AN INVITATION TO POLITICAL THOUGHT is a student-friendly introductory text/reader for political theory that includes a clearly guided explanation of western political thought from Plato to Nietzsche with accompanying primary sources. AN INVITATION TO POLITICAL THOUGHT thus saves the student money by uniquely combining both explanatory essays and primary sources in a single volume. Each chapter begins with an examination of the life of and legacy of an epic political thinker and then proceeds to unpack that thinker's core teaching on such enduring questions as human nature, state and society, justice, political obligation, war and peace, political education, gender and politics, rights and revolution. Other pedagogical features include case studies that relate the material to current events, questions for reflection, a list of key terms, a list of sources, and helpful websites for further reading.