Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Wow was this the right time to read this book. This is a republished political science classic that examines the definition of democracy and under what conditions democracy survives, thrives, and is a stable political system.

Quotations like this seem particularly resonant in our post-2020 USA election environment:

"If the underlying conditions are highly favorable, stability is likely with almost any constitution the country is likely to adopt. If the underlying conditions are highly unfavorable, no constitution will save democracy."

or

"What is more, democracy could not long exist unless its citizens manage to create and maintain a supportive political culture, indeed a general culture supportive of these ideals and practices."

More a descriptive survey than a prescriptive cookbook, this book made me appreciate again how fragile our democracy has become over the last few decades.

This book was written 20 years ago and is now being published again. Base on the hype in 2000 I was looking forward to reading "On Democracy" but I was too busy to do so two decades ago. So now was my time to read this book. Boy was I disappointed. "On Democracy" does not measure up to its billing. Skip it!

This is a new edition of a classic book, with some new content. I never read Dahl before, so this was a first contact with both Dahl and Shapiro, who added the new stuff. There's a brief introduction about Dahl's life and work, and Ian Shapiro adds to Dahl's discussions on north-american politics, in a preface where he guesses how Dahl would think of today's political situation, mentions USA's democracy and electoral system, relating to UK and Germany's politics, and assures the reader none of the original text was changed, just added to with a new section written by Shapiro himself.

The book discusses the origins of democracy and how the word was/is used, its characteristics, the things needed for it to exist, what a democratic constitution does and all that. It's all very simple and straight to the point, as an introductory book, and despite the dry academic language it's clear and understandable. Dahl's ideas feel very idealistic in some points, and it's all from a liberal democracy perspective.

Despite not agreeing with some points and stuff it doesn't feel right to me to criticize much considering it has been a few decades since the book was originally published, and of course things have changed and I'm speaking from a whole different point in time/life. In his final chapter, Dahl gives some predictions about the challenges he believes democracy as a whole will have to deal with in the 21st century. Shapiro's added part didn't seem to give much new content or perspectives, but maybe my brain was already so destroyed by all the other pages that I couldn't even read right anymore.

So yeah, in the end this was just an okay book.

An apt book considering the democratic processes we’re watching unfurl right now, if you have been captured by the news and politics is your thing you interest you will fall headfirst into this book but if you’re looking for something light, this might not be right for you. A book in moments that can feel quite heavy, Dahl here gives you the reader on Democracy and walks you through the history of democracy and how it is put to use in the USA and globally.

A thorough walk through the differences between the ideal democracy and the reality of it, On Democracy is a book for those probably into or studying the area to get into as he explores the who, what, why of the subject and really explores interpretation of what we mean by the subject. For me it was an easy read with chapters that I got through pretty quickly as the writing isn’t terribly complicated and Dahl does a good job of making it interesting.

A great read if Politics is your interest, it makes it clear just what we need from democracy and leaves you wondering if we really have perfected it yet.

(I recieved an ARC from Netgalley for honest review).

An excellent book, and one that deserves extra attention during these current, difficult times in US politics and society. While you won't necessarily find all the answers you might be looking for, Dahl's book and Shapiro's additional essays provide plenty of fodder for starting a conversation and debate. Thought-provoking, intelligent, and clearly written. Recommended.