The Shortest History of Democracy: 4,000 Years of Self-Government―A Retelling for Our Times (The Shortest History Series)

The full chronological sweep of democracy, from the assemblies of ancient Mesopotamia and Athens to present perils around the globe. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read.\nThis compact history unspools the tumultuous global story that began with democracy’s radical core idea: We can collaborate, as equals, to determine our own futures. Acclaimed political thinker John Keane traces how this concept emerged and evolved, from the earliest “assembly democracies” in Syria-Mesopotamia to European-style “electoral democracy” and to our uncertain present.\nToday, thanks to our always-on communication channels, governments answer not only to voters on Election Day but to intense scrutiny every day. This is “monitory democracy”—in Keane’s view, the most complex and vibrant model yet—but it’s not invulnerable. Monitory democracy comes with its own pathologies, and the new despotism wields powerful warning systems, from social media to election monitoring, against democracy itself.\nAt this urgent moment, when despots in countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia reject the promises of democratic power-sharing, Keane mounts a bold defense of a precious global ideal.\nFrom School Library Journal\nHighSchool-Imagine covering the history of democracy, or war, or Europe in just a few hundred pages; that is what this series promises. The development from assembly democracies to today's governments, the growth of war from skirmishes among hunter-gatherers to nuclear bombs and cyber terrorism, and the slow emergence of modern Europe from ancient civilizations - condensed into books that could be read in a day. This is dense material due to its subject matter and the way it has been distilled. The democracy and Europe titles both have timelines and all three books have images (diagrams, maps, artwork, photos) to support the text. That text is written by content specialists who draw parallels with current events as well as explaining what has gone before. VERDICT A useful reference set, or a possible classroom purchase for Honors or A.P. courses.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.