Five non-fiction books about contemporary youth

A year on from the riots, as part of our youth focus season, we give you five books that explore the issues facing young people today - from the demonization of the working class to gang culture to the austerity cuts...

Chavs

by Owen Jones

Verso Books

Chavs is a damning indictment of the media and political establishment and an illuminating, disturbing portrait of inequality and class hatred in modern Britain

Read about 'Chavs'
Politics - cutting through the crap

by Bali Rai

Walker

What is politics? How does Parliament work? Is the great British democracy even a true democracy?

Read about 'Politics - cutting through the crap'
Amongst the hoods

by Harriet Sergeant

Faber

Harriet Sergeant's three year friendship with a teenage gang, and in particular the gang leader, Tuggy Tug began when she was researching a report on why so many black Caribbean and white working class boys are failing

Read about 'Amongst the hoods'
Summer of Unrest: Generation Vexed

by Nikesh Shukla

The Bodley Head

An antidote to the broadsheet commentariat, this street-level view of the defining moment of the Summer of Unrest finds much to inspire hope and confidence for our future.

Read about 'Summer of Unrest: Generation Vexed'
Gang Leader for a Day

by Sudhir Venkatesh

Penguin

Sudhir Venkatesh the young sociologist who became famous in Freakonomics (Why do drug dealers still live with their moms?) describes his time living with the gangs on the Southside of Chicago

Read about 'Gang Leader for a Day'