Required Readings

Welcome to the Spring 2013 semester at Rhodes College. As we begin our IS 100 course, please make sure you have all the required reading materials.

First, you need the textbook: Essentials of International Relations, 5th Edition by Mingst & Arreguin-Toft. Second, you need the course reader: Essential Readings in World Politics, 4th Edition by Mingst & Snyder.

On the blog and in the syllabus, the former book will be referred to as "International Relations" and the second as "Readings." Both "International Relations" and "Readings" are available in the campus bookstore. You must have the most recent versions; older editions will not suffice.

Second, you need a subscription to the Economist. Yes, it is unconventional to assign a magazine as required reading for a college course, but the Economist is the best popular periodical in the English language for keeping up with international politics.

It is typically a very expensive magazine, but luckily for you they offer a very significant student discount. If you go to https://www.economistsubscriptions.com/ecom26/global/ and click on "Student Subscriptions," you can subscribe to the first four weeks for free and the next twenty-one for just under $40. That will take you through the semester and beyond. If you want to keep reading after that, it's up to you.

You’re welcome to share with classmates—and it’s available in the library— but you need to have access one way or another. First delivery may take two weeks, but digital access is immediate.

We will rely on the Economist throughout the semester to analyze current events using the analytical tools you will acquire in this course. We will also use it to enhance your fulfillment of the International Studies Department's geography requirement.