<p>I've heard most of the material on exams are based on lectures (which is still a lot of information since Gurowitz is a fast yet succinct lecturer), and based on scholarly articles from the reader. </p>
<p>A lot of people told me that reading the textbook isn't necessary since material isn't tested from it. I just want to clarify if this is true or not with people who have actually taken the course.</p>
<p>i don’t think i ever read anything, got an A-</p>
<p>she is a really good lecturer, i was always trying to type up everything she said during lectures</p>
<p>I’d like to second this question. I’m taking PS5 too next semester, and even by going on Amazon, buying book the reader and textbook new would cost a little over a $100…Also, do you think it’s imperative that we get the latest version of the textbook (Perspectives on International Relations, 3rd edition, guessing it’s new because it came out in paperback in 2011) or would the older version suffice?</p>
<p>books can run several hundred dollars a semester, even with careful shopping, but there are options for used books (half.com, fellow students, lots of places) and other approaches.</p>
<p>The challenge with older texts is when assignments are given from the text, as the page numbers for reading and the questions for homework may not match up. However, if you know someone who has the latest edition, you can make do with the older version, just checking with the friend to verify questions and page number ranges between her and your versions.</p>