This book gives an admirably lucid and careful account of the central controversies and sites of disagreement in political theory over the last thirty years; it does not sacrifice theoretical sophistication and nuance for the sake of clarity and accessibility, but rather achieves both. The book provides an up to date account of how things stand currently in political philosophy, and will provide an excellent introduction for students from any background. Reading this book will also greatly benefit anyone interested in how the most important contemporary political philosophers and theorists have approached the question of how we ought to live together.

Dr Catriona McKinnon, Lecturer in Political Philosophy, University of York.

Colin Farrelly has gathered together in one volume several of the key texts that have shaped recent developments in political

theory. The editor's introductions to each section make the readings themselves more accessible to students who are new

to the subject by locating them in a broader context. They also also provide helfpul outlines of some of the other major

theoretical contributions to the schools of thought that are covered. The structure of the book refelcts that of many courses

offering surveys of recent debates between liberals and their critics. It is an excellent teaching resource.

Shane O'Neill, Professor of Political Theory (and Head of the School of Politics and International Studies), Queen's University, Belfast.

This book, together with Farrely's Reader, is really, really wonderful stuff for any introductory course for 2nd year students or higher. If I could redesign our present course on Contemporary Political Theory, I'd almost certainly adopt this text.

Professor Marcel Wissenburg

Department of Political Science, Radboud University Nijmegen

May 31 2011

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