Below you will find the Suggested Reading List for various courses compiled by our team with help from our trusted friends.
As the title says, it’s merely a SUGGESTED reading list, therefore it is not compulsory. This is merely our personal recommendations based off our personal experience. Please use your own discretion.
Colour Code:
| Red | Books/Novels |
| Blue | Academic Paper/Journal |
- ECONOMICS
| BOOK/PAPER NAME | Description/Deets | Difficulty to Read (1: easy, 5 difficult) |
| Poor Economics by Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee | Discusses what it means to be poor, how the poor view life and how best to help them | 3 A very simple read but may be more enriching when read with some background knowledge |
| Bad Samaritans by Ha-Joon Chang | Discusses how developing countries can develop and analyses how rich countries became rich | 2 Simple read |
| Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo | Analyses how giving aid is detrimental to Africa and suggests alternative solutions to truly help the continent | 3 Not very complex, but may be more enriching if you have some background/technical knowledge |
| Curse of Cash by Kenneth Rogoff | Discusses the history of money (specifically cash), pros and cons of using cash, and analyses whether we should phase out paper cash | 4 Can be dry and complex but not the hardest read out there |
| Why Nations Fail? By Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson | Discusses the reasons behind the growth records of countries and analyses the relative importance of economic and political institutions | 3 Not very difficult but can be dry at parts |
| Stress Test by Timothy Geithner | Discusses the events of the 2008 financial crisis and actions of US policymakers to fight the fire | 4 Very technical |
| Breakout Nations by Ruchir Sharma | Discusses the economic prospects of emerging markets such as BRIC countries and gives huge insight into growth stories of many countries around the world | 3 Some parts easier to understand than others |
| Capital in the 21st Century by Thomas Piketty | Focuses of wealth and income inequality in US and EU and suggests the controversial global wealth tax | 5 Go read a summary, honestly. |
| The Bankers’ New Clothes by Anat Admati and Martin Hellwig | An introduction to Macro Pru and discusses the banking system in accessible fashion while calling for major reforms | 3-4 Might contain jargons that may be unfamiliar but other than that, pretty readable |
| The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation by Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson (AJR 2001) | An academic paper that uses empirical data on European settler mortality to estimate the effects on institutions and economic performance. | 3-4 Can be very technical so it’s encouraged to mainly understand the main argument they are trying to make. |
2. LAW
| BOOK/PAPER NAME | Description/Deets | Difficulty to Read (1: easy, 5 difficult) |
| What about Law? | Describes the various fields of law in a way that is engaging, critical and very digestible. | 2-3 Would highly recommend it! You’ll learn many of the cases cited in this book in your first year of law school |
| Letters to a Law Student: A Guide to Studying Law at University by Nicholas McBride | A book with everything you need to get an introduction to UK law and to decide whether it really is meant for you. | 2-3 Quite easy to understand (Fun fact: McBride’s Tort Law book will likely be your textbook next year/the following year, depending on which university you go to!) |
| The Rule of Law by Tom Bingham | Basically first few weeks of constitutional/public law A run down on what the rule of law is and should be + why the author thinks so (Tip for PS: evaluate what you read and add notes to quotes you feel are interesting) | 4 A bit more technical for those who have not read law-related pieces before |
| On Fantasy Island: Britain, Europe, and Human Rights by Conor Gearty | Discusses the importance of maintaining the Human Rights Act in the UK although contenders argue it should be replaced by a British Bill of Rights. | 3 Description might sound a bit more technical but Gearty clears up status quo and identifies the main contentions in UK HR law quite well in the first few chapters |
| Eve Was Framed by Helena Kennedy | Well-formulated critique of the British court’s treatment of women that can be extrapolated to understand differential treatment of other minorities in court | 4 |
| Glanville Williams: Learning the Law | Overview of the English Legal System which covers the essential legal skills to start developing from now | 2 Personally didn’t read it but was assured by someone else that it was an easy read |
| ‘Seditious Tendency? Political Patronisation of Free Speech and Expression in Malaysia’ by Jeyaseelan Anthony | Discussion on sedition, if you’re interested in that area of law and wish to explore that | 2.5 Simple to grasp but may be more enriching with more technical knowledge |
| Is Eating People Wrong? Great legal cases and how they shaped the world . | Expounds on 8 landmark cases from the UK, US and Australia. Every chapter provides a detailed account of the relevant facts of a case while providing for an exciting story. An interesting and engaging introduction to common law. | 3 It can get quite technical so you may have to plough through some parts. |
3. ENGINEERING
| BOOK/PAPER NAME | Description/Deets | Difficulty to Read (1: easy, 5 difficult) |
| Sustainable Materials- With Both Eyes Open by Julian Allwood and Jonathan Cullen | Explores the environmental impact of engineering and suggests solutions by focusing on the element of sustainability | 3 Not very difficult to read but may be more enriching with some background knowledge |
| Structures- or Why Things Don’t Fall Down by J.E. Gordon | Informal explanation of the basic forces that hold together the ordinary and essential things of this world–from buildings and bodies to flying aircraft and eggshells. | 2.5 Relatively accessible but may be more enriching with some background knowledge |
4. POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
| BOOK/PAPER NAME | Description/Deets | Difficulty to Read (1: easy, 5 difficult) |
Why Nations Fail? By Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson | Discusses the reasons behind the growth records of countries and analyses the relative importance of economic and political institutions | 3 Not very difficult but can be dry at parts |
| W R Clark, M Golder and S Nadenichek Golder Principles of Comparative Politics (CQ Press, 2009) | This is the textbook for first year undergrads on many politics courses, it covers most of the key concepts and ideas and tries to link it back to real world examples | 3 Well written, easy to understand but might take some time and background knowledge to digest concepts |
Man and Society by John Plamenatz | A good and very detailed overview and critical examination of the ideas of the key political theorists and their influence on society and politics | 4 Can be dry and lengthy at times but is the level that undergrads are expected to read at |
| Why Read Marx Today, by Jonathan Wolff | This book is a critical examination of Marx’s works and their relevance to the current economic and political situation. | 2 |
| An Introduction to Political Philosophy, by Jonathan Wolff | Touches on all the core concepts and is meant as an introductory texts so is written in a clear and concise way | 3 |
| Power Sharing in a Divided Nation by Johan Saravanna Muthu | Explores the concept of mediating communalism and analyses the complexity of politics in Malaysia | 2.5 |
| The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation by Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson (AJR), 2001 | An academic paper that uses empirical data on European settler mortality to estimate the effects on institutions and economic performance. | 3-4 Can be very technical so it’s encouraged to mainly understand the main argument they are trying to make. |
| Factor endowments, Inequality and Paths of Development among New World Economies by Engerman and Sokoloff, 2002 | An academic paper that details how political institutions come about and what effects it has on the society and economy. It’s very interdisciplinary as it covers politics, history and economics. | 3-4 Can be quite complex and technical (it’s uni level reading) but has an amazing argument. Read the intro and conclusion. |
5. History
| BOOK/PAPER NAME | Description/Deets | Difficulty to Read (1: easy, 5 difficult) |
| A People’s History of Malaysia by Syed Husin Ali | Discusses the history of Malaysia and how such history is written, taking into account the perspectives of people | 2 Very simple read |
| What is History by E.H. Carr | Explains historical concepts and discusses methodology in history | 2 Easy read! |
| International History of the Twentieth Century and Beyond by Antony Best | Covers events in Africa, Europe, Asia, Americas and Middle East from last century and beyond. A narrative driven book with specific details about specific historical events. | 2.5 Don’t have to read from cover to cover, can zoom in on specific areas that interests you |
| The Twenty Years Crisis by E.H. Carr | Discusses the international relations in the interwar period from 1919-1939 | 3 |
| The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation by Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson (AJR 2001) | An academic paper that uses empirical data on European settler mortality to estimate the effects on institutions and economic performance. | 3-4 Can be very technical so it’s encouraged to mainly understand the main argument they are trying to make. |
| Factor endowments, Inequality and Paths of Development among New World Economies by Engerman and Sokoloff, 2002 | An academic paper that details how political institutions come about and what effects it has on the society and economy. It’s very interdisciplinary as it covers politics, history and economics. | 3-4 Can be quite complex and technical (it’s uni level reading) but has an amazing argument. Read the intro and conclusion. |
| Why Europe, the West and Not China by David Landes, 2006 | An academic paper that analyses the historical phenomenon of China lagging behind the West despite initial strengths and discusses the reasons for it. Covers history, politics and economics. | 2-3 Not difficult but may be more enriching with some background knowledge. Don’t have to read cover to cover, skim read to find the main arguments. |
6. Medicine
| BOOK/PAPER NAME | Description/Deets | Difficulty to Read (1: easy, 5 difficult) |
| When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi | A memoir about Dr Kalanthi’s life as a neurosurgeon and his fight against Stage IV metastatic lung cancer. | 2 -No science background needed and very little medical terms used -My biggest takeaway came from Dr Kalanithi explaining how he found medicine in the first place. |
| Being Mortal by Atul Gawande | Being Mortal is a meditation on how people can better live with age-related frailty, serious illness, and approaching death. Gawande calls for a change in the way that medical professionals treat patients approaching their ends. | 1 -Doesn’t require a science background – a more approachable read as author includes his own reflections and personal accounts |
| The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee | The book weaves together Mukherjee’s experiences as a hematology/oncology fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital as well as the history of cancer treatment and research The book also reviews the origins of hospice and palliative medicine and cancer screening. | 2 -Higher up on the scale because its a longer read -doesn’t require a science background to appreciate the advances and setbacks in medicine for an illness that has been around for a long time |
| Basics of Cancer Immunotherapy by Hai Dong Dong | This book is aimed specifically at cancer patients to serve as a resource when seeking immunotherapy as a treatment option. There is a detailed focus on various cancers provides disease-specific insights in applying immunotherapy to each disease | 3 – More for a niche interest in cancer treatments – background knowledge in pre-U biology is useful but not essential, author uses very simple terms as it is aimed at cancer patients and non-medical caregivers. |
7. Psychology
| BOOK/PAPER NAME | Description/Deets | Difficulty to Read (1: easy, 5 difficult) |
| The Man who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks | A book about a neurologist describing the case histories of some of his patients. | 2 Relatively simple read but can be more enriching with more background knowledge |
| Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl | Frankl’s experiences in Nazi concentration camps and descriptions of his psychotherapeutic method called logotheraphy | 3 Doesn’t require any background knowledge but can get abstract at times |
8. Sciences
| BOOK/PAPER NAME | Description/Deets | Difficulty to Read (1: easy, 5 difficult) |
| The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins | Discusses natural selection through a gene-centric view | 3 |
| Evolving Ourselves by Juan Enriquez | A fun read that succinctly outlines the very exciting prospects that modern biology can do for us | 1.5-2 Super nice read and accessible to any reader interested in biology at any level |
| Life at the Speed of Light by J Craig Venter | About a guy that outcompeted the US government in sequencing the human genome, then went on to synthesise a whole new genome to put in bacteria | 3.5 Some parts can become slightly technical |
9. Philosophy
| BOOK/PAPER NAME | Description/Deets | Difficulty to Read (1: easy, 5 difficult) |
| Mill on Utilitarianism by Roger Crisp | Mill develops his theory of utilitarianism, building his theory of well being followed by then what that translates to in terms of morality (what ought to be done, what is permissible and what is not permissible). Crisp creates an exposition or commentary of Mill. | 3-4 |
| Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder | A fiction about a teenager being introduced into the history of philosophy. While fictional, this gives a strong intro into a world of philosophy and the minds of famous philosophers | 3.5 The introduction to Philosophy itself is simple to grasp but the fictitious element of the book can be complex |
10. General
| Book/Paper name | Description | Difficult to read (1: easy, 5 difficult) |
| How to Write a Winning UCAS Personal Statement by Bianca Khor | This book offers an easy step-by-step guide to help you persuade the admissions tutors that you are a perfect match for the university’s STEM-related course. The book is also filled with personal statements written by successful students as part of their application to top Russell Group universities. | 1 You can find a free snippet of the book at the end of this article. Purchase the book here: |
Do you have any reads that you wish to be included in this list? Send the name of book+author, description and difficulty level to contactus.collegelah@gmail.com !
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