by Clive Gifford

Illustrated by Steve Gavan

3 stars

A fun and interesting introduction to politics. The book focuses on different types of governments, ways of voting, and how to get involved in decision making. It touches on a lot of the major moments throughout political history. While it does make an effort to cover world events, much of it is focused on the US specifically, as well as other Western nations.

The book definitely delivers on being a quick guide. Each 2-page spread covers a different topic. It works well for young readers looking for a basic understanding of political concepts. The spreads don’t go into too much detail and often shift quickly in order to add information on how the concept is applied in various countries. It jumps from government in ancient Egypt, Athens, and Rome, all the way to modern day, providing a very fast-paced reading experience.

The book specifically covers discriminatory voting practices, different groups gaining the right to vote, young people getting more involved in politics, and a brief section on how technology could impact politics and ways of voting. It also touches on ways outside influences affect politics including media coverage, social media influence, and the work of interest groups and activists.

Includes humorous illustrations along the way and different text formats to make reading more engaging.

The backmatter includes an illustrated timeline, a quiz of different topics covered, further resources, a glossary of terms, and an index.

Overall, an interesting read. Could work well as either a starting point to politics or as review material to fill in information already learned with interesting facts.

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