The Best Public Policy Political Books 2026

1. American Masters: Becoming Helen Keller

Much has been recounted and dramatized of how Helen Keller overcame the blindness and deafness that struck her in infancy to achieve a childhood education. The accomplishments from the balance of her long life advocating for women, workers, and the poor as well as the disabled, and consideration of her personal history and some of it's controversies, receive their just due in this compelling "American Masters" presentation. 90 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English.

American Masters: Becoming Helen Keller Movies PBS PG

2. Demystifying Sustainability: Towards Real Solutions, (Paperback)

What is sustainability? Much has been said about the terms 'sustainability' and 'sustainable development' over the last few decades, but they have become buried under academic jargon. This book is one of the first that aims to demystify sustainability so that the layperson can understand the key issues, questions and values involved. Accessible and engaging, the book examines the 'old' sustainability of the past and looks to the future, considering how economic, ecological and social sustainability should be defined if we are to solve the entwined environmental, economic and social crises. It considers if meaningful sustainability is the same as a 'sustainable development' based on endless growth, examining the difficult but central issues of overpopulation and overconsumption that drive unsustainability. The book also explores the central role played by society's worldview and ethics, along with humanity's most dangerous characteristic - denial. Finally, it looks to the future, discussing the 'appropriate' technology needed for sustainability, and suggesting nine key solutions. This book provides a much-needed comprehensive discussion of what sustainability means for students, policy makers and all those interested in a sustainable future.

Demystifying Sustainability: Towards Real Solutions, (Paperback) Author: Routledge ISBN: 9781138812697 Format: Paperback Publication Date: 2015-02-16 Page Count: 222