Full Text Review(s)
"In Socialism, Fleming describes his ambiguous topic as a theory, which sometimes manifests itself in the form of government, that society has a duty to ensure the social and economic equality of all its members. He points out that socialist ideas tend to emerge in times of crisis and traces the history of socialism from Plato, the New Testament, and early Utopian writings to the present day. He then explores economic socialism in the twentieth century and how it reflected in various programs throughout the world, such as Britain’s National Health Service and Social Security in the United States. The final chapter highlights the pros and cons of socialism. The book is filled with colorful photographs and brief one-page descriptions of key people, places, and terms. Fleming writes with an enjoyable flair, and offers an insightful and objective overview of this often misunderstood concept.
Democracy by Lansford is similar in format, but it does not include the one-page entries. Lansford, in a clear and readable style, explores the main forms of democracy, its history dating back to the ancient Greeks, and documents that have been important in its development internationally. This author also discusses some of the problems with the democratic system, such as voter apathy.
Each of the series’ six volumes includes a helpful chart that compares the six forms of government, which also include dictatorship, theocracy, communism, and monarchy. This series for older teens is an excellent and well-researched collection addition."