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Can you recommend some books about PPE? Im a starter

Hello! Im Leon,a oversea student from Hong Kong and Im really interested in PPE

Can you recommend some books as I want to acquire knowledge beyond useless common sense and prepare for the course?

I want to read some books within insights, Thxx in advance

Reply 1

cambio wechsel

Original post by Leon Lau

Hi Leon!

great question, mate. My strong suggestion is that you read from the Oxford Very Short Introductions series -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Economics-Very-Short-Introduction-Introductions/dp/0192853457/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424921477&sr=1-1&keywords=very+short+introduction+economics

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philosophy-Very-Short-Introduction-Introductions/dp/0192854216/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424921690&sr=1-1&keywords=very+short+introduction+philosophy

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Political-Philosophy-Short-Introduction-Introductions/dp/0192803956/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424921690&sr=1-2&keywords=very+short+introduction+philosophy

Other useful resources here -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philosophy-Basics-Nigel-Warburton/dp/0415693160/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424922012&sr=1-1&keywords=nigel+warburton+philosophy+the+basics

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philosophers-Toolkit-Compendium-Philosophical-Concepts/dp/1405190183/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424921854&sr=1-3&keywords=baggini+julian

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Economics-Users-Guide-Pelican-Introduction/dp/0718197038/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424922125&sr=1-2&keywords=21+things+they+don%27t+tell+you+about+capitalism

And -

www.guardian.co.uk
www.economist.com
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Don't listen to anyone who tells you to try reading e.g. Kant or Wittgenstein or Keynes or Marx. It's a good idea to be able to mention a couple of primary sources in your PS but these might sensibly be: Mill On Liberty and Plato The Republic. Be aware that if you mention a famous text, interviewers will of course know it and have a stock of what for them are dolly questions about the work.

Since you're applying from Hong Kong I'd want if I were you to be ready to talk about the ongoing protests there.

Reply 2

Leon Lau

Really thank you for your suggestion

I should have told you that I have basic command of Economics, intermediate maybe

Actually, I am looking forward to some a bit advanced and applied theory

I would appreciate if you could offer me more advice

But, anyways, the philosophy and political books you have suggested are great !

Reply 3

cambio wechsel

Original post by Leon Lau

http://ppe.hertford.ox.ac.uk/documents/PPE_OpenDay_10.pdf

Reply 4

Fullofsurprises

Original post by cambio wechsel

I agree with most of that. The core 'great texts' of the founders and great thinkers of economics are often very hard, almost impenetrably so, for beginners.

The Oxford Very Short Introductions are a good series. I'm not totally sold on the Philosophy one though, it is good in places, but it's a bit narrow and tends to work on key problems by a bit too closely relating them to just a few philosophers. It's not rubbish, but it's a limited view of the field.

Books like Think are good for that.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Think-Compelling-Introduction-Simon-Blackburn/dp/0192854259

Or Philosophy The Basics.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philosophy-Basics-Nigel-Warburton/dp/0415693160

Can you recommend some books about PPE? Im a starter

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