Hannah Arendt : a critical introduction /

Rarely does one find an excellent account such as this volume by Bowring (Cardiff Univ., Wales), which summarizes adequately an important thinker's corpus while delivering insightful details on the commentary and debate surrounding it. Bowring gives those new to the work of Arendt a basis from which to connect her thought to other areas of research, such as Marxism, feminism, critical theory, and poststructuralism. He is just as successful in providing a sociological reading for those already familiar with Arendt. Indeed the author's sociological background helps readers gain a deeper appreciation of the scope of Arendt's work, particularly since her work in political philosophy continues to resonate with the postmodern concern for making moral and political judgments in a mass society with ever-increasing technological and economic innovations. This welcome addition to the existing resources on Arendt's work is well written, accessible, and nicely annotated. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty. J. R. Couch Keene State College