a wide range of
concepts in a clear and informative way (there are, of course,
some exceptions - this is, after all, a text on
post-modernism...). However, I haven't found a better book that
treats post-modernist ideas seriously - but not always too
seriously (check-out Stephen Katz's "How to speak and write
postmodern"...).
Key
Sociological Thinkers R.Stones
(ed) (1998)
A
rewarding - if somewhat challenging - collection of readings on a
wide range of classical and modern sociological thinkers. each
chapter is neatly and consistently organised around the themes
of: Driving Impulses, Key Issues,
Comparisons / Evaluations and Legacies /
Unfinished Business. Although this is probably more of
an undergraduate text (it's not really suitable
for A-level), it could prove to be a useful resource for teachers
who want to (re)familiarise themselves with some of the key
sociological thoughts and thinkers.
Introducing
Postmodernism
R.Appignanesi
and C.Garrett (1999)
Originally
called "Postmodernism for Beginners",
it's not hard to see why they changed the title (unless, of
course, the authors thought it might be funny to sucker
unsuspecting teachers / students - a "joke" that may
well have backfired...). Whatever else it may be, this is not a
book for beginners. It is, however, a headlong-rush through the
basic principles of postmodernist theory, from its origins, its
application to Art and its most well-known advocates (in a
variety of academic disciplines). The third section ("The
Genealogy of Postmodern History") is probably the
most accessible part for A-level teachers / students since it
starts to apply postmodern ideas to media, lifestyle and identity
not, it must be said, with a great deal of conviction or insight.
Warning:
The illustrator (Chris.Garratt) is the creator of The Guardian's
"Biff" cartoon. This fact alone should make you
seriously think twice before you part with money for this book.
