Politico's Bookshop Bulletin: Junk Medicine

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Politico's Bookshop Bulletin
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1. New: Theodore Dalrymple's Junk Medicine
2. New: The Political Campaigning Handbook
3. In Paperback: Simon Jenkins' Thatcher and Sons
4. New: Nixon and Kissinger
5. New: Politipedia

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Note from the Editor
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Dear Politico's Customer

Almost everything you know about heroin addiction is wrong. In his provocative new book Junk Medicine: Doctors, Lies and the Addiction Bureaucracy , Theodore Dalrymple argues that addiction to heroin is not an illness, and that doctors only make it worse.

An essential part of any campaigner’s armory, Lionel Zetter's The Political Campaigning Handbook guides you through every stage of a political campaign, whether for parliamentary, local or council positions.

Now available in paperback, Simon Jenkins' much praised Thatcher and Sons, winner of the 2007 Channel 4 Political Book of the Year award, argues that Margaret Thatcher’s legacy has continued down to the present. Not just John Major, but Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are her heirs and acolytes.

Robert Dallek is one of America's most distinguished historians and his joint biography Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power provides a startling new portrait and a new understanding of the immense power and sway these two men held in affecting world history.

Can you name the ten Cabinet Secretaries who have held office since World War I , or the ten political powers vested in the monarch, or could you name thirty songs for a political karaoke? They're all in the ultimate quirky reference book for voters, students and the entire population of the Westminster village - Nick Inman's Politipedia: A Compendium of Useful and Curious Facts about British Politics.


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1. New: Theodore Dalrymple's Junk Medicine
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Based on his experience as a prison doctor and as a psychiatrist in a large general hospital in Birmingham, Theodore Dalrymple exposes the mythology surrounding heroin addiction. Moving seamlessly between literature, pharmacology, history and philosophy, he demonstrates what happens when the nature of a social problem is so thoroughly misunderstood, and when human beings are regarded as inanimate objects rather than as agents of their own destiny. His scintillating, iconoclastic book has an importance far beyond its immediate subject matter.

"Theodore Dalrymple is a brilliant observer of both medicine and society, and his book wittily engages with two versions of the current nonsense: orthodox medicine on drug addiction, and romantic poets on the wisdom you supposedly enjoy from getting high."
- Kenneth Minogue, professor emeritus at The London School of Economics and author of 'The Liberal Mind'

Buy Junk Medicine: Doctors, Lies and the Addiction Bureaucracy in hardback.

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2. New: The Political Campaigning Handbook
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Aimed at the many thousands of people who take part in election campaigns every year, The Political Campaigning Handbook is a 'how-to' guide to fighting elections on the ground. From the top-down of the political party campaign machine, Lionel Zetter, a veteran of many a campaign, describes the steps necessary to win those all-important seats. Whether you are fighting for parliamentary, local or council positions, every stage of the combat is described; from the bureaucracy surrounding the selection process, to the timetable that must be followed to keep your application on track, and cunning tactics to fill up both the coffers of the ‘war chest’ and the lists of constituents who pledge their vote.

Buy The Political Campaigning Handbook in paperback.

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3. In Paperback: Simon Jenkins' Thatcher and Sons'
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The history of Britain in the last thirty years, under both Conservative and Labour governments, has been dominated by one figure - Margaret Thatcher. Her election marked a decisive break with the past and her premiership transformed not just her country, but the nature of democratic leadership. In his 'argued history', now available in paperback, Simon Jenkins analyses this revolution from its beginnings in the turmoil of the 1970s through the social and economic changes of the 1980s. Was Thatcherism a mere medicine for an ailing economy or a complete political philosophy? And did it eventually fall victim to the dogmatism and control which made it possible? This is the story of the events, personalities, defeats and victories which will be familiar to all those who lived through them, but seen through a new lens. It is also an argument about how Thatcher's legacy has continued down to the present. Not just John Major, but also Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are her heirs and acolytes. And as the Conservative party reinvents itself as a viable political force once again, is the age of Thatcher finally over?

Buy Thatcher and Sons in paperback and save 35%

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4. New: Nixon and Kissinger
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Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger were two of the most compelling and contradictory world leaders in the second half of the 20th century. Both were largely self-made men, brimming with ambition, driven by their own inner demons, and often ruthless in pursuit of their goals. Tapping into a wealth of recently declassified documents and tapes Robert Dallek, one of America’s most distinguished historians, uncovers fascinating details about Nixon and Kissinger’s tumultuous personal relationship—their collaboration and rivalry—and the extent to which they struggled to outdo each other in the reach for foreign policy achievements. He also brilliantly analyzes their dealings with power brokers at home and abroad. Authoritative, illuminating, and deeply engrossing, 'Nixon and Kissinger' provides a startling new portrait and a new understanding of the immense power and sway these two men held in affecting world history..

Buy Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power in hardback and save 25%



Also recently published - Richard Milhous Nixon: The Invincible Quest by Conrad Black


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5. New: Politipedia: A Compendium of Useful and Curious Facts about British Politics
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An ideal new reference for anyone looking to discover where their vote (and money!) actually go, or for those looking for quotes and fascinating titbits. Politipedia captures the entertaining essence of politics without taking up too much of the reader’s valuable time. From listing the bars and refreshment points throughout the Palace of Westminster to a section entitled "Quangos (and Gocos) - A beginner's guide to everyday agency-spotting" , Nick Inman sets out to ask all the vital questions about politics and then attempts to find answers to them – getting to the heart of each subject with brevity and humour.

Buy Politipedia now from Politico's and receive 35% discount.

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Endquote
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"I am humble enough to recognise that I have made mistakes, but politically astute enough to have forgotten what they are."

- Michael Heseltine

Taken from Iain Dale's selection of 500 of the Most Witty, Acerbic & Erudite Things Ever Said About Politics


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